# Pregnant mares?



## Luna_tic (Nov 13, 2013)

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## AnnaC (Nov 14, 2013)

Hi and welcome to you and your girls! It is pretty quiet on this forum around this time of year but be patient and you will help and advice from those of us who keep checking in - we do have expectant mares with our friends in Australia and do get regular updates from them (HINT HINT BREE!!!!).

Regarding your girls, please could we have more pictures - get down on your knees (!) and post us good 'side on' pictures so we can see their tummies properly, then some from behind them to see the width of their tummies and how low the possible babies are lying, then pics of any udder development. So in all quite a few pics are required! Also some details of each mare - age/maiden or not etc (if known). Oh and we would love a picture of your stallion too please.


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##  (Nov 14, 2013)

Absolutely. Can't wait to see your pictures, so we can get a good look at the 'maybe' momma and the daddy. The pictures will help us see what she looks like from a variety of sides, etc.

Also, how tall is she? As much information as you can provide will help us make an educated guess for you.

I, too, have had mares that were said to be open, foal nice, healthy babies -- so don't give up! LOL


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## Luna_tic (Nov 14, 2013)

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## Luna_tic (Nov 14, 2013)

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## Luna_tic (Nov 14, 2013)

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## Luna_tic (Nov 15, 2013)

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## countrymini (Nov 15, 2013)

Hello and welcome to the group! Your in the right place for having all your worries taken care of. I'll let the other girls comment on your potential pregnancies but I will say you're little man is gorgeous!


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## AnnaC (Nov 15, 2013)

I agree Hayley, he's stunning - love that looooooooooooooooooooong mane!!

In my opinion your maiden mare (does she have a name please?) is pregnant but not due yet. Keep an eye out for her to make a start in the udder development as this may give you some idea when she's due. Your little rescue mare (again name please) is more of a puzzle - nice little girl though. As she has already had several foals she naturally has a 'stretched' tummy, so it is possible that she is not in foal - which would probably be a good thing, although I must admit that she looks very well now (well done you). What we now need is to see another set of similar pics in around 4 or 5 days time, so we can see any differences/changes in their shape.

Please join in with the other posts here and feel free to give your opinion/advice and also to ask ANY questions, no matter if you think they are silly - we are like a big friendly family on this forum and really enjoy our long chats while waiting and watching for these precious minis to produce their babies.


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## Luna_tic (Nov 15, 2013)

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## Luna_tic (Nov 15, 2013)

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## AnnaC (Nov 17, 2013)

Yes Sue, a lot of mares kick at their tummies and have big rolling sessions usually nearer the end of their pregnancies, so they are signs to watch ot for.

Dont forget to post more pics in another day or two!


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##  (Nov 19, 2013)

What a gorgeous boy -- just love when they let everyone KNOW they are there!





We're so glad you're here! I just love your avatar with all those faces! Precious!

NayNay and Mona will be fun watching! Pretty girls!

And as Anna said, most mares do a bit of kicking at their tummies! Probably trying to move baby to a more comfortable spot. And don't worry if they 'change size' or shape. As baby moves around, they can even look 'thin' one day and completely W-I-D-E the next -- just depends on how baby is laying!


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## Luna_tic (Nov 19, 2013)

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## Luna_tic (Nov 19, 2013)

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## AnnaC (Nov 19, 2013)

As she is a maiden, plus the fact that she ran with your (gorgeous!) boy until Feb, I would guess that she could well be in foal. If she were to foal in January say, then you wouldn't be looking for signs of udder development until approx mid/end December, so time yet!

However, as I understand it, the Wee foal 120 test is normally accurate?? Did you test Mona as well?


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## Luna_tic (Nov 20, 2013)

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## chandab (Nov 20, 2013)

You can search the archives here on the forum, but I know people have taped sanitary napkins under their mare's tail to catch fresh urine, and then squeeze the urine out for the test, so perhaps this would get you a cleaner sample to test.


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##  (Nov 20, 2013)

Hopefully, if Mary has time from her dealings with Rusty, she can chime in. I think she's the guru when it comes to these tests. I know I've seen her post about them several times.


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## Luna_tic (Nov 20, 2013)

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## Luna_tic (Nov 20, 2013)

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## countrymini (Nov 21, 2013)

She's got me guessing! In your earlier photos she looks quite lopsided which would indicate a little someone in there. 

Here's some photos of my mare that was running with a stallion for 6mths.

She had us guessing and losing sleep because SURELY she would MUST be pregnant. Turns out the stallion was too young at the time and the goods weren't working till later that year!







