# Expert opinions please…not sure if she’s in foal



## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 20, 2021)

So. I did NOT think I would be posting my own thread here for a couple of years yet. But…I think there might be a possibility that my new rescue mare is pregnant. Here’s some back story: she and another mare and two studs were running wild on a reservation until about January. One stud was the other mini I adopted, now a gelding. The other stud is a rabicano sorrel pinto, now also a gelding. My mare is really looking dropped, I’m including references of my other mare’s stomach (who is definitely not pregnant). I have all the pictures here that you should need as I’ve been stalking the mare stare threads lol. 



third photo is my non pregnant mares belly, first two are of the new mare. Here are some teat and back end etc photos:


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## elizabeth.conder (Oct 20, 2021)

She definitely could be. Hard to say from just pictures. If she is that far along you should be able to feel foal movement. I have found it is easiest to feel right after they run around for a bit or while they are eating.


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 20, 2021)

elizabeth.conder said:


> She definitely could be. Hard to say from just pictures. If she is that far along you should be able to feel foal movement. I have found it is easiest to feel right after they run around for a bit or while they are eating.


I felt something on her left side just above her udder, right where the arrow is. Lol Arrow I didn’t do that on purpose haha


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 20, 2021)

Is it just me or does she looks slightly lopsided to where she’s a bit bigger on the left side?


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## elizabeth.conder (Oct 20, 2021)

She looks a bit lopsided, but having one back leg forward can make it seem that way too. Foal movement is usually quite obvious, with good solid kicks. Especially that far along. So you very well may be feeling something.


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 20, 2021)

elizabeth.conder said:


> She looks a bit lopsided, but having one back leg forward can make it seem that way too. Foal movement is usually quite obvious, with good solid kicks. Especially that far along. So you very well may be feeling something.


She had her two back legs pretty much in the same spot. I felt three pretty solid kicks. I’m gonna try tomorrow to either have her get some exercise or give her something to eat (does anything work or does it have to be specifically hay, grain?? I’ve never done this before lol I’m very new to this!) and see if I can feel something! How long on average after exercise or eating does the foal normally kick? Also can I just walk her around or does she need to trot or canter?


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## elizabeth.conder (Oct 21, 2021)

It really just depends. No real science to it. Basically think about what it will take to "wake" the foal up. Just walking may be enough or it may take her doing more than that. I usually feel during grain because since they are foragers they are basically eating all day. So the foal is used to that grazing feeling. Sometimes what I do is just a gentle jog with the mare for maybe a minute. Should not take much at this stage to feel movement.


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 21, 2021)

elizabeth.conder said:


> It really just depends. No real science to it. Basically think about what it will take to "wake" the foal up. Just walking may be enough or it may take her doing more than that. I usually feel during grain because since they are foragers they are basically eating all day. So the foal is used to that grazing feeling. Sometimes what I do is just a gentle jog with the mare for maybe a minute. Should not take much at this stage to feel movement.


Gotcha. I’ll do that tomorrow when it’s light out and I’ll also see if I can film some movement too. If she is pregnant, do I have to feed her anything special or anything?


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## Taz (Oct 21, 2021)

If you think she's pregnant I'd put her on a maternity feed. It sounds like she could be. Are you able to set anything up to watch her? Do you have stalls or somewhere warm(er) and dry for her to foal? How old was the other stud she was with? From that udder pic it looks like she has foaled before so you're lucky there, she knows what she's doing. Welcome to the 'I'm going crazy' foal watch group!


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 21, 2021)

Taz said:


> If you think she's pregnant I'd put her on a maternity feed. It sounds like she could be. Are you able to set anything up to watch her? Do you have stalls or somewhere warm(er) and dry for her to foal? How old was the other stud she was with? From that udder pic it looks like she has foaled before so you're lucky there, she knows what she's doing. Welcome to the 'I'm going crazy' foal watch group!


I do have stalls, they aren’t heated but they are dry and I can put straw in there. They are in a shelter in the pasture she’s in, the open part is facing south. Once I’m more sure, I’ll probably be looking into a live cam and also a marewatchers subscription so you guys can help me out!! Any recommendations for a live cam that works but doesn’t cost an arm and a leg? I’m kind of on a tight budget…lol. The other stud she was with is 6. And I just realized, all of us that are waiting for a possible Dec/Jan foal have a black mare  @Taz, you have Izzy who is black, and @elizabeth.conder has her black mare, Belle. That’s kind of a weird little coincidence! Anyone have any suggestions for warming up a stall area? I’m more than willing to do a little project if it will help her, but like I said I’m kind of on a tight budget so I couldn’t buy too much. I’m going to look into some mare and foal feed, Step Right has one and I’m looking to get Arrow onto Step Two. Only thing is the Step Two says for high performance, metabolic issues and growing horses. Arrow is still growing. I had my big horse that needed muscle on Step 4 Complete Pellet but I read that they don’t recommend it for growing horses!! Aghhh and I love step right, so I’d like to stay with that brand if I can! Any help would be very welcome!


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 21, 2021)

Okay so here’s a little update: I now have gone from 50% thinking she could be pregnant yesterday, to 75% thinking pregnant today. She’s not super well halterbroke so I couldn’t really make her trot, but I walked her around for a couple minutes and felt some little kicks. Then I let her go and free lunged her and tried to feel again. I free lunged her probably 2-3 times, and especially after the last time I felt slightly more solid kicks. Tried to get video but it’s hard with a black horse. Didn’t get more photos yet but will later today. And she now has a name, Indi! I’m thinking she’ll have Indigo in her show name. So that’s the update for now. Any tips on taking video of a foal kicking, lol?


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## Taz (Oct 21, 2021)

Love the name! If you're feeling kicks, ie punches, then I'm going with she's pregnant, especially if the other stud is older. Any chance Arrow is actually her kid? Were there other mares with the three of them? I can't help you at all with a video,sorry, mine never work. I wouldn't try to get a heater in your run in. I think you'd have to go with a heat lamp and they have to be really close to the bedding to work and only on a small space, not very safe. I'd make sure there are no drafts(plywood works great), or as few as possible, lots of fluffy dry straw or hay and have a couple of waterproof dog blankets for the baby. I fold a fleece blanket a few times and sew that inside. It's the first couple of days when they can't regulate their own temp and especially when they are still wet that you have to watch closely but around here a winter baby will have a blanket on for the rest of the winter. I use a wide angle camera I got on amazon.ca. I have it hard wired into the tv in my bedroom(no home internet) but I think it can go to your router as well, not 100% on that though. Q-camera security camera 1080P HD 4 in 1 TV1/CVI/AHV/CVBS. It should come up if you type that in. The wide angle/fisheye cameras are great, they show you a huge area, almost no blind spots. The wifi cameras are actually easier to find and cheaper than most of the analog(wire directly to a monitor) cameras. If you can run a cable from the shelter to your modem you can get one that has internet and power all in one. You don't need the most expensive camera, $30 - $50 should work. The cable is the expensive part, look around for that. Amazon lets you do returns easily if the camera doesn't work and has a huge selection, I got my cable either from them or best buy, can't remember.


