Where the heck is my foal? What can be wrong?

[Laura]

370 days is our current farm record for gestation...and yes, she was hand bred...ONCE!

 

[Danielle_E.]

Marty, can it be that your "due" dates are wrong? You mentioned to me before that she was bred again in September 2004 I believe and accepted the stud. Maybe that is what is going on here.

 

[_minihorses4ever_]

Priscilla has a now grown QH gelding son of Major Leaquer (sp?) and he went about 1 year inside... and he came out with TEETH.  Let Holly know if she waits too long we will be calling Fetus "Fang".
Not to be discouraging, but her udder looks like the udders of all 8 of my non-pregnant mares.

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LOL

Hang in there Marty, fetus will come sometime!

 

[Mona]

She does not look like she is going to foal at all.  Even if no bag she would have something that looked "more full" than that. Glands in the front or something.
Do you have side photos, rear photos of her.  I saw the photos you posted of her when she had a month to go. Athough some maidens or young mares (  I have a couple) do not look bred for most of PG's, do fill out the last month.

I hope she is bred and I am wrong!

Beth

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This is exactly what I was thinking too.

 

[rockin r]

Hi Marty...

Although I have had full size horses 20+ years, I have had miniature horses for only about 4 years now, and learned there is no comparison of the two.IMO..

My maiden mare Sugar who is 6 yrs. old, foaled at 333 days to give us Shooter. She was hand bred 2x, 21 days apart. She had NO BAGS, and her vulva was tight as a whistle at noon. Went to feed at 7:30pm and she was bagging up, but her vulva was long and flabby with a red rim. She gave no signs, although her tail head had been high for about 5 weeks. At 11:45pm I was watching her on the monitor, she was acting fine nothing out of the normal. At midnight her water broke, and at 12:30am there was Shooter! I too was losing my sanity, and even slept in the barn after those babies were stolen. I was just beside my self with worry. Because she was a maiden mare, I was "too well informed" as my vet put it for my own good. All I did was worry about what could go wrong. She never even looked a day in foal!! She looked like she had a little hay belly, which made me think she was going to have a very tiny foal. Shooter was 20" and 35 lbs. All in all everything went fine. Treat yourself to an Ice cream Sundae, and maybe give Holly a bite too!

 

[littlesteppers]

She does not look like she is going to foal at all.  Even if no bag she would have something that looked "more full" than that. Glands in the front or something.
Do you have side photos, rear photos of her.  I saw the photos you posted of her when she had a month to go. Athough some maidens or young mares (  I have a couple) do not look bred for most of PG's, do fill out the last month.

I hope she is bred and I am wrong!

Beth

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Me three..sorry But she doesn't look bred to me..do you have pic's from behind and side??

 

[Marty]

Holly is most definately in foal. I know my horse.

Besides, the vet felt the foal inside. This is a picture

of her back in May. She looked "normal" there in

this picture, but she surely does not look like that

now. By the middle of June, holy cow,

it was like she put on the pounds over night. Her

entire conformation changed: her well rounded butt

went into the shape of a upside down V with like a

point on top. Her gut pulled way way way down low

in the middle and her backbone seemed like it was

erupting. She waddles, now, never runs or bucks

and is carrying a whole lot of weight. I know that my

baby is in there.

Please! Don't tell me my baby isn't in there

I'm upset enough. And I know my dates are exact.

The only other thing I can think of is that I did

expose her again in September to "be sure" but

that was pasture breeding for 2 days in which Nick

was so much shorter, I was watching as closely

as possible and I doubted seriously if he really

"hit his mark" wihtout "his ditch"

but goodness knows he did try his

best, but it looked to me like he failed that time. This

is why I am going with my handbreeding dates because

I had him "in a ditch" and I know he hit the target when

I hand bred him.

This is the picture taken back in May.

I'll take new pictures later today if I can

and post those so you can see.

 

[DebiM]

Marty, I'm sorry but she hasn't looked bred to me either. I've been afraid you were going to be in for a big disappointment. I know your fairly new to Minis and brand new to breeding so have been worried for you. But hopefully if Danielle is correct then she could be due later than what we thought.

Have you seen or felt the foal move? I have three mares still to foal who are due from the last week of August til the 7th of September. Two of them look like their bags are ready to burst then the other is coming on strong. This isn't a very good pic but you can see how large her bag is between her back legs. This mare is due September 5th.

