confused

[pony1234]

Okay so long story. I have had this mare 3 years and she is 6 now. In the last two months she put one hell of a stomach. She is normally a bit tubby but not like this. There is a stud on the property but he hasn't been around her till this July(on the fence line)(this is according to the stud owner). Had a fecal done and she had too many strongyles eggs. Dewormed her about 2 1/2 weeks ago and again this week. Been trying to feed her a hay balancer in case it's a hay belly. She normally gets just hay and is boarded and in with 5 other minis in a dry lot. I been doing light exercise with her all summer and she is the most fit mini yet has the biggest belly of the herd. Vet is not impressed and since the stud has only been near her since July he won't ultrasound her. Says she probably just fat and she'd have to get much bigger before he be concerned. So I am just so confused she is neither gained or loss any stomach size in the past month. I have been measuring once a week. I been told worm belly, hay belly, fat, normal stomach, and pregnant. So I am completely confused. I am hoping with winter coming she will decrease in belly size but that hasn't been true yet and I have pictures of her from early August and she was no where near this big.
Thoughts?

Pictures attached do not show just how wide she is.

 

[chandab]

Hate to say it, and it is hard to tell in pictures; but this looks like a pregnant belly. Shouldn't show this much in only about 3 months, if the stallion was only close since July; but if there was a stallion on the property longer, it could be possible there was a whoops and she is further along.
That said, what is her exact current diet? As much details as you have. Type of hay? How much hay? If she gets anything else, what and how much? How tall is she? Do you know her current weight?

 

[pony1234]

I not sure how much hay but the stable was feeding mostly alfalfa this summer. They now switched to a grass hay since it’s cooling down. She in with 5 other minis so hard to say how much she is eating. Though has had no grain or pasture until like 2 weeks ago when I started giving her 4 oz of Neutrna (spelling)?top line balancer. Thought maybe she needed more protein. However it’s a trial run of sorts as I cannot go out every day once winter comes. Barn doesn’t feed any grain to her group.

She is 34 inches tall and I always guessed her weight about 250 pounds.

I will upload some short videos it’s easier to see her belly when she is moving around.

 

[Standards Equine]

Alfalfa is a very high protein (comparatively speaking) hay source. I will not feed it to my littles. I feed copious amounts to my warmblood broodmares and the foals. It's far too rich for minis who aren't in major work consistently. I'd be suspicious that Mr. Stallion has had an earlier date with your little cutie. Fences don't necessarily keep nature at bay... Best wishes!

 

[LostandFound]

I would also be suspicious that Mr stallion was a lot closer to her than you think... about 9 or 10 months ago. Stick your phone up under her belly towards her udder and snap a few pics. I did have a very suspicious belly on my mare last year around this time. The best I can figure is the fall rain made some weeds spurt up in her dry lot and she was eating more of the crushed stone base than was good for her. It went away a couple weeks after everything froze solid here. It also could just be fat, but I think it's better to work them more instead of cutting out their hay. I would think alfalfa has plenty of protein and is probably way too much rich food for a mini that's getting a little light exercise a couple times a week.

 

[Cayuse]

I'm thinking she's in foal too.

 

[elizabeth.conder]

Has she had any foals before? Breeding through the fence is a total possibility. I do not like judging the gestation stage by belly size because I have had mares show a huge belly by 4 months and some that do not get a foal belly until 300 days. You might see if you can have your vet draw blood for a pregnancy test if he will not ultrasound. I know people who feed alfalfa year-round to minis so it is not necessarily a problem, just depends on the horse.

 

[pony1234]

She is maiden so no previous foals. I did buy a urine pregnancy test without thinking how hard it be to get urine. lol

She still the same belly size according to my tape. So a month of no gain or loss.

Udder is totally dry and tiny.

 

[LostandFound]

You could try to start working her a bit harder, and keep an eye on her udder. Yes it's possible to foal without developing an udder, but it's not common and most mares are going to start to fill up a month or 2 before foaling. Exercise within reason won't hurt her if she is pregnant, and I'd say is really important for her if she is not.

 

[pony1234]

You could try to start working her a bit harder, and keep an eye on her udder. Yes it's possible to foal without developing an udder, but it's not common and most mares are going to start to fill up a month or 2 before foaling. Exercise within reason won't hurt her if she is pregnant, and I'd say is really important for her if she is not.