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 21, 2021)

Taz said:


> Love the name! If you're feeling kicks, ie punches, then I'm going with she's pregnant, especially if the other stud is older. Any chance Arrow is actually her kid? Were there other mares with the three of them? I can't help you at all with a video,sorry, mine never work. I wouldn't try to get a heater in your run in. I think you'd have to go with a heat lamp and they have to be really close to the bedding to work and only on a small space, not very safe. I'd make sure there are no drafts(plywood works great), or as few as possible, lots of fluffy dry straw or hay and have a couple of waterproof dog blankets for the baby. I fold a fleece blanket a few times and sew that inside. It's the first couple of days when they can't regulate their own temp and especially when they are still wet that you have to watch closely but around here a winter baby will have a blanket on for the rest of the winter. I use a wide angle camera I got on amazon.ca. I have it hard wired into the tv in my bedroom(no home internet) but I think it can go to your router as well, not 100% on that though. Q-camera security camera 1080P HD 4 in 1 TV1/CVI/AHV/CVBS. It should come up if you type that in. The wide angle/fisheye cameras are great, they show you a huge area, almost no blind spots. The wifi cameras are actually easier to find and cheaper than most of the analog(wire directly to a monitor) cameras. If you can run a cable from the shelter to your modem you can get one that has internet and power all in one. You don't need the most expensive camera, $30 - $50 should work. The cable is the expensive part, look around for that. Amazon lets you do returns easily if the camera doesn't work and has a huge selection, I got my cable either from them or best buy, can't remember.


Yeah haha that’s what I’m thinking too. The kicks aren’t super hard but they feel different than her stomach gurgling for sure. There is a chance Arrow is her kid actually, the rescue people don’t know cause he was almost 2 in Jan when they picked him up. I’m thinking he possibly is cause he tried to nurse on her yesterday and she bit him lol  there was one other mare with them. Okay so I have to get some dog blankets closet to the date then. Velcro on the front? I think actually I’d like to have a camera hard wired into a TV here as well, that would probably be easiest. How exactly does that work? I’m getting way too excited lol I can’t wait to see if she has a foal!!! Looks like I’ve got some projects to do! I’ll have to close in one stall out of my four for her, somehow make a door for it so I can get in and out and also so there are no/very little drafts. Then I have to buy a camera lol aghhh so much stuff that I wasn’t expecting! I love that she may have a baby but I wish it wasn’t going to be in winter! Any other tips for keeping baby warm after it dries off? Is it’s coat fluffy enough with a blanket to keep it warm even around -30 C?


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 21, 2021)

So here’s another update with some pics. I walked around with her quite quickly a few times, and I felt for sure 99% sure one pretty strong little kick! Just one, but it felt much bigger than the others, definitely not a tummy rumble! Also I was wondering, I think I heard something about if you touch their belly they lift it up if they’re pregnant? Something along those lines? Is that true? 
Here are the photos I took today:


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## elizabeth.conder (Oct 21, 2021)

The tummy lift is usually something you see within 48 hrs of foaling. It’s a natural reaction to getting close and instinctively lifting to allow a foal to nurse easier.

Okay tell us the dates she could possible be bred and let’s see how far along she should be.

I would DEFINITELY get some warm foa blankets. They tend to have a lot of hair when born but with that low of temperatureI don’t know that it will be enough. Remember foals are very fragile especially when new. If you can get a livestock heat lamp that should help. And I would use towels to dry the foal completely. I agree with Taz, try to get the shelter set up in a way to minimize any drafts. Bedding will help hold warmth as well.

There are many many cameras that work and are cheap. Amazon is great to use. If you decide you want to see what you would need for Marewatchers, you are welcome to PM and I can get you connected to the tech and setup lady. Otherwise I’m sure we can help you find a camera that will suit your needs. Personally I prefer hardwired simply because then you don’t have to rely on WiFi if the weather gets bad. Also then you aren’t as limited with range. It’s a lot more work to get it set up though.


To try to get video of movement will be difficult with that much hair. You can go ahead and clip a small area around her belly if you want which will make it easier to see and feel movement. Don’t want to overdo it. But it’s advised to clip there anyway because it helps the foal find the udder easier and helps keep he foal from ingesting that long winter coat which can cause major issues. You can always blanket until she starts getting close too. Once she gets close, she needs to not wear a blanket. And for a foal blanket, Velcro is the safest. There are many stories of the foal getting caught on something with either their blanket or their dams blanket (and halter).


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 21, 2021)

elizabeth.conder said:


> The tummy lift is usually something you see within 48 hrs of foaling. It’s a natural reaction to getting close and instinctively lifting to allow a foal to nurse easier.
> 
> Okay tell us the dates she could possible be bred and let’s see how far along she should be.
> 
> ...


Okay that makes sense! Well it’s really hard to say when she could be bred, she was running wild with the studs (Arrow and the other one) all her life, then in Jan they were taken in. I don’t exactly know when the studs were gelded, but I’m assuming they were put in with all the mares while they were still studs and right after they were gelded. So if she got bred in Jan or Feb, she would be due in a couple of months. I might message the rescue and ask them if she was running with the studs or if they were in separate pens on the reserve, and also if they always kept that herd together at the rescue. I might clip or trim the hair there, if it’s just there does she need a blanket? She’s been wild for five years so I feel like she wouldn’t, but for sure the baby would. I think I’m going to look at the camera @Taz suggested to me, I really think I want to hardwire it too. What exactly is needed with hardwiring a camera to a TV? Indi most likely won’t be wearing a halter while foaling, I don’t like to keep them on and she’s doing much better with being caught. And if she doesn’t need a blanket, I won’t use one.


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## elizabeth.conder (Oct 21, 2021)

I would only blanket if she needs it. Hopefully that small amount of trimming won’t make a big impact. I have mine run to a monitor. It depends what type of camera and tv you have. Since I bought a bigger system, mine have coax from the camera to the receiver and then a usb from the receiver to the monitor. Pretty simple. You may have to get a converter depending on what you go with. But it shouldn’t be hard.


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 21, 2021)

elizabeth.conder said:


> I would only blanket if she needs it. Hopefully that small amount of trimming won’t make a big impact. I have mine run to a monitor. It depends what type of camera and tv you have. Since I bought a bigger system, mine have coax from the camera to the receiver and then a usb from the receiver to the monitor. Pretty simple. You may have to get a converter depending on what you go with. But it shouldn’t be hard.


Yeah that’s what I thought. Ohhhh I think I gotcha, that sounds pretty straightforward! By the way, how’s your Belle doing? When is she due again?


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## Taz (Oct 21, 2021)

From those pictures it looks like you have a while to go, lots of time to get ready and get her used to being in a stall at night. You might want to lock Arrow in a stall next to her so she has company. I'll figure out the cables and attachments I had to use to hook up my camera and let you know tomorrow. It's really simple but you do need an hd tv, I think. Basically what I have is a coax cable run from my tv to her stall, about 150-200 ft. The camera needs to be plugged in so if you don't have an outlet in your shelter you can get a coax cable that is twinned with a power cable and plug it in next to your tv. You need a connector between your tv and the cable, I'll figure out what that is and let you know tomorrow. Pretty simple, running the cables takes the most time.