P.S. Added this when I saw we were posting at the same time, Marty. If Holly stood for Nick in September, showing heat then she probably was not bred by then. So if she's bred now then we'll hope she's due for later this month.

 

[OhHorsePee]

Be brave little soldier! You will get your baby! You are an awesome person, Marty and things will work out. Get yourself relaxed and take a deep breath. Good things will come your way.

God bless

Fran

 

[Lauralee]

Well Gosh Marty, you asked what could be wrong in your opening line! Don't get upset at folks for posting an answer to your question....

Nothing posted on this forum is going to change her gestational status. She either IS or she is NOT in foal. Time will tell. CHILL.

 

[lyn_j]

[SIZE=14pt]I would like to see recent pics also.... I thought Image was bred and she was looking just like Holly and she was not pregnant. She would have also been due in July and her may pic is almost just like Holly. I was so sure this bulging and growing tummy was baby and it wasnt.[/SIZE]

What have you noticed with movement?

Lyn

 

[ClickMini]

Well, I can see where the folks who say "not preg" are coming from, there certainly is no development in that bag whatsoever.

BUT, in addition to all the other signs you mentioned above, didn't you say that she is also doing the butt press and other advanced pregnancy moves?

I hope she foals out soon, and more importantly, SAFELY!!!

(((((HUGS))))) Marty, I know how on pins and needles you are! I feel for ya, sista!

 

[littlesteppers]

Marty..here is our maiden we foaled out this year..she is 306 days in that picture..I understand some mares hide the babies very well..But I think you should see something by now..I hope I am wrong and you get your baby!

 

[Becky]

I'm going to jump in here and give Holly the benefit of the doubt and assume she is in foal and was bred in Sept since she apparantly was showing heat when you put her and Nick together. So, she should be due this month. Is there any 'pouch' in front of her udder? It looks that way to me from the picture, but the picture isn't very clear. It's entirely possible for her to bag up quickly.

Keep checking for ANY changes to her udder. I check my late term mares twice a day at least and note even minimal changes. Those changes can be significant in terms of how close they are to foaling! And, have you seen or felt any foal movement? I will pat my mares on the belly while they are eating and then hold my hand pressed against their belly. That frequently wakes the foal up and he/she starts moving around where I can feel them.

HANG IN THERE!

 

[wendy4mini]

Hey Marty, have you tried playing "Rocky Top" really loud. Nothing gets a Tennessee girl moving quite like Rocky Top. Stomp your feet, sing along and yell "GO VOLS". I bet she'll just pop that little thing right out.

 

[DebiM]

Here's a couple better pics of Shy Ann for you to compare with your new ones of Holly. She's due Sept 5th.

 

[Jill]

Marty --

For what it is worth, here are pictures of Lou just over 6 weeks before Skipper was born, and he was about 1 week early...

Basically what I meant when I said Holly's udder looks like all my mares' udders is that she doesn't appear to be pregnant

We all know I'm no expert on pregnant mares. I have owned 2 and both looked VERY pregnant from the time they were 3mos from foaling. Also, I have known probably half a dozen mini mares at the stable who were pregnant and they also very much looked it (ala Lou).

Jill

 

[lyn_j]

[SIZE=14pt]Fancy a month before foaling. front,well more top front and side. This mare is on her second foal in these pics but doesnt bag much till a week before.[/SIZE]

These pics were at 285 days.

Lyn

 

[Magic]

Since the vet FELT that foal when doing a late term palpation, I'm pretty darn sure there is a foal in there.

I had doubts about a maiden mare that was to foal early this year, myself. I couldn't feel any foal movement, and she just didn't carry like the other pregnant mares I've had. I had myself worked up into a froth, worried that she wasn't in foal, but she was.

Try not to worry Marty (yes I know it is easier said than done). Your baby will get here sooner or later..

 

[user 488]

Marty, if this one mare is causing you this much distress then I think that breeding may not be for you. The waiting game is just a small part of the whole experience.

Now, if it was me and you have these many concerns..........get on the phone..........get the vet out and palpate the mare! Why put yourself and your family thru this unnecessary grief? This should be an exciting and happy time for you. I know you said the vet was out but that was a few months ago if I recall. You know, vets do make mistakes! Now if you don't consider that an option you are just going to have to sit back and try to be a good girl and wait it out just like the rest of us.