How long did your maiden mares keep their figure?

[promise]

I have one mare due in March, Very obvious she is in foal. I have another mare that was bred when I got her, but was not tested. She has a bigger build an is a maiden mare, with that being said, Some days I look at her an see what looks like a hay belly, other days I just don't know whats going on under that wooly coat.

I was wondering how long your maiden mares have held onto their girlish figures?

Thanks,

Promise

 

[rabbitsfizz]

The only sign I had that my 5 year old has "set" was the fact that I could not get weight off her. I do not mean belly, I mean over all weight!![ I KNOW I don't diet my horses- I was showing her at the time and wondering why she was not her normal svelte self!!]

I said to her today, and she is now nine months pregnant, " I do know you are in foal (she told me so any way) because I have seen it taking trampolining lessons, but I have NO idea where you have got it hidden"

She just smirked

 

[Miniv]

Kind of depends on the build of the mare. I've noticed that the short backed mare who has foaled once before will lose their figure faster.

MA

 

[Bess Kelly]

A lot depends on the size of the mare.....I've had a 34" one that produced her first foal at five. The only reason I knew was because she swished her tail at the same time I had bent over to pick something up & looked her way. There was a huge bagged udder!

2 days later she delivered a filly! It was June, so she had already shed winter woolies, too. Some can just "suck it up" well

Also, one who is well conditioned doesn't show much. A tiny 27.5" mare we had showing at Nationals and delivered her foal just 4 months later! She was worked daily the entire summer for halter classes....8 yrs old and first foal.

You just never know.

 

[CAM]

Although not a miniature, we had an Arabian mare that was bred for the first time and the vet ultrasounded her at 18 days and said she was NOT pregnant. We just accepted that we wouldn't get her in foal that year as it was already late in the breeding season and we went about life. Well, 9 1/2 months later I started telling my husband that mare needs to go on a diet! Never did another thought cross my mind until the stallion owner came over for a visit and went out with me to feed my horses. I never said a thing but she sure did. Told me not to get my hopes up but my mare sure looked pregnant. I had her in to the vet shortly thereafter and sure enough, we had 5 weeks to prepare! Sure made the "long" wait easier to see the final outcome.

 

[Marty]

Holly was a maiden mare and looked wonderful throughout her pregnancy.

About three weeks after she foaled she began to fall apart on me and not look so hot. Taking Erica's advise, I put her back on Omelene 300 instead of the 200 and she came around quickly and looked much better. I also added soaked beet pulp to her diet daily.

Presently she is not looking so good at the moment yet again.

I feel Timmy is draining her and pulling her down too much.

I am going to increase her grain yet again, or possibly just wean earilier than I had planned.

 

[Dandy]

I don't know much about before they have the "little one", but I had the same problem Marty had after. My one mare seemed to fall apart over night. I know that wasn't the case, but it sure seemed like it. I had to ween at 3 months. Her colt was a big guy and her backbone was showing.