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 21, 2021)

Taz said:


> From those pictures it looks like you have a while to go, lots of time to get ready and get her used to being in a stall at night. You might want to lock Arrow in a stall next to her so she has company. I'll figure out the cables and attachments I had to use to hook up my camera and let you know tomorrow. It's really simple but you do need an hd tv, I think. Basically what I have is a coax cable run from my tv to her stall, about 150-200 ft. The camera needs to be plugged in so if you don't have an outlet in your shelter you can get a coax cable that is twinned with a power cable and plug it in next to your tv. You need a connector between your tv and the cable, I'll figure out what that is and let you know tomorrow. Pretty simple, running the cables takes the most time.


Yes exactly, I was thinking about how I’m going to get her used to being in a stall. I don’t even have doors on the stalls so I will have to build one lol. And I’ll also have to figure out how to make it mostly draft free. Ohhh I see, sounds good! I think I have an HD tv but I’ll have to double check. If you had to guess, how far along do you think she would be? Cause she could’ve been bred anytime last year, I’m not sure exactly when.


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## elizabeth.conder (Oct 21, 2021)

I agree with Taz, 

Belle is doing well, I’ll update on my thread to avoid clogging up your thread.


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## HersheyMint (Oct 22, 2021)

I love Indi as a name. How exciting for you. Keep the updates coming.


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 22, 2021)

HersheyMint said:


> I love Indi as a name. How exciting for you. Keep the updates coming.


Thank you! I definitely will! I’m off to get bloodwork done this morning but I’ll update when I get home and hopefully I’ll grab some more photos


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## Cayuse (Oct 22, 2021)

I have not read the entire thread but when I saw her pictures on your other thread the very first thing I thought was "is she in foal?" Good luck if she is, she's a cutie . And this is why I only have geldings !


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 22, 2021)

Cayuse said:


> I have not read the entire thread but when I saw her pictures on your other thread the very first thing I thought was "is she in foal?" Good luck if she is, she's a cutie . And this is why I only have geldings !


Haha really?? I didn’t even think of it till the day after I got her. Haha thanks!! Lol  much less stress but you don’t get cute babies!!


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## LostandFound (Oct 22, 2021)

She could be. Or not. It's so hard to tell from looks, which of course is why we have so many of these threads. And it seems pretty common for minis to have what I would call a "false" pregnancy. Complete with what sure feels like kicking, bagging up, and loosening of the back end. My mare has quite a bit more udder than yours and has been vet checked as not in foal.


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 22, 2021)

LostandFound said:


> She could be. Or not. It's so hard to tell from looks, which of course is why we have so many of these threads. And it seems pretty common for minis to have what I would call a "false" pregnancy. Complete with what sure feels like kicking, bagging up, and loosening of the back end. My mare has quite a bit more udder than yours and has been vet checked as not in foal.


Hmmm thats interesting! I wonder what the “kicking” is then? Also since the minis can’t really have internal ultrasounds, what is the best way for a vet to pronounce them pregnant or not pregnant, or are there any reliable at home tests I can do that aren’t expensive? Also the reason I’m thinking she is, is because she was running with a stud for years and then was brought into a rescue and I’m pretty sure she stayed with that stud until he was gelded and after he was gelded, idk though!


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 22, 2021)

Here is today’s update on Indi: 

I felt something similar to her breathing, where I think the foal shifted a body part closer to her skin but it wasn’t a kick. More like a slow shift then moved back. Then I walked her around for probably a minute and felt some quicker shifting back and forth. I’m fairly positive it’s a foal!! Went up 80% positive today lol  I also noticed that she needed a lot more encouraging to speed up and still didn’t want to go too fast, whereas yesterday she was more willing to go quicker. Could this mean she’s getting bigger and more uncomfortable?

Pics from today:


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## LostandFound (Oct 22, 2021)

It has to be just worst gas ever, I think. Last year I had a mare that had a blood test and ultrasound and was in foal but must have lost it and reabsorbed at some point. She went through the whole thing and I waited and waited and waited. Some vets will do an external ultrasound. I have heard good things about wee foal tests but I think you need to know how far she would be. Running with a stud gives her a better chance of being pregnant, I would think you need to be prepared for either way.


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 22, 2021)

LostandFound said:


> It has to be just worst gas ever, I think. Last year I had a mare that had a blood test and ultrasound and was in foal but must have lost it and reabsorbed at some point. She went through the whole thing and I waited and waited and waited. Some vets will do an external ultrasound. I have heard good things about wee foal tests but I think you need to know how far she would be. Running with a stud gives her a better chance of being pregnant, I would think you need to be prepared for either way.


I don’t think it’s gas lol, but I could be wrong as I’ve never really done this before. I looked up wee foal but it’s so expensive for just one and personally I’d rather spend that kind of money on a vet who knows what they’re doing, then I could get a more accurate result. How much on average would a blood test or external ultrasound be? I’m in Canada so it’s probably slightly different but I’d love an estimate so I can see what I’d be looking at


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## elizabeth.conder (Oct 22, 2021)

Wee foal tests are very accurate for 120-300 days. I think my vet charged $45 for either a blood test or an ultrasound. Plus the visit. Really depends on the vet.


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 22, 2021)

elizabeth.conder said:


> Wee foal tests are very accurate for 120-300 days. I think my vet charged $45 for either a blood test or an ultrasound. Plus the visit. Really depends on the vet.


Hmmm okay, the only issue is that I have no idea where to get wee foal tests in Canada lol, Amazon used to have them but not anymore.


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## LostandFound (Oct 23, 2021)

I didn't think my mare had gas either. And while I'm still newish to minis, I had years of experience breeding horses. I've never seen gas kick from across the pen before. But I can't think of anything else it could have been. I paid over $150 for blood work and $75 for an ultrasound, plus farm call. And the vet wasn't real certain about either of them being accurate, which was why I did both. These little things can be frustrating.


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## Taz (Oct 23, 2021)

The vet did an external ultrasound for Izzy. She said 'sometimes you get lucky and see bone' which she did on both sides but not seeing anything isn't a definite no. I know someone who had two negative ultrasounds and then her mare foaled. I didn't do a blood test because at the time we thought she was overdue and she would have been past the point where it would have been accurate. I'd call your vet and ask about a blood test or join the rest of us who are playing wait and see . I think the only place to get the wee foal tests right now is Australia and then you have to get her to pee for you.....
From those pictures Indi looks about the same as Izzy but going by Izzy's last foal she doesn't get a belly until about 4 weeks from foaling, barely shows anything else, and took 3-4 hours to get her milk in after foaling. I go with feeling foal movement


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## elizabeth.conder (Oct 23, 2021)

I took this video over the summer of Belles foal movement. You can clearly see kicks. These are smaller ones because she was not near as far along. I want to say approximately 225-250 days. Kicks feel like they look lol.


