# SparklingJewel Acres: Sparkles Maybe in Foal



## sparklingjewelacres (Apr 11, 2013)

It is hard to tell wether or not Sparkles has just gained weight or if she is in foal. If she is in foal, she is carrying it differently than Jewel did and she would have to be at the very least 6-7 months along. And I did find out that if she is indeed then it would be with this stallion: 'Southridge Destined To Be'. I will post pictures and be watching her belly to see movement. Today.. I went over an put my hand on her belly and said.. "Do you have a baby in there?" Jewel sees me do this and runs over.. acts like she knows just what I am inquiring about, sees my hand feeling her belly and immediately checks out Sparkles back end. Hmm I think it is clear that Jewel knew exactly what I was doing and checking Sparkles over for and it sure made me laugh. I wish Sparkles would tell me.


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## Eagle (Apr 11, 2013)

Lol if only they could talk


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## crisco41 (Apr 11, 2013)

How awsome would that be? A playmate for your filly. Someone ot wean her with...more to love. I HATE the wondering almost as much as I hate the waiting to foal. hope you see that lil thing kick..so you will know for sure!


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## AnnaC (Apr 11, 2013)

Ooooooo how exciting!! Keeping my fingers crossed for you!


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## Gone_Riding (Apr 12, 2013)

That would be wonderful!!


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## cassie (Apr 14, 2013)

very exciting for you, will you get her tested to confirm? or just wait and see?





can we see some piccies of the possible mummy and daddy to be please?


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## crisco41 (Apr 14, 2013)

yes pictures please?


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## sparklingjewelacres (Apr 14, 2013)

I don't have pictures of the Stallion and was told that she was in with this Stallion (Southridges 'Destined To Be') She is looking just fat to me so I am not quite sure yet that she is... I should know for sure in a few weeks I would think. This little horse loves to run and had fun today running in the new pen area. Here are some pictures of Sparkles having fun today. We bought our minis in october 2012 with the knowledge that they were in with the Stallion. I have found her original owners and she is been very helpful filling me in on their history so I am quite excited about that. They were well cared for before they came to us.


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## sparklingjewelacres (Apr 14, 2013)

here is another picture from today. oops never mind.. can't load pictures for some reason tonight.


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## cassie (Apr 15, 2013)

she is beautiful!

would really love to see a side on pic... that tummy has me suspicious


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##  (Apr 15, 2013)

I think that tummy is highly suspiscious -- being so "full" all the way back! Can't wait to find out -- she's such a pretty girl!!


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## sparklingjewelacres (Apr 15, 2013)

In the winter here, she had so much hair and I noticed that she was able to feel her ribs and her hip bone a bit so I got a bit nervous about her not getting enough nutrition so I had upped her feed with a bit of the emolene 300 as I wasnt yet sure if she was prego or not. Now the weather has turned warm quite quickly here and she has shed her hair ... PLUS she has become a table top tubby. I have really been careful to downscale her feed slowly. I didnt think she was eating much grass.. there is not much out there in her pen. I am not really seeing much of an udder.. (quite empty) She has some flabbiness in front of the udder so.. yes.. it is possible but it might be fat. She has been loving to run in her new pen in the cool wind of the eve. Both of these horses I found were exposed to different stallions.


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## sparklingjewelacres (Apr 15, 2013)

Her 'original' owner said she was such a sweetie and they are so right. Jewel(Jupiter) is bossy mare but with just these two horses and little filly, it is working for us. The horses are all together in the daytime minus the feedings. Jewel, has finally decided that she would be nice to Sparkles again and was giving her all sorts of grooming attention so Sparkles is so much happier now.


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## sparklingjewelacres (Apr 26, 2013)

Still not sure if Sparkles is pregnant yet but she is looking different in the belly this week. She doesnt even look like the same horse that came to us last October. She keeps changing but her belly really keeps getting bigger and lower.


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## sparklingjewelacres (Apr 26, 2013)

Having trouble loading photos lately. I'll try again.


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##  (Apr 26, 2013)

A.......I'm voting a YES!


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## sparklingjewelacres (Apr 26, 2013)

Ok.. I'll try again to load pictures. A side view also... if two of the photos upload that is..ahhh..not happening.


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## sparklingjewelacres (Apr 28, 2013)

Ok.. I will try again to load photos .. if it doesnt work this time. I will have to do some computer work again.


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## AnnaC (Apr 28, 2013)

I vote yes! How exciting!!


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## sparklingjewelacres (May 2, 2013)

Still not seeing any movement. I sure wish I knew if s.he was fat or prego. She has not been up to running much at all. It is so hot here now.. in the 90s


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## crisco41 (May 2, 2013)

oh she is a beauty. I reallllly like her.Want to ship her here? LOL had to try. I hope you get another baby...will be so much fun to see the 2 together.