Okay I can do that. She is broke to drive but I had to replace the shafts due to her current size. So she hasn’t been driving lately. I just need to get the courage up to finish balancing the cart and drive.

I don’t think if pregnant she is due soon. I would expect her to more due late winter early spring.

 

[pony1234]

Well the vet is going to do an ultrasound next week. Our schedules didn't work out this week. He will call me with a time next Monday. He doubts at her age this is an metabolic problem. Also thinks her being pregant is not likely as the stud would have had to get to her thru a fence, but I will quote him "stranger things have happened."

 

[chandab]

Well the vet is going to do an ultrasound next week. Our schedules didn't work out this week. He will call me with a time next Monday. He doubts at her age this is an metabolic problem. Also thinks her being pregant is not likely as the stud would have had to get to her thru a fence, but I will quote him "stranger things have happened."

Where there's a willy there's a way...
I don't put anything past a determined stallion. More than one full-size mare has been bred by a 30" mini stallion without outside help; just a hill and/or a hole.

 

[minihorse]

I don't put anything past a determined stallion. More than one full-size mare has been bred by a 30" mini stallion without outside help; just a hill and/or a hole.

Ergo, she's pregnant!

 

[pony1234]

Man my mare was grumpy today. I didn't do a good job putting the new curved shafts on the cart last week and according to the barn owner I must have bruised her when I drove her last friday. I feel bad but she was just grumpy about everything except treats today. She is normally a sweet mare but she defiantly telling me to back off and don't touch me at the girth, side of stomach, and flank. I will give her a few weeks off if not pregnant to heal as this is not normal behavior for this mare. If prengant then I am probably not driving anytime soon depending on how far along she is.

 

[pony1234]

Vet should call tomorrow with an ultrasound date and time. I am nervous since I pretty sure he going to tell me she is just very fat. But then I take pictures like this one and go how did my mini get this fat on just hay?

 

[chandab]

Vet should call tomorrow with an ultrasound date and time. I am nervous since I pretty sure he going to tell me she is just very fat. But then I take pictures like this one and go how did my mini get this fat on just hay?

Her coat pattern may be giving the impression, but her belly looks lopsided, which can be a sign of pregnancy.

 

[pony1234]

Her coat pattern may be giving the impression, but her belly looks lopsided, which can be a sign of pregnancy.

It is lopsided. Every photo I have ever taken on the left side she looks bigger than the right. She is very grumpy about me brushing the left side right now.

I took a straight picture of her from behind and sent it to the barn owner and she told me the lopsided was because of the way her back feet were positioned. Mare is cowhock not horribly but not mildly either.

 

[LostandFound]

It's pretty easy for them to get fat on hay. Why do you think so many people weigh their hay and put it in nets? And acting grumpy so you leave them alone is an old trick. If you think the cart shafts have bruised her she can still be ground driven without the cart. Lunged. Taken for long walks. Trotted over poles. I can't say I remember a pregnant mare being grumpy about being touched. But if my mare got grumpy about being brushed she would get tied short and brushed until I was too tired to keep brushing. Then again she easily could be pregnant, you will know soon.

 

[pony1234]

It's pretty easy for them to get fat on hay. Why do you think so many people weigh their hay and put it in nets? And acting grumpy so you leave them alone is an old trick. If you think the cart shafts have bruised her she can still be ground driven without the cart. Lunged. Taken for long walks. Trotted over poles. I can't say I remember a pregnant mare being grumpy about being touched. But if my mare got grumpy about being brushed she would get tied short and brushed until I was too tired to keep brushing. Then again she easily could be pregnant, you will know soon.

I don’t think horses can “trick” us in our definition of the word. They are more cause and effect creatures. Getting brushed is not connected to work. I brush her even if I don’t work her.
Sure she is getting out of brushing but why get grumpy in the first place? That is an 180 behavior for this mare.

Horses can only communicate to us via body language. She is telling me it’s uncomfortable or painful. I don’t mind my horses communicating with me. I just have to decipher what they are telling me.

If I tie her higher and brush her till she stops her grumpy behaviors and it does hurt. What has the horse learned? That telling me something is wrong is not okay, and I can cause her pain which will decrease trust in me.

 

[LostandFound]

Maybe trick isn't quite the right word. But I will also add that if I truly thought that the gentle touch of my brush was actually causing my horse pain, I would have an emergency vet call.