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 23, 2021)

Taz said:


> The vet did an external ultrasound for Izzy. She said 'sometimes you get lucky and see bone' which she did on both sides but not seeing anything isn't a definite no. I know someone who had two negative ultrasounds and then her mare foaled. I didn't do a blood test because at the time we thought she was overdue and she would have been past the point where it would have been accurate. I'd call your vet and ask about a blood test or join the rest of us who are playing wait and see . I think the only place to get the wee foal tests right now is Australia and then you have to get her to pee for you.....
> From those pictures Indi looks about the same as Izzy but going by Izzy's last foal she doesn't get a belly until about 4 weeks from foaling, barely shows anything else, and took 3-4 hours to get her milk in after foaling. I go with feeling foal movement


Gotcha, I’ll maybe look into an external! Or a blood test lol, I may be following what Izzy does and seeing if Indi does the same thing lmao


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 23, 2021)

elizabeth.conder said:


> I took this video over the summer of Belles foal movement. You can clearly see kicks. These are smaller ones because she was not near as far along. I want to say approximately 225-250 days. Kicks feel like they look lol.



Interesting! I’m going to see if I can get some footage like that. Also, I was trying to google a foal’s position in utero so I could figure out the best place to feel for kicks…but Google didn’t show anything except when the foal is moving into birth position. So does anyone have either 1. An idea where I could feel for movement/where is the best place to feel for movement or 2. Where I can find an article/photos of where to feel for movement?


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## elizabeth.conder (Oct 23, 2021)

I usually feel flanks/in front of the udder. Foals move around a lot in utero which makes it hard to predict. Not until they are in foaling position is it easy. When they get super close sometimes you can see/feel kicks by the tailhead


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## elizabeth.conder (Oct 23, 2021)

Here are a couple more movement videos. This mare was about a month out from foaling. Pay attention to how much different breathing looks vs the actual movement.


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## elizabeth.conder (Oct 23, 2021)

View attachment FullSizeRender.mov

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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 23, 2021)

elizabeth.conder said:


> I usually feel flanks/in front of the udder. Foals move around a lot in utero which makes it hard to predict. Not until they are in foaling position is it easy. When they get super close sometimes you can see/feel kicks by the tailhead


Gotcha, that’s what I thought but just thought I would check. Ahhh that makes sense, I’ll look out for that!


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## Taz (Oct 23, 2021)

Laura&HerMinis said:


> Gotcha, I’ll maybe look into an external! Or a blood test lol, I may be following what Izzy does and seeing if Indi does the same thing lmao


If you do that remember I'm 'waiting' for this foal for the second time this year. I was sure she was going to foal in April/May and am really going with my gut to still be watching her now for a Nov/Dec baby. ROFL!!!!!!
I give Izzy grain morning and night and that's when I wrap my arms around her flank area or just in front with my head on her back to try to feel anything.


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 23, 2021)

Taz said:


> If you do that remember I'm 'waiting' for this foal for the second time this year. I was sure she was going to foal in April/May and am really going with my gut to still be watching her now for a Nov/Dec baby. ROFL!!!!!!
> I give Izzy grain morning and night and that's when I wrap my arms around her flank area or just in front with my head on her back to try to feel anything.


Lol  ohhh okay I’ll keep that in mind


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## LostandFound (Oct 23, 2021)

Those are some great videos.


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 23, 2021)

Here’s today’s update: I couldn’t get any udder photos as she was more jittery and we had to be in a stall as it’s currently raining. But I got the behind pic and the full stomach pic, and I also got a video. I thought I saw some kicks but I thought I’d post it here to see if it’s my imagination or if some of you guys with actual experience could see it too! Also apologies about my *very* muddy horses lol  


View attachment trim.33762E5E-D795-4388-9FBF-9FB10D6A8534.MOV


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## elizabeth.conder (Oct 23, 2021)

From that video I don’t see anything definitive. Doesn’t mean it’s not there. But with how methodical the movement it is, I’d tend to say I don’t see anything in that particular video. Just posting an update in my thread with a new video of obvious late term movement.


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 23, 2021)

elizabeth.conder said:


> From that video I don’t see anything definitive. Doesn’t mean it’s not there. But with how methodical the movement it is, I’d tend to say I don’t see anything in that particular video. Just posting an update in my thread with a new video of obvious late term movement.


Interesting, I was sure I saw something right near the end there. Okay, I'll check it out  Would you say you think she looks pregnant? How far along do you think she'd be? I'm getting crazy lol I need to know! I hope to see if I can get a test of some sort done, most equine vets do farm calls right? She doesn't load well and we don't have a trailer.


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## elizabeth.conder (Oct 24, 2021)

She definitely could be. I just did not see a for sure kick in that video. It is so hard to even try to guess if a mare is in foal or not off of belly alone. That is why there are so many of these threads. Many vets will do farm calls but not all. Getting a vet check would definitely help your peace of mind.


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 24, 2021)

elizabeth.conder said:


> She definitely could be. I just did not see a for sure kick in that video. It is so hard to even try to guess if a mare is in foal or not off of belly alone. That is why there are so many of these threads. Many vets will do farm calls but not all. Getting a vet check would definitely help your peace of mind.


Ohhh gotcha, thanks for explaining that! Yeah I get that for sure, I’m going to look around my area for some vets for the next few days lol, I just hope it won’t cost an arm and a leg as I’m on a tight budget here lol


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## Taz (Oct 24, 2021)

I don't know what it will cost there but here a call fee is about $75. If they have a portable ultrasound machine they can do that if you want. I don't know what that will cost you but they can tell you before they come out. Most mixed practices have them for preg checking cows. It's a very good idea to have a vet anyway for who knows what happening.You will probably be told something like, Well, she doesn't look it/very big, maybe more of an answer with the ultrasound. This is just my opinion but I would find a vet since you should have one anyway and have their number on hand and your name in their system in case you need them. You've been feeling kicks. I'd go with she's pregnant. Use your money to fix up her stall and get a camera up, get her and Arrow in at night so she's VERY comfortable in there if she foals and with you handling her. Put together a foaling kit and a couple of very warm foal blankets and try to figure out a heat source for in the stall/barn. Go with she's in foal and try not to be too disappointed if it turns out she isn't. You want another mare to have a foal at some point anyway so anything you do will be used then if she doesn't have a foal. This is going to make you crazy no matter what, keep feeling/looking for foal movement and trust yourself when you find it. As far as I know the only way to know for sure is an internal ultrasound/palpation which isn't a great idea with these little ones. If you take pictures one a week instead of every day you will have a better chance of seeing any changes. Are they up to date on worming? If not I'd give them a dose of ivermectin.


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## LostandFound (Oct 24, 2021)

You definitely need to call a vet. Not because she might or might not be pregnant but because if you have an emergency you need to know who to call. I don't think a vet is going to help much in this case, its not much easier for them to tell most of the time. The minis are too small and most vets aren't experienced enough. I don't see anything sure in the video either, but not all foals are cooperative. Sometimes you get what is obviously a foot poking out of her belly, sometimes you get very little. And with a furry winter coat on forget anything that will be totally clear. You will make yourself crazy looking and thinking and seeing things move. I would say start with udder pictures once a week. if you get from "maybe there is a change" to "wow look at that" then start looking daily.


