Don't know if anyone will see this question on my thread, but will ask anyway.
How much udder does an experienced broodmare keep, even when she isn't in foal and hasn't had a foal for some time? [How stretched out do they get? And, stay?]
I only have 3 experienced broodmares that are more than 1 year out from last foaling; one is currently pregnant (small bag), one only had one foal (almost 4 years ago - small bag to almost nothing), and one had 4-6 foals before I got her, but I haven't gotten her in-foal in 6 years (she lost the foal she was carrying when I bought her and hasn't had one for me), she's the one that has me wondering with the size/shape of her bag (she was pasture exposed to a stallion, but he usually can't reach the tall mares).
I've found that mine vary.
My little mare (measures 37" at the withers) has now had a total of 3 foals and is pregnant with her 4th. She did shrivel up quite a bit after the first one, born in 2001 and the next - born in 2010. She wasn't bred again before 2009, as was out on various leases. Everytime she came into season, during the summer, she'd get a small amount of edema in front of her bag and her teats would actually fill in a bit. I sometimes wonder if her hormones are "off" a bit, as she talks a lot - and while I now enjoy it, when she first started I swore she sounded just like a getting ready to breed a mare stallion. ALL the same sounds & pitches as each of the 6 stallions I've handled for breeding (mini, shetlands, welsh & Arab). It's very deep & "woofy". Now, I just enjoy it and don't worry or wonder! Since foaling in 2010, she's kept a slight bag and edema in front of her udder. But... not "filled". Not sure this makes sense? She's also my main "air fern" - stays very ROUND on just "air" compared to the other mares!
Another mare - distantly related to the girl above - keeps a slightly distended or stretched bag - but it's "flat". Or hangs flat? Not sure how to describe it. She's pregnant with her 7th foal according to records I have, but I don't kno if she was bred between some of the others before I purchased her. I didn't get pictures of her udder last week and while I didn't take pics yet for this week (oops - off a week now), she is getting some fill now, so pics will be different than her "normal" status between foals...
My others all seem to have quite a bit of bag under them, but they are older to begin with and have had many more foals than eitehr of these two.
Then there is the mare we knew had a belly, but didn't bag up. I'd purchased her "not bred/not exposed" with a filly at her side, previous owner stated that she always retained a belly between her foals (felt she had a torn/stretched ligament) and she'd come into season a couple of times after coming to us. When she didnt' continue coming into season, we didn't worry as figured it was her normal winter time way... Not all of my mares' are stay in heat, even when bred, hussies...LOL. I had her at a freinds' house and she was working her - regularly and probably more than we would have had we even thought she was pregnant. I stopped in and chedked on her and was amazed out how fat she was! I asked her to back off her feed! Now I feel bad, as she did cut her back, she did lose some weight BUT then a call... YOU have a new baby, I'm looking at him while drinking my coffee... NO WAY! ETcEtc... Just weaned the "whoz yur daddy" colt and wow - what a difference in this mare. Her bag has dried up, most of the belly is gone and you'd never know that she's had 4 foals (including the one I just weaned)...
Then I have one maiden mare. I purchased her as a suckling, weaning her when taken away from her dam. She's 4 this year and never been bred, but since last year, she's developed/kept a little bit of a bag. She was leased out last summer for 2 months to keep another shetland owners' yearling filly company (same ***, same height & close in age, tho not the same) and to teach her some "pasture manners". She's not overweight, in fact, I'm thinking she needs her feed upped a bit or needs something added as she's just a little light to me...
So, I'd say that they are just different in their individuality!
DO TELL - Do you think she's in foal??? OOOO, another one to watch!
