# Pregnant?



## QueenBey (Nov 13, 2014)

Hi guys, I'm new here. i have ordered a wee foal checker test but during the interim would like opinions regarding this mare. She has been running in a herd unhandled for her entire 4 years. All the mares in the herd were either bagging up, looked a bit round in the belly like her or had new foals at foot. There were also a heap of weanlings and yearlings. I chose her as she was the least fearful out of the lot and she has proven to be an easy handle thus far considering she's never been touched. However, she's not ready for a vet yet hence the reason I'm getting the urine test. She hasn't really bagged up at all and doesn't have the big foal belly you would expect but I have seen maiden mares (which I suspect she would be) hide their foals pretty well. I have wormed her and she had a few red worms but apart from that nothing else in her poo. I thought I saw something move a couple of days ago but that could have been gas I suppose. Would like opinions. Thanks everyone.

eta- forgot to mention that she let's me touch her entire body and doesn't put up a fuss at all but when i put my hand on the area just in front of her udder she gets really cranky, yesterday she squealed and pigrooted.


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## JWC sr. (Nov 13, 2014)

Hard to tell particularly on maiden mares. We always just have them ultra sounded and are done with it. A practitioner with a good ultra sound machine can pick up the baby as early as 30 days. Good luck with her!


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## 7fluffyfriends (Nov 13, 2014)

I have nothing to offer as to the pregnancy question other than it can be nearly impossible to tell by looking as you already know!

But, I did want to say 'Welcome'! You have a very pretty mare there and she must have a wonderful disposition to let you touch her at all after being unhandled for so long!

Love that dark color too.

Good luck and please let us know what you find out!


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## amysue (Nov 13, 2014)

Welcome! What a cute lil mare, great find. It is very hard to tell with maidens, but in the pic it looks like she MAY have a bit of a bag. If she is squeamish about being touched in that area too it could be because she is bagging. Can you get a look at her teats? safely without getting kicked in the face. If she is soon to foal she may wax up. I have used the wee foal tests before. The only problem with your situation is determining if she is in early or late gestation. It matters because the two different tests are designed to detect hormones only excreted during a certain time of the pregnancy. If you bought the early 38 day one and she is over 150 days (or maybe 180) I do not remember now, you could get a false negative because she would no longer be producing that hormone. And if you ordered the later one and she is not yet that far along it may be a false negative. Not to worry though, she looks healthy and it sounds like she is already learning to trust you so have fun waiting and seeing if she foals and in the meantime enjoy getting closer with her.


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## QueenBey (Nov 13, 2014)

Thanks everyone. http://www.foalguard.com/marepregnancytestkit.htm<- That is the one I bought as I figured most of the other mares are in foal so chances are if she is she would be over 110 days. hoping I'm right.


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## QueenBey (Nov 13, 2014)

this is what her udder currently looks like.


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## Ryan Johnson (Nov 13, 2014)

Welcome to the forum,

She is a lovely mare hoping she is pregnant for you. If she does happen to be pregnant for you the Marestare section on this forum will provide many "extra" sets of eyes and answers to your questions if you have any.

Its really hard to tell from the pics and as you said yes maidens can carry them quite high. Its great you have taken her on board , the more time you spend with her the more she will trust you.

Do you know if she has foaled before? If you could get a Pic of her from behind , taken from down at her level ( have a look on the marestare section for examples)


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## amysue (Nov 13, 2014)

Boy, by the pic of her belly I'd say either she has something brewing in there or she has had a little one before. I could be wrong, and it could just be fat deposits I see in front of her teats, but you never know. She definitely doesn't look like she's gonna spit a kid out tomorrow, but I am interested to see how she progresses. Aren't new ponies exciting! ?


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## QueenBey (Nov 13, 2014)

Apparently she's only a bit over 3 years old so this would be her first foal I would imagine, I will get another photo of her udder as her teats seem to have 'fallen' down a few cms today if that makes sense.


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## QueenBey (Nov 13, 2014)

Will try to get a photo from behind but she panics a bit when someone is behind her still so every photo i have got is not true to what i see, her belly pokes out on both sides about 4cms on the left and about 6cm on the right. Will endeavor to get true to size photos tomorrow.


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## Ryan Johnson (Nov 13, 2014)

Oh poor little girl she just needs some handling. Glad she has found you and that you will be able to work with her slowly so she gains your trust.

It will just take time thats all. I have a new mare I purchased recently that is in the process of gaining my trust. She was very wary of me but after a few weeks she is learning my voice, starting to know she is safe in my care and that there maybe a sneaky carrot in my pocket.

Best of luck with her anyway


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## QueenBey (Nov 13, 2014)

So she's done really well today, I was able to go out and lay underneath her to get these pictures and she just kept on eating. Still pretty nervy with my crouching behind her so could only get one butt snap but hope they help.


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## Leeana (Nov 14, 2014)

I would say bred......


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## QueenBey (Nov 14, 2014)

Thanks everyone. Will update once I get the test done.


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## AnnaC (Nov 15, 2014)

What a lovely mare - and she does look pregnant to me. That 'filling' in front of her udder often happens before the udder itself starts to fill - on the other hand it can also appear in overweight horses. But dont worry, she is not going to drop you a foal just yet. That rear picture of her would have been just perfect (you dont have to get any closer) if she hadn't swished her tail just at that moment - do please try again when the time feels 'comfortable'.

Also when you get your test results, or sooner if you like, please come over and join us here on the Mare Starers/Barn cam watchers forum as there is so much info to read on there, plus we would love to help you watch her progress and answer any questions you might have as her foaling time draws nearer. We are expecting several foals with one of our Australian friends any minute now.





Good luck, I'm so glad you found her, she's a lucky girl.


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## QueenBey (Nov 15, 2014)

So her belly has completely changed shape today!!! It's poking out heaps more at each side and has a flat square shape at the bottom, especially on the left where there is a random triangle poking out just behind her ribs at the base. Will get pictures once this rain lets up!


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## amysue (Nov 17, 2014)

It sounds like whomever is in there is moving around. How exciting!


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