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## elizabeth.conder (Oct 24, 2021)

I agree, at least talk to the vets around. Our only equine vet that will do house calls will ONLY do house calls if it is an existing client. So it’s best to have a relationship with a vet for the worst case scenario. And you never know, they may be experienced with minis. It’s really hard to guess at prices because every vet will be different and it varies DRASTICALLY by region. At this stage a blood test is probably still accurate. That is extremely simple and easy, and really hard for an inexperienced vet to mess up. Or you can just wait it out. Just be prepared you may have 4 more months if she wasn’t bred till February.


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 24, 2021)

Taz said:


> I don't know what it will cost there but here a call fee is about $75. If they have a portable ultrasound machine they can do that if you want. I don't know what that will cost you but they can tell you before they come out. Most mixed practices have them for preg checking cows. It's a very good idea to have a vet anyway for who knows what happening.You will probably be told something like, Well, she doesn't look it/very big, maybe more of an answer with the ultrasound. This is just my opinion but I would find a vet since you should have one anyway and have their number on hand and your name in their system in case you need them. You've been feeling kicks. I'd go with she's pregnant. Use your money to fix up her stall and get a camera up, get her and Arrow in at night so she's VERY comfortable in there if she foals and with you handling her. Put together a foaling kit and a couple of very warm foal blankets and try to figure out a heat source for in the stall/barn. Go with she's in foal and try not to be too disappointed if it turns out she isn't. You want another mare to have a foal at some point anyway so anything you do will be used then if she doesn't have a foal. This is going to make you crazy no matter what, keep feeling/looking for foal movement and trust yourself when you find it. As far as I know the only way to know for sure is an internal ultrasound/palpation which isn't a great idea with these little ones. If you take pictures one a week instead of every day you will have a better chance of seeing any changes. Are they up to date on worming? If not I'd give them a dose of ivermectin.


Okay, thanks for that! I’ll get ahold of some vets, that price doesn’t sound too bad. My great uncle has a camera I might be able to borrow as well. Ohhh yeah I’ll do the once a week thing, and they are due for worming too.


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## ZuZuPetals (Oct 24, 2021)

So the one thing I have learned is you can’t trust the belly lol all 3 of these photos are horses that are NOT pregnant and have NEVER been pregnant. I even had one foal where the mare never looked pregnant. You have to base it off something else like a test or bagging up. I also don’t always feel a foal move it’s hard because they have so much gut movement going on all the time. If the foal truly moves and you catch it it’s unmistakable.


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 24, 2021)

Okay so I have news!! I was able to get some fluid out of Indi’s teats today, it was clear at first and then foggy whitish. Her teats are also way bigger, and after I “milked” her the first time today, I just basically touched her teat and felt some dripping! And it also felt bigger after I milked her. Didn’t really feel any foal movement, but from what you guys have been telling me, that can be totally normal. Here’s a photo that I took on Wednesday:

And this one is from today:


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## elizabeth.conder (Oct 24, 2021)

Certainly interesting, but keep in mind many mares, especially experienced mares, have fluid in their udder year round. But I would keep an eye on it.


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 24, 2021)

elizabeth.conder said:


> Certainly interesting, but keep in mind many mares, especially experienced mares, have fluid in their udder year round. But I would keep an eye on it.


I checked my other mare who is definitely not pregnant, and she didn't even have a bag to speak of, and couldn't get anything out of her teats. This other mare who isn't pregnant only had one baby before so she had some experience, aghhh this is so frustrating! Should I be worried about Indi or is it "normal"?


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## elizabeth.conder (Oct 25, 2021)

I wouldn’t worry. Clear fluid is normal. Whether it’s the start of an udder or her normal. With as little udder as she has at this point I would lean towards it being her normal. I have mares that keep a small udder year round and some that don’t look like they have ever foaled. It’s very different mare to mare which makes sense why your other mare is not the same. Yes keep an eye on it. But no I would not worry yet.


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## Taz (Oct 25, 2021)

I also wouldn't try to milk her that often and only a drop when you do, she could get more of an udder because of it, wait and see if she has any changes on her own first. Welcome to my life, chocolate has become my best friend, like it wasn't before , but I have an excuse now


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## LostandFound (Oct 25, 2021)

If you milk her she will produce milk, that's how it works. Some mares have milk always especially if they have foaled before. Look here is my mare's udder. She is not pregnant.


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## Silver City Heritage Farmstead (Oct 25, 2021)

The above is what folks mean when they say "my mare has a flapper udder." Though I must admit that one is a bit more...generously endowed than the average.


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 25, 2021)

Silver City Heritage Farmstead said:


> The above is what folks mean when they say "my mare has a flapper udder." Though I must admit that one is a bit more...generously endowed than the average.


You think hers is bigger than average? Are you saying you think she’s pregnant? Lol


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 25, 2021)

Another little update here, I didn’t milk her today but when I tried to touch her belly and feel her udder, she tried to bite me. I feel like that could be cause mares when they get closer can get cantankerous around that area cause baby is bothering them? And just to clarify, I’m fine either way, if she is or isn’t but I was really looking forward to a foal, and that’s what I’m hopeful for. Just in case, I don’t think I clarified that lol


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## Taz (Oct 25, 2021)

Izzy minds some times and not others, even back what I first thought she was close. It could be a foal bothering her or she could be in a bad mood that day. I try not to read into it but I do go to 'she's sensitive because of a foal' most of the time . Keep hoping for a foal, that's what I'm doing. It's better to be ready in case than not and have something bad happen.


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 25, 2021)

Taz said:


> Izzy minds some times and not others, even back what I first thought she was close. It could be a foal bothering her or she could be in a bad mood that day. I try not to read into it but I do go to 'she's sensitive because of a foal' most of the time . Keep hoping for a foal, that's what I'm doing. It's better to be ready in case than not and have something bad happen.


Haha  that’s exactly what I’m going for, that she’s in foal lol. Sounds like we’re kinda “twins”, we got black mares due soon but not really sure if they’re preggo, but we’re hoping lol, kinda nice to have someone else going through the same thing!


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## Taz (Oct 26, 2021)

Yes it is. I'm hoping for a foal for both of us


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 26, 2021)

Taz said:


> Yes it is. I'm hoping for a foal for both of us


Awww thanks, I am too!! We could have quite the interesting color options! It’s possible but not probable that Arrow could be the dad, but I’m thinking it was this older sorrel Sabino stud (6 years) so we could have a cute lil sabino! Also I heard that Indi’s blue eye could be a pinto pattern minimally expressed, so she could have a more pinto baby too!