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## sparklingjewelacres (Jun 4, 2013)

Well.... it doesnt appear that Sparkles is pregnant. At least.. by now I think we should start to see some belly movement. She has lost weight. I feel badly that she had gotten so big but I really tho't she was pregnant until I felt fat rolls on her sides. She is slimming down now and loves to run in her new open pen.

The last pictures is of Sparkles in January of this year before she shed her winter coat. She looks so different.


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## AnnaC (Jun 5, 2013)

OK, just been reading your thread from the beginning - according to your info Sparkles would only be approx 9 months in foal mid June, plus she was running with the stallion more or less until you got her in October? So what makes you feel that she is not in foal - that 2nd pic looks very suspicious to me!

A lot of my girls dont show foal 'movement' of any sort, apart from maybe a foal foot up near their hip area a week or so before they actually foal, plus you will not be seeing an udder starting to form until approx 4/5 weeks before foaling. So ..................................... what other signs are you going by?

I still say (hoping!) that she is pregnant. She's such a pretty girl by the way!






Will be interested to hear what the other Aunties have to say.


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## Eagle (Jun 5, 2013)

I totally agree Anna



I usually start to feel foal movements from 9 months onwards. Try putting your hand in front of her udder and hold it there whilst she eats her dinner, I bet you will feel the butterfly movements sooner or later





Can you take a pic from behind ? (make sure her head is straight on and get down at her level) Thanks


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## sparklingjewelacres (Jun 5, 2013)

Well. I am not 100% sure that she isnt. Yes, we did get her in October and she had been with a stallion up until that time when we got her so at the earliest she would be approx. 8 months along. I have felt underneath her belly in front of her udder for movement and am not feeling anything yet but .. true.. it doesnt mean that she isnt. I did need to really watch her weight as I had been giving her too much. I have been very careful that she looses the weight in a slow progressive way. Its never good for any creature to loose weight too quickly especially in a pregnancy. I am hoping she is still but I am starting to really have my doubts. I will put up some more pictures of her back end soon.


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## sparklingjewelacres (Jun 5, 2013)

So.. wow.. I didnt realize that some don't feel movements until 9 months in their mares. Hmmmm... well there is a chance that she is still. This would be her 3rd I think. I also have the knowledge of the stallion -at least his name. The owners did tell me that.


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## Eagle (Jun 5, 2013)

I usually start to feel foal movement around Feb and I see movement around March, all my girls foal May/June.


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## sparklingjewelacres (Jun 5, 2013)

Well if she is pregnant I would think she would have to be in the same cycle as most mares are in and would be over 9 months along. I suppose it is possible we could have a later foal in July or August. Oh.. poor Sparkles to have to deal with the heat.. so very hot/dry here at our home and she came from a cooler Oregon climate. Here are a few I just now took of her today but they won't tell much.


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## AnnaC (Jun 5, 2013)

Oh she is such a gorgeous colour!!

First pic and she does look on track for around 8-9 months pregnant, but as she has had foals before this *could *simply be a 'brood mare' tummy. However, second picture, even allowing for the fact that her right back leg is slightly ahead of the left one, she looks as though there is a 'bulge' to the left side of her tummy - foal?

Keeping my fingers crossed - guess time will give us an answer!


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## sparklingjewelacres (Jun 6, 2013)

Well hmmmmm. Yes..I suppose she could be and apparently she is still running very early morning in her pen for fun when my husband leaves for work at 6 and with her diet she is on, I would think she would be loosing the belly more. I still can not feel her ribs at all. She is stout and her hair has gotten so shiney.


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##  (Jun 13, 2013)

Well, from this old lady, I have almost NEVER felt a baby move until almost foaling time. Never had the luck! I've seen them move in that last trimester, but never had any luck "catching" baby with my hand on momma.

I agree with Anna, but time will tell us for sure!


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## sparklingjewelacres (Jun 14, 2013)

Well. Hmmmm... it is so very hard to tell. The other mare, Jewel.. she really showed but then.. she still looks kinda pregnant with her belly hanging down after foaling. Both horses have slowly lost the weight. Sparkles is almost near the good weight she should be at and to me is looking better but her belly is hanging lower and it wasnt hanging like this in October when she came to us. She has a fatty area in front of her teats but it has been there for a while. It seems it is getting larger tho. I will post pictures again in a week.


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## sparklingjewelacres (Jun 14, 2013)

I did try to feel for movement. I thot I felt something but so hard to know. With the other horse, Jewel, she gave me no doubt at all. Her baby kicked and moved in obvious ways.


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