Maiden mares..

[Sandee]

For those that have had madien mares. How long to they go before delivery? The chart of course is an average of 340 days but I had a breeder friend tell me that their madiens nearly always delivered early---even up to a month early.

My mare, according to the chart, should deliver around April 29. We're in Florida and she's at the trainer's in Illinois. Now I'm concerned that she may deliver before we get home. I hate to miss it but if I get hubby to cut vacation short that could be a problem too. So let me know your experiences, please.

 

[Lewella]

My maiden's almost always go way over Sandee! I had one go almost a year a couple of years ago.

 

[HGFarm]

I dont know about the 'average' but all of mine have been different. I had one go early, but the next year was even earlier- and she was one that had one of the shortest gestation times. I've had many that were just pretty much average. Dont think I've had any run really late.... They go when they are ready, LOL

 

[Tab]

It varies so widely, and in my experience the size of the foal versus the size of the mare is a determining influence. My first maiden, 33.5" bred to a 29" stallion, foaled a tiny filly at 349 days. Another maiden, 31", bred to a 32" stallion, produced a larger leggy foal and went 327 days. She was huge at 299 days. The 33.5" mare was always bred to the 29" stallion and always went well over 330 days. All of her offspring have matured much smaller than she. Just my theory! That is why you almost have to drive yourself mad making visits to your maiden mare day and night or watching her on camera.

My girls want me to be there. They have literally waited to get to business until I was there. An experienced goat farmer told me that her pregnant animals tend to wait for her to deliver, so that we can hold their "hoof"

 

[tagalong]

80 % of the mares here have foaled between 310 days and 320 days. That was not "early" for them - all foals were full term and bouncy and healthy...

I start watching them around 300 days. We have had healthy foals born at 296 days. The longest any mare has carried here is 335 days.

 

[targetsmom]

Our only maiden foaled at 303 days.

I hope it is OK to post this link because there is a WEALTH of information here about foaling: http://www.starsminiatures.com/foalarticle.html

Going by this (and our sad experience last year), we will have all our mares under camera and wearing monitors at 285 days. We are checking udders already at around 250 days.

 

[Sandee]

Great article. Thanks for posting the link. Although I've read a lot of the "mare handbook", it will still be my first and probably only. I'm excited, nervous, happy, etc. etc. probably looking forward to this more than my mare!

 

[mmmorgans]

I had a maiden mare go 367 days - I thought she was never going to foal. She was hand bred so I know exactly when she was bred - and I never pasture breed my mares. Her foal was big - and it was a tough delivery but all turned out fine!!!!

 

[High Meadow Miniatures]

I can't say I notice any difference in my maiden mares' gestation vs. my proven mares. The earliest was at 316 days and the latest was almost a year, nearly drove me up the barn wall waiting on that foal

The majority of my mares (maidens and proven) seem to foal between 335 - 350 days. The only consistent mare I own is one of my Buckeroo grandaughters who has foaled six times, all between 331-335 days.

 

[Minimor]

I once had a maiden mare (Saddlebred, bred to a Morgan) go a full month overdue--so a full year--but in her case I suspect there was a nitrate/mineral imbalance playing a part. Her foal was healthy but the other mare that foals that year had a baby affected by congenital hypothyroidism.

In the small equine I've not had the maidens go late. I always figured the due dates for the minis as being 330 days at the most--and in recent years have revised that down to 320 , and most of mine go earlier than that--most often 305 to 315 days. One was just 295. My maiden pony mare went a couple of weeks early last year, meaning she was at about 310 days when she foaled; I'd have to look it up again to be sure on the exact day count. I also foaled out a friend's maiden Mini mare this past fall & she foaled right on time--330 days. We have a maiden mare of our own (Mini) due early this spring so we'll see what she does--I'm not expecting her to go over 330 days but we'll see.

 

[Matt73]

Lexus went 372 days with her first

She showed no signs leading up to delivery either; needless to say I had no sleep for two months. 321 days for her second and was textbook in terms of signs. Both times hand bred, so the dates were right.

Edited to add that both were normal healthy foals. Neither

could walk under her, though

That's really tiny...lol

 

[ohmt]

Almost all of mine go 340-360 for their first (though we have some earlier and some later). We have some that show all of the signs and some that do what Matt's Lexus did. Maidens are always fun

I have a couple due this year and it will be a much less stressful world when those foals finally hit the ground.

 

[Barnmother]

Last year my maiden mare (29") went 19 days past her due date. Healthy foal and healthy mare. The foal was bigger than we expected, and had to assist in the delivery of the shoulders. She never could walk under her Momma and she was too big for any of the foal sweaters that I purchased.

 

[CS Classic Acres]

in my barn it seems to depend on what stallion I bred the mares to. I had one stud that his babies always went full term or a little over. Another stallion where the babies went early.

 

[Ashley]

I have only delt with one newbie, she went 4 days shy of a year.