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## Pitter Patter (Oct 26, 2021)

I'm right there with you guys! I have a black mare who we didn't fully realize was even pregnant until August. We realized Pepper had gained too much weight so scaled back the feed and PRESTO-a VERY pregnant mare! She looked more "due " in August than she does now. I do know she is pregnant and have a camera on her at night. Her udder is barely there and looks much like your girl's. Since August I have mostly thought, "It's going to be tonight--I just know it!" Her baby bump changes shape all the time and some days she is so wide she can't fit through our gate comfortably and the next baby is riding high and one would scarcely think she is pregnant! Her personality changes constantly now too (which is a blessing as normally she is the herd "boss" and likes everyone to know it. Since her ranking has started slipping (Stallion has taken over now!) she has been much sweeter with me, but there's no way I'm getting my hand anywhere near her udder. I take pictures on my cell phone daily. Helps me to see changes much more easily and I can put them in chronological order to see the changes more for what they are. I've had tons of help and support from Taz and others here. It's nerve wracking, truly. My farrier came this past weekend to do everyone's feet. He got a slight kick from baby when moving around to do her feet. But my best indication or opinion is from my now former Stallion (he got gelded recently). He seems to adore his first baby. He now lays next to Pepper whenever she will let him. He even lays down most of the night next to the nursery stall. I think he knows....(or maybe I'm just being corny!). Anyway, welcome to the nail biting expectant foal group! The photo shows her on August 18, 2021.


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## Silver City Heritage Farmstead (Oct 26, 2021)

Laura&HerMinis said:


> You think hers is bigger than average? Are you saying you think she’s pregnant? Lol


Naaaah. I just mean she has "more than a handful." Just like ladies have different bra sizes, so do mares keep different size bags once they're experienced broodmare.

That's why so many times experienced breeders encourage taking weekly photos once a mare gets to those 290+ days of gestation. It's so much easier to see changes when you already know what her baseline is.


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 26, 2021)

Pitter Patter said:


> I'm right there with you guys! I have a black mare who we didn't fully realize was even pregnant until August. We realized Pepper had gained too much weight so scaled back the feed and PRESTO-a VERY pregnant mare! She looked more "due " in August than she does now. I do know she is pregnant and have a camera on her at night. Her udder is barely there and looks much like your girl's. Since August I have mostly thought, "It's going to be tonight--I just know it!" Her baby bump changes shape all the time and some days she is so wide she can't fit through our gate comfortably and the next baby is riding high and one would scarcely think she is pregnant! Her personality changes constantly now too (which is a blessing as normally she is the herd "boss" and likes everyone to know it. Since her ranking has started slipping (Stallion has taken over now!) she has been much sweeter with me, but there's no way I'm getting my hand anywhere near her udder. I take pictures on my cell phone daily. Helps me to see changes much more easily and I can put them in chronological order to see the changes more for what they are. I've had tons of help and support from Taz and others here. It's nerve wracking, truly. My farrier came this past weekend to do everyone's feet. He got a slight kick from baby when moving around to do her feet. But my best indication or opinion is from my now former Stallion (he got gelded recently). He seems to adore his first baby. He now lays next to Pepper whenever she will let him. He even lays down most of the night next to the nursery stall. I think he knows....(or maybe I'm just being corny!). Anyway, welcome to the nail biting expectant foal group! The photo shows her on August 18, 2021.View attachment 44939


This is so weird, so many people with black mares waiting for them to foal lol! My Indi doesn’t look quite that pregnant, but she does look much bigger than my other not pregnant mare, and she does have an udder. At least more of one than my other mare. It may not look like much on photos but it feels bigger in person. I’m trying to take photos every day too, it might be every two days sometimes lol but my two favourites to take and keep comparing are the udder and behind her. They seem to tell me the most. Haven’t felt much foal movement though, but may be a quiet foal, who knows? I guess we’ll all find out soon!


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 26, 2021)

Silver City Heritage Farmstead said:


> Naaaah. I just mean she has "more than a handful." Just like ladies have different bra sizes, so do mares keep different size bags once they're experienced broodmare.
> 
> That's why so many times experienced breeders encourage taking weekly photos once a mare gets to those 290+ days of gestation. It's so much easier to see changes when you already know what her baseline is.


Ahhh gotcha, I was hoping you were saying she’s pregnant lmao  exactly what I was thinking with the photo thing haha, it is hard to know what her baseline is since I’ve only had her for a week haha but I’m trying to stay neutral, not hoping too much for a baby and being fine if nothing happens. If she doesn’t have a foal I will definitely be sad though, I bought my other mare five years ago that was supposedly bred, I think she lost the foal though, or something.


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## Kelly (Oct 26, 2021)

Love the name Indi! 



ZuZuPetals said:


> So the one thing I have learned is you can’t trust the belly lol all 3 of these photos are horses that are NOT pregnant and have NEVER been pregnant.



My Shadow looks like he is pregnant!! But i assure you he has been gelded, is NOT pregnant, and has NEVER been pregnant!! LOL


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 26, 2021)

Kelly said:


> Love the name Indi!
> 
> 
> 
> My Shadow looks like he is pregnant!! But i assure you he has been gelded, is NOT pregnant, and has NEVER been pregnant!! LOL


I love it too! Lol  if he’s a gelding there’s no way haha


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## Kelly (Oct 26, 2021)

Laura&HerMinis said:


> This is so weird, so many people with black mares waiting for them to foal lol!



Yeah, but he is a black horse


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 26, 2021)

Kelly said:


> Yeah, but he is a black horse


Oh my gosh what is with all the black horses lmao


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 26, 2021)

Okay so another interesting update here. I’m attaching some photos and I know it doesn’t look like much, but I am now 90% convinced she is indeed pregnant. Why? Because basically, I went out, and she was laying down. I didn’t see her at first. Then she got up and tried kicking her belly. Then I went in with her and felt her belly, not too long so didn’t really feel movement, thought maybe I felt something at the beginning. Also, apparently some mares don’t even look pregnant till literally just before they foal, same with the bag. But…after that I tried touching her udder, just to see how big they are, not to milk her, and she whipped her head around, ears pinned and looked like she was NOT happy. She also swished her tail a lot during that. I tried again, same thing. She had let me touch her udder last week without getting upset though. So I’m thinking she must be getting uncomfortable as the udder (for the tiny amount of time that I felt it) feels like it’s slowly swelling up and that must be painful. So that’s my update, pretty convinced she is now. Very much hoping so  I looked up possible colors as well, and as the believed sire (which they’re positive is the father of mr. Arrow) must have a dilute or silver carrier, because he produced Arrow and he has some sort of dilute gene, even though I’m not sure exactly what. So lots of cool color options! Here are the photos I took today:


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## ZuZuPetals (Oct 29, 2021)

Laura&HerMinis said:


> Okay so another interesting update here. I’m attaching some photos and I know it doesn’t look like much, but I am now 90% convinced she is indeed pregnant. Why? Because basically, I went out, and she was laying down. I didn’t see her at first. Then she got up and tried kicking her belly. Then I went in with her and felt her belly, not too long so didn’t really feel movement, thought maybe I felt something at the beginning. Also, apparently some mares don’t even look pregnant till literally just before they foal, same with the bag. But…after that I tried touching her udder, just to see how big they are, not to milk her, and she whipped her head around, ears pinned and looked like she was NOT happy. She also swished her tail a lot during that. I tried again, same thing. She had let me touch her udder last week without getting upset though. So I’m thinking she must be getting uncomfortable as the udder (for the tiny amount of time that I felt it) feels like it’s slowly swelling up and that must be painful. So that’s my update, pretty convinced she is now. Very much hoping so  I looked up possible colors as well, and as the believed sire (which they’re positive is the father of mr. Arrow) must have a dilute or silver carrier, because he produced Arrow and he has some sort of dilute gene, even though I’m not sure exactly what. So lots of cool color options! Here are the photos I took today:
> 
> View attachment 44940
> View attachment 44941
> ...