I'm not saying your mare ISN'T pregnant, but they sure like don't like to make it easy on us!


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## Luna_tic (Nov 21, 2013)

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## countrymini (Nov 21, 2013)

When I got him them he was 2 and a bit and had been running with her for 5 months. You couldn't see his balls till about 5 mths after I got him. He's with a new mummy now but I've got one of his babies to my other mare and she is just like him! (personality wise)


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## countrymini (Nov 21, 2013)

With the mare I showed you photos of I had increased her feed, assuming she was pregnant. She just kept growing and growing haha.


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## Luna_tic (Nov 22, 2013)

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##  (Nov 22, 2013)

Well, if the earliest breeding time was in February, then baby wouldn't be expected until January at the earliest, and these mares can go a long time into their pregnancies without even looking pregnant sometimes. So, I wouldn't worry yet. Let's just see what time brings!


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## Luna_tic (Nov 22, 2013)

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## countrymini (Nov 22, 2013)

If she's possibly due January now would be a normal time for those udders to start changing right Di?

There are some mares that will let a stallion mount when they're pregnant. My mare wasn't pregnant but she let the stallion mount her often anytime of the month!


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## Luna_tic (Nov 22, 2013)

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## AnnaC (Nov 23, 2013)

Oh yes! Looks as though you will be having a baby coming soon - 3 weeks??????

Most mares, including maidens, will show the 'start' of a bag approx 4 weeks before foaling, so keep watching NayNay for any changes. Mares DO come into season during the winter months, especially if running with a stallion, not all do but a lot of them will have a 'short' heat and get themselves in foal.

You could be looking at a Christmas baby with Mona so get yourself prepared!! Oh and do keep posting pics of her for us to see/help monitor her progress - remember full side on ones as well as her udder.





How exciting!!


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##  (Nov 23, 2013)

There are really no non-fertile months. USUALLY the mares won't cycle during the very late winter months -- but that is a 'usually' -- not ALWAYS. There are plenty of foals out there born in November, December and January, so if she's cycling during the winter she can get pregnant.

Looks like she may be starting an udder -- so we'll be anxiously awaiting those photos. Give us a full side shot down on her level, and at least one from the back 'looking' down her sides at her level so we can see how baby is riding in there!

Very exciting to see changes starting.


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## Luna_tic (Nov 24, 2013)

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##  (Nov 25, 2013)

When babies 'drop into place' picture their spine lining up with mommas. So, they make momma hardly look pregnant. Now, over the next several weeks, baby will continue to move around, and some days she'll look wide, and then what we call 'slab sided' -- so looking like her pictures shows today -- hardly looks pregnant. Don't worry, this is completely normal.

Looks like her udder is growing a bit, so all that is good. Now we wait and watch.....


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## Luna_tic (Dec 9, 2013)

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## AnnaC (Dec 9, 2013)

Mona's udder has certainly grown - looking good! From the look of her tummy, I would say that the place you got her from had other stallions around as she doesn't look big enough to be carrying a foal to a pony stallion to me, particularly as she has had so any foals before?? Actually I would have expected her tummy to be bigger/more dropped anyway comparing it to the udder increase - they really are a puzzle these two girls of yours. LOL!!

Regarding NayNay, her tummy is looking nicely rounded for a maiden who might foal in January sometime, just keep an eye on her udder development - and we will all keep our fingers crossed!!

I suggest that you just get yourself organised for two possible foalings between Christmas and the end of January, and we will watch and wait!!

Keep the pictures coming.


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##  (Dec 9, 2013)

I'd get ready for both -- I think it's pretty definite the one, and as Anna said, January looks pretty good for the other girl! LOL


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## Luna_tic (Dec 10, 2013)

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##  (Dec 10, 2013)

We had a wonderful little filly born last year in Alaska in the snow -- inside a trailer in the middle of the night. I should know, I was on the phone with them.

Baby did just fine, I believe they used a blow dryer to dry her off, and had a nicely bedded 'stall' for her, and she did great. Not to worry, you'll get through this. Remember, many people breed for early January babies, so they are 'mature' for the show ring, so we'll help you prepare, and I'm sure baby will do just fine.


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## chandab (Dec 10, 2013)

I live in Montana and have a friend that bought a foal in the summer that had been born in November or December (its been a few years, but I recall it being a mid-winter foal). Where he came from, they just had a basic barn, he did just fine.


