Does she look in foal?

[Taz]

This is Izzy. She's had me guessing all summer if she is or isn't in foal, I was told she might be when I got her. I finally felt a kick the beginning of Jan and a few more since then so I'm going with she is. Her belly, what there is of it, has also been changing shape and hanging out more one side then the other and a few times been really big for a day then back to this. I was told her breed date was March 27. These pictures are pretty bad but it"s the best I can do with my phone, she does look a little bigger in person. Actually I'm pretty pleased with myself figuring out how to resize them and get them posted here, LOL!

The 4th picture is from June. The last from Nov. and the rest last night. I had to add the one with her tongue stuck out, that about sums up her opinion of having her picture taken!

 

[nappolisgirl]

What do her teets look like?

 

[Miniv]

Is she a maiden?

 

[Taz]

I don't think she's a maiden, she looks too stretched out for that but I don't think many foals.

Her teats have gotten thicker for a couple weeks now, if that makes sense, but no bag started. There's a bit more to them in the morning then down when she comes in at night.

 

[Miniv]

Personally, it's hard to tell just from the pictures, but if you've felt kicking, then there you have it..... With her longer body she may not show side to side until her tummy "drops" toward the end.....and her bag will continue to develop, especially in the final couple of weeks.

 

[Mona]

My guess based solely on the photos and information provided here would be no, to me, she doesn't look like she is.

 

[Ryan Johnson]

I agree with all the comments you have been given . It is hard to tell from the pics and based on them, I would say she does not look big enough for a mare that was bred in March 2017.

BUT................... You have said you have felt kicks , so I think its great you are going with "She is". Many mares carry higher up in the rib cage and even though your not too sure if shes a maiden or not, It could be why she Just doesn't look as big.

Its better to be safe than sorry , keep us posted with some updated pics when you have time.

 

[Taz]

Well, I took these two nights ago. She has dropped a bit when I look at her in person but I don't think the pics are showing anything.

She still doesn't have much of an udder and no other physical signs but she is looking unhappy at night. She's been stopping eating(unheard of!) and doing some tail swishing and head tossing or standing shifting back legs and turning to stare at her belly every so often. She hasn't been willing to lie down on her side for about a week except for two nights ago when she looked like she was having a few small contractions? Both back legs would stick straight out and then relax again while she was wide awake. Not eyes closed with the usual sleeping, twitching, paddling I'm used to seeing. She also spent some time rubbing her bum really hard on the paddock gate yesterday.

I have twice now felt a "buck" and then something I couldn't feel that startled her enough to jump a bit, poor girl.

Anyway, she has a foal monitor on and a camera in her stall and I'll see what happens.

 

[Mona]

One other things to keep in mind just in case she may be in foal and in case you are not aware...no fescue as it prevents milk from coming in and if she does foal, baby will have nothing, and especially no colostrum which it needs!

 

[Ryan Johnson]

Was March 27th her only breeding date ? Any chance that she may have been bred a little later ?

All the things you are noticing she is doing are good signs that she is pregnant, and I think its great your preparing yourself that she is.

When you take the next lot of pics, stand a little further back when taking the one from behind. If you could grab one of her udder too.

Keep us posted when you have time.

 

[Taz]

Thanks, I don't think fescue is an issue around here but I will check into it more.

I don't trust what I was told about her breeding but I know it couldn't have been any later than the end of April.

I'm going to wait to post more pictures until there is hopefully something to see in them!! I will get one of her udder, it's just been fill in the teats but last night it felt like she had something starting up near her belly, we'll see....

Could you answer a question? I read somewhere else that you shouldn't take the bag off the foals nose until you know there is no hip lock. My instinct would be to clear their nose as soon as the shoulders were out if not before. What do you do?

 

[Magic Marker Miniatures]

We clean sac off foal as soon as head is far enough out.

Even if foal is possible hip locked, the placenta could already be unattacted to uterus. We have had mare lay down and deliver foal with the placenta right after that.

Three times out of four we missed the delivery and lost the foal. Never got out of sac.

 

[Taz]

Thank you, that makes me feel much better! Well sort of..... I'm still worried about something going wrong and not being able to fix it but as long as I'm there I can do as much as I can.

 

[Magic Marker Miniatures]

We have been breeding for about five years.

The first year we lost two foals(early abort and not getting out of sac) with three alive. Second year had two live foals, no losses. Third year had four live foals and two losses (both foals did not get out of sac). The following year we had two miscarriages and no one else settled.

Year after that had three live foals and one death (difficult birth and foal died). The next year after that had two live foals, no losses. Last year we had six live foals, lost two foals and a mare (one foal died 12 hours after birth due to difficult birth, second foal died in utero and mom died from infection.

We are expecting 10 foals this year.

Most of our foals last year were born before I got out to the barn (don't have a camera or alarm). They were up and had nursed.

Yes there is times something will happen but not everytime. Just think more on that little baby running around your property.

 

[Taz]

You're right, I'll be thinking about the little one running around

This is what I found this morning. The udder picture just shows a lot of hair( clippers do not happen in her world) but I can feel more fill in her teats than yesterday. Do you think she's just doing things 'her way'?

 

[Mona]

Now in these photos, I do think there is a possibility she could be in foal. The udder though...AT LEAST a month off if I were to guess.

 

[Taz]

Hahaha, a possibility she could be, that's where I've been since I got her.

I have been wondering about her going longer with it still being winter(although you can't tell the last couple days being warm and raining) and with her not being in very good shape when I got her. She was very fat but looked like she hadn't had good nutrition and she shed out and got a 4 inch winter coat in July. It took her until Sept/Oct to start looking good. I'm guessing that could make the foal need a bit longer to cook?

Stupid question about the test for RH factor with the foal. If you take blood from the cord aren't you getting some of the mares too? Doesn't matter since you're also getting some of the foals? Thought of this at 2am while watching the mare sleep.....

 

[Ryan Johnson]

I agree with Mona, these last lot of pics are a lot more promising.

 

[Debby - LB]

quote: taz "Stupid question about the test for RH factor with the foal. If you take blood from the cord aren't you getting some of the mares too?
Doesn't matter since you're also getting some of the foals?" end quote

No stupid questions Taz! You can test with the foal’s blood and the mare’s blood OR colostrum to determine antibodies present so yes doesn't matter.

 

[Taz]

Thanks. I was going to do it anyway, if/when a foal shows up, but the clarification helps.

Teats were a bit more filled this morning and hard, although I'm sure they'll go down as usual after she moves around for the day.