“If” she is indeed pregnant what is the date of conception or closest guess, how far along 
would she be?
So I just read you initial post she was running with a stud up until January 2021?! Correct? So estrus continues through September unlikely in October so she should have already foaled. She would have gotten pregnant by September or early October as after that diestrus kicks in until around March April


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 29, 2021)

ZuZuPetals said:


> “If” she is indeed pregnant what is the date of conception or closest guess, how far along
> would she be?
> So I just read you initial post she was running with a stud up until January 2021?! Correct? So estrus continues through September unlikely in October so she should have already foaled. She would have gotten pregnant by September or early October as after that diestrus kicks in until around March April


Until Jan or Feb yes, there are rare cases as I’ve been seeing here that mares can get pregnant in winter too.


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## ZuZuPetals (Oct 29, 2021)

Laura&HerMinis said:


> Until Jan or Feb yes, there are rare cases as I’ve been seeing here that mares can get pregnant in winter too.


I’ve never in my life truly seen or heard of that happening without a mare being put on hormone injections as I did one year with one of our full size horses. Diestrus starts with that winter coat starting to fill in they’re like little clocks


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 29, 2021)

ZuZuPetals said:


> I’ve never in my life truly seen or heard of that happening without a mare being put on hormone injections as I did one year with one of our full size horses. Diestrus starts with that winter coat starting to fill in they’re like little clocks


There are at least two other people on this site that I’m following who are waiting for their foals to be born. @Taz and @elizabeth.conder but there may be more.


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## Taz (Oct 29, 2021)

Laura&HerMinis said:


> There are at least two other people on this site that I’m following who are waiting for their foals to be born. @Taz and @elizabeth.conder but there may be more.


There are actually three others if you include PitterPatter and four if the other two are still in foal, they were confirmed by the vet but I can't remember the name for you to look it up. 2 rescue pintos, she has goats and had an adorable litter of puppies a little while ago....anyone please?
Normally I agree with ZuZuPetals completely, I don't know if it was the really mild winter last year or just the general crazyness that is the world right now but it's insane to have mares foaling in the winter.


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## elizabeth.conder (Oct 29, 2021)

Laura&HerMinis said:


> There are at least two other people on this site that I’m following who are waiting for their foals to be born. @Taz and @elizabeth.conder but there may be more.





I have had several mares that cycle through the year BUT I live in a much warmer location in Texas. It is possible, just rare. Just speaking for myself, Belle is proof of that. And there is absolutely zero doubt she’s in foal with the start of an udder and clear obvious foal movement. I definitely saw her and one other mare in season this December. Didn’t even realize till recently I have video of them flirting lol. After that cycle I never saw her in heat again which gave me that breed date. Now is it possible she came into heat later and got bred then? I suppose but taking into account her udder and when I felt foal movement, it is highly unlikely.


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## Laura&HerMinis (Oct 29, 2021)

Taz said:


> There are actually three others if you include PitterPatter and four if the other two are still in foal, they were confirmed by the vet but I can't remember the name for you to look it up. 2 rescue pintos, she has goats and had an adorable litter of puppies a little while ago....anyone please?
> Normally I agree with ZuZuPetals completely, I don't know if it was the really mild winter last year or just the general crazyness that is the world right now but it's insane to have mares foaling in the winter.


I forgot about pitter patter whoops lol. You know that’s totally possible that it’s because of the mild winter! I never thought of that!


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## ZuZuPetals (Oct 30, 2021)

Laura&HerMinis said:


> There are at least two other people on this site that I’m following who are waiting for their foals to be born. @Taz and @elizabeth.conder but there may be more.


When are their foals d


Taz said:


> There are actually three others if you include PitterPatter and four if the other two are still in foal, they were confirmed by the vet but I can't remember the name for you to look it up. 2 rescue pintos, she has goats and had an adorable litter of puppies a little while ago....anyone please?
> Normally I agree with ZuZuPetals completely, I don't know if it was the really mild winter last year or just the general crazyness that is the world right now but it's insane to have mares foaling in the winter.


I would love to know if your horse is 100% in foal and due soon, so basically conceived in winter can you please share how many days they are I’m super interested because I live in Southern California where it’s 75 sometimes 80 degrees in October and my mares still get their winter coat as expected and go into deistrus late September like clockwork. I’ve never known anyone have their horse change it’s inner clock its just how things work. Not saying there’s not ever an exception to the rule but I feel it’s extremely rare. Would love to hear your stories though!


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## ZuZuPetals (Oct 30, 2021)

elizabeth.conder said:


> I have had several mares that cycle through the year BUT I live in a much warmer location in Texas. It is possible, just rare. Just speaking for myself, Belle is proof of that. And there is absolutely zero doubt she’s in foal with the start of an udder and clear obvious foal movement. I definitely saw her and one other mare in season this December. Didn’t even realize till recently I have video of them flirting lol. After that cycle I never saw her in heat again which gave me that breed date. Now is it possible she came into heat later and got bred then? I suppose but taking into account her udder and when I felt foal movement, it is highly unlikely.


Horses can “flirt “ that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re in heat and ovulating


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## elizabeth.conder (Oct 30, 2021)

ZuZuPetals said:


> Horses can “flirt “ that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re in heat and ovulating



Yes I get that, here is video proof of a near full term foal kicking. First felt the foal about 215 days from December 15. And when I say I felt movement it wasn’t even questionable movement. It was full on kicks that could be nothing else. Started an udder about 3 weeks ago. I used the word flirt, but it was a full blown standing heat. Now we’re both mares fertile? That I don’t know. But Belle evidently was. I was going to breed her back this year anyway so I was watching for her first heat. She never came in and never came in. Not a mare that you can miss it either. That’s when I started to get suspicious. Then she kept growing and growing. And she’s usually a very trim petite mare.
View attachment FullSizeRender.mov


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## Taz (Oct 30, 2021)

ZuZuPetals said:


> When are their foals d
> 
> I would love to know if your horse is 100% in foal and due soon, so basically conceived in winter can you please share how many days they are I’m super interested because I live in Southern California where it’s 75 sometimes 80 degrees in October and my mares still get their winter coat as expected and go into deistrus late September like clockwork. I’ve never known anyone have their horse change it’s inner clock its just how things work. Not saying there’s not ever an exception to the rule but I feel it’s extremely rare. Would love to hear your stories though!


I have my mare guessed at between 303 and 315 days. I'm almost 100% she's in foal, she shows almost nothing historically, I've felt foal movement but it's a quiet little bugger who isn't helping at all, she had a positive external ultrasound at the end of June. Keep checking in and I'll have it posted when she foals.


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## LostandFound (Oct 30, 2021)

Big horse people do it all the time. It has to do with the hours of daylight more than the temperature. So if you leave your barn lights on until late, that would explain it.