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## Luna_tic (Dec 19, 2013)

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## Luna_tic (Dec 19, 2013)

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## Bonny (Dec 19, 2013)

I have had a mare whose udder all but disappeared 2 days before foaling! Of course when it came back it was overnight and just GINOURMOUS by am




Ive also had a mare who developed an udder very similar to your mares when she was 4-6 months bred. Vet determined it was prolly hormone related she carried to term , I was on foal watch for almost a year with that one!


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## Luna_tic (Dec 20, 2013)

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## Luna_tic (Dec 20, 2013)

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## Luna_tic (Dec 20, 2013)

Oops sorry here's the photos


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## Luna_tic (Dec 21, 2013)

Here's a better pic! Is she starting to wax???


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## AnnaC (Dec 21, 2013)

It's not wax. Wax does not usually come in/start slowly, rather it happens quickly, is about an inch in length and looks like the 'colour' of candle wax. As it is 'hard' it soon breaks off as the mare moves around so many owners never notice it!

And yes it does look as though NayNay is moving forward nicely, but I still think they have both got a little way to go yet with their udders.

Keep the pictures coming.


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##  (Dec 22, 2013)

I totally agree. Even with the fur, it appears she has a ways to go, but remember, udders can fill quickly when the time is ready. Keep us posted and we love the pictures!!


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## Luna_tic (Dec 24, 2013)

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## Bonny (Dec 26, 2013)

Hi Luna, I am going to post a picture for you to see what waxing looks like. Typically the mares udder will be tight and full, and the pressure of the bag being tight and full is why the milk starts to leak. Your mares udder is not tight and or full ( yet) the little hard plugs your seeing are just from normal sloughing.



Remember not all mares wax or get a huge full tight udder, some even get huge and tight and do not wax! Most mares will loose the look of there being two separate halves to the udder ( if you look at your mares udder she still has 2 *sides* and it still doesnt join in the back) By the looks of your mares udder I would guess you still have a way to wait. However continue to check am & pm. If its difficult for you to see try doing a light clipping of the udder area.

this is a picture of a mare with wax :

http://i423.photobucket.com/albums/pp317/ShyBon/Kate%20x%20riot%202013/113133pm002.jpg

you can see from this view her udder is hard and tight, she has a well formed back ( the area behind the teats) she foaled a few hours later:

http://i423.photobucket.com/albums/pp317/ShyBon/Kate%20x%20riot%202013/114139am017.jpg

you will also be able to see the mares udder ( usually) from behind the mares back legs:

http://i423.photobucket.com/albums/pp317/ShyBon/Kate%20x%20riot%202013/16131am025_zpsb1a40177.jpg


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##  (Dec 27, 2013)

Wonderful pictures, Bonny!


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## Luna_tic (Dec 28, 2013)

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## Bonny (Dec 28, 2013)

Luna, I went back and read your whole topic



To help me under stand and help you better could you answer a few questions?

What was the day you brought Mona home from the place she was, with the 13 hh stallion?

Was she ever in an area with your stallion? If so what dates?

When was the last date NayNay was with your stallion?

I ask because wee foal 120 are usually correct, even if slightly contaminated, However I wonder if your stallion somehow got with Mona and perhaps she is starting some development from a fling with him





I had a shetland mare named Bonny ( my user name) Who * came to me bred, but wasnt, during the time I thought she was bred from the place she came from, she started to develop an udder ( looked exactly l;ike your mares) However I had brought in a mini stallion to breed a different mare and he covered Bonny. She carried that same udder for almost the entire pregnancy and was not bred when she came but was bred from the mini stallion I brought home. So I ended up watching her for almost a YEAR! It was my first pregnant mare, my first experience and Boy was I thankful to have friends and ppl here that helped me.

Being that your mare has had many foals, and negative 120 wee foal) this could be early pregnancy hormones changing, or could just coincide with heat cycles. After looking at her side view pics and the front view pics I dont think she looks like a mare due to foal anytime soon. I would be suspect that she may have had a night out with your handsome fella!

With all that said, lol, Heres what I would do, try and find a Vet that would be willing to Ultra sound her, or have a blood pregnancy test done. You could also wait til spring, wee foal 120 again and start teasing her to your stallion, all the mean while checking her udder.

I dont want to see you go through what I did, it was very exhausting! I wish you all the best and keep the pictures coming. I know the Ladies here wont mind helping answer any questions you have. And I sure hope you get to the bottom of this mystery!

Ladies, what are yalls thoughts? I certainly dont want to leave out yalls opinions!


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## Luna_tic (Dec 28, 2013)

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