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## ZuZuPetals (Oct 30, 2021)

elizabeth.conder said:


> Yes I get that, here is video proof of a near full term foal kicking. First felt the foal about 215 days from December 15. And when I say I felt movement it wasn’t even questionable movement. It was full on kicks that could be nothing else. Started an udder about 3 weeks ago. I used the word flirt, but it was a full blown standing heat. Now we’re both mares fertile? That I don’t know. But Belle evidently was. I was going to breed her back this year anyway so I was watching for her first heat. She never came in and never came in. Not a mare that you can miss it either. That’s when I started to get suspicious. Then she kept growing and growing. And she’s usually a very trim petite mare.
> View attachment 44957


Yes that certainly looks like a baby CONGRATS <3 I did say I believe there are exceptions to the rule but I still say they are rare and unusual. As for the lights on to keep them in season I’ve heard that as well and did try it one year without success. The rule of thumb usually is when you see that winter coat starting regardless of lights or temperature that’s their internal clock putting them into diestrus. Im not trying to be Debbie downer as I’m sure I can speak for most of us when I say we’ve been in this persons shoes waiting hoping a foal is on the way I get it completely, I’m just saying it’s not in the “norm” to see these girls in season that time of year. Also if he was running with your girl for a long time is it strange she didn’t get pregnant sooner? I had a stallion that ran with my girls for 2 years before i gelded him and realized this is not happening.


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## LostandFound (Oct 30, 2021)

I haven't used lights myself but I have worked places that did. Done properly it will start them shedding out early also. Though I agree it is not normal for them to be breeding so late in the year, and I think some of the people waiting on foals are likely to be very disappointed. This year has been awful strange though and I've heard of a couple of surprise foals in the last week or 2.


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## elizabeth.conder (Oct 30, 2021)

ZuZuPetals said:


> Yes that certainly looks like a baby CONGRATS <3 I did say I believe there are exceptions to the rule but I still say they are rare and unusual. As for the lights on to keep them in season I’ve heard that as well and did try it one year without success. The rule of thumb usually is when you see that winter coat starting regardless of lights or temperature that’s their internal clock putting them into diestrus. Im not trying to be Debbie downer as I’m sure I can speak for most of us when I say we’ve been in this persons shoes waiting hoping a foal is on the way I get it completely, I’m just saying it’s not in the “norm” to see these girls in season that time of year. Also if he was running with your girl for a long time is it strange she didn’t get pregnant sooner? I had a stallion that ran with my girls for 2 years before i gelded him and realized this is not happening.



I agree, it is not common at all. My stallion does run with my mares. He has not pasture bred a mare in the 5 years I’ve had him (don’t ask me why lol). So that was another shock . I keep track of their cycles so that IF that were to happen, I would know when. Still a shock that it happened in the middle of winter. I totally agree though, it’s hard to be waiting and hoping for a foal! Thankfully I’m not wondering with how active this baby is.


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## Silver City Heritage Farmstead (Nov 1, 2021)

I'm sorry, I know this isn't what you want to hear. She doesn't look in foal to me.

Most of the laying down and not wanting you to touch her seems like normal behaviors to me. There's no udder change that I can see. She doesn't seem to have any lopsided belly evident.

If she were mine, I'd go ahead and start conditioning her. In-hand work and light work won't hurt hurt on the *very* slim chance she's in foal. In fact, being in shape will actually help her in the foaling process. It's hard work!

When I worked on a breeding farm (back in the last century!) all the broodmares were kept in light work during the last 4 months of pregnancy. They were lunged, worked in the round pen, ponied or driven. LOTS of over poles work, so they'd drop their heads and round their backs....lifting and strengthening those belly muscles.

In 3 foaling seasons, with 50+ foals delivered, we only ever lost one foal. Her first time mom got startled by a new farm pup barking at them. Foal was asleep and mom accidentally stepped on her, causing internal injuries from which even surgery couldn't save her.

Those mares had the easiest, quickest deliveries. Even client mares that didn't come to us until 30days before their due dates were hand walked twice a day. No mare was every worked hard enough to breathe very heavily, nor to a hard sweat. A bit damp was acceptable IF they were in winter coat. (We had many Jan/Feb foals in the younger mares. Mares over 15 years usually foaled Aug/Sept timeframe.)

So my point to all this is, keep her on your pregnant mare feed program. Be sure to put your hands on her daily to check her weight, as the winter fluffies can trick the eye. Keep her in light work through the winter, or until you are satisfied as to whether or not she's in foal.

Good luck, and don't let her boss you around. If you want to check the boobies, she needs to let you do so without trying to take your head off.


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## Laura&HerMinis (Nov 1, 2021)

Silver City Heritage Farmstead said:


> I'm sorry, I know this isn't what you want to hear. She doesn't look in foal to me.
> 
> Most of the laying down and not wanting you to touch her seems like normal behaviors to me. There's no udder change that I can see. She doesn't seem to have any lopsided belly evident.
> 
> ...


The thing is, that she wasn’t crabby about me touching her teats before. Then all of a sudden she was snaking her head at me. To be honest though, if she’s not in foal, I’m okay with that because I have a plan B to get a baby lol! Would certainly love if she was in foal though but I do have plan B to get a foal so either way, I’m planning for a foal in the next year or so!


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## LostandFound (Nov 1, 2021)

Right, she wasn't crabby about you touching her teats. Then you tried milking her. At best that's uncomfortable, at worst painful, for all animals. Now she prefers you to not touch them. That has nothing to do with pregnancy, and doesn't rule it out, but I certainly wouldn't use it as a sign of pregnancy.


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## chunkii (Nov 10, 2021)

Any news about your little mare?


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## Laura&HerMinis (Nov 10, 2021)

chunkii said:


> Any news about your little mare?


Not really, my great uncle is coming out to check her soon though, he’s bred and raised minis for many years so I guess we’ll see what he says.


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## Pitter Patter (Nov 12, 2021)

Laura&HerMinis said:


> There are at least two other people on this site that I’m following who are waiting for their foals to be born. @Taz and @elizabeth.conder but there may be more.


I'm still waiting for a foal. At this time she looks to be getting much closer, but would've conceived sometime in December if she is. Even later if foal comes after the next couple of weeks. We think she may have had a miscarriage last fall/winter. (Fully formed fetus, just tiny). This is certainly NOT what I was expecting (I was thinking maybe spring baby!) Now winter is knocking on our door and it's already snowed a couple of times. Good luck to everyone with late babies!


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## chunkii (Nov 15, 2021)

Pitter Patter said:


> I'm still waiting for a foal. At this time she looks to be getting much closer, but would've conceived sometime in December if she is. Even later if foal comes after the next couple of weeks. We think she may have had a miscarriage last fall/winter. (Fully formed fetus, just tiny). This is certainly NOT what I was expecting (I was thinking maybe spring baby!) Now winter is knocking on our door and it's already snowed a couple of times. Good luck to everyone with late babies!



How's your mare Pitter Patter. I'm on the waiting list too. 

Laura any news?


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## Laura&HerMinis (Nov 15, 2021)

chunkii said:


> How's your mare Pitter Patter. I'm on the waiting list too.
> 
> Laura any news?


Nope nothing new. Though my great uncle who has raised minis for 15 years is gonna come out tomorrow and see what he thinks. I’m doubting anything right now though


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