More questions

[Trapeze]

I posted in the main forum but I figured it would be more helpful in this section. If it's not appropriate, feel free to lock/delete and I apologize!

I'll try to keep it short.

I have a 4 year old AMHR mare. She was bred in August to a 32" AMHR stallion of lighter bone. She was ultrasounded at 9 months and nothing was seen, but the vet said it's possible a foal could be high up in the pelvis. I chose not to do an internal ultrasound due to the risks. She has however filled out more in the belly towards the flanks - but is getting more grass as well so could be weight.

She would currently be 295 days. For the last 3 weeks she has an edema infront of her udders. While there has been no fill in her teats, they have gone from touching tip-to-tip to straightening out and pointing towards the ground. They are still small and tight though for 4 days there was some fill in one teat it's now gone.

A vein on the underside of her belly has become more prominent, but the vein has been atleast semi-visible since day 1.

She is a maiden, and a tall/leggy 38" driving-bred mare so she always looks a little more lean.

Obviously I could get her ultrasounded again in 2 weeks but I am just humming and hawing on whether it's worth it. Part of me is convinced she's pregnant, the other feels like I'm being made a fool and she just has a bit of a hay belly.

What are your thoughts?

This is the most recent picture, at 293 days.

 

[cassie]

Hi,
your mare is lovely, fingers crossed she is in foal...

can we get a picture of her from behind? and maybe one of her udder please?

what does Daddy look like?

 

With these maidens, they can be very tricky.

We need a picture of her with you standing at her backend, looking forward down her sides. What we're looking for is some lopsidedness -- as baby's don't ride in there equally -- usually they're poking out one side more than another.

But with maidens, they can carry high and tight, and hide their pregnancies very well.

This is the place, and we're here for you in any way you need us, and willing to answer any questions your have. So, WELCOME to our "Nutty Nursery" where you are with friends who will share with you with absolutely NO attitudes!

WELCOME! She's a really pretty girl!

~~Diane

 

[Ryan Johnson]

Hi & Welcome ,

What a lovely mare you have . You have come to the right place. So many lovely people on here that can guide you with all the questions you have.

Hoping she is in foal & looking forward to following her Journey.

Best of Luck

 

[Trapeze]

Darn, wish I'd seen this earlier! I will try to take some photos.

Her udders are hard to get a good shot of, they're still quite small but I will make a list tomorrow and have a friend hold so I can take photos.

Thanks for the welcome!

The stallion is an AMHR sooty buckskin tobiano/tovero. Super cute guy!

The mare is a max sabino chestnut. Her sire was a black splash overo max sabino with 2 blue eyes. So hoping for a nice colour if she's pregnant!

 

[AnnaC]

Welcome to the nutty nursery! What a lovely mare and that's a very handsome stallion too, so they should produce a goodlooking, useful foal between them if your mare proves pregnant.

She certainly isn't overweight so the changes that you are seeing look hopeful especially as she is a maiden. Looking forward to seeing the new pictures when you can get them and keeping my fingers crossed for you!

 

[Trapeze]

Okay I tried my best. She was a little antsy wanting to go outside. The dark marks on her back are just dirt/poop marks..haven't groomed her yet lol

Above (stood square):

Teats (and you can see the edema infront of it)

 

I hate to ask again for this, since you took and posted pictures, but can you stand behind her looking forward down her sides, but down at her tail level and let us see how her belly looks from that standpoint, please.

 

[Trapeze]

I'm a little confused on what angle you want.

Are you trying to see how much her belly sticks out from her hips from behind? If so, it's not really noticeable.. Directly behind facing forward her hips are as broad as her belly.

Can you post an example of the angle you're asking?

 

[Ryan Johnson]

Yes that's the angle of photo

 

[AnnaC]

You need to stand directly behind her about 6 to 8 feet away with your camera at a level as though you are down on your knees - this will give us a picture of her tummy from the back and show if there are any uneven 'bulges' to either side as there would be if there was a foal in there. Your pictures taken from side on (showing the whole of her should also be taken 'on your knees' so tht we are looking at her tummy outline from down at her level and not from above - pics taken from above the horse do not really show anything.

Sorry to cause you so much trouble, dont worry it always takes folks a little while to understand what we mean!

 

[AnnaC]

Here are a couple of pics of my mares approx a month before they foaled to show you the angle we need

 

[Trapeze]

Her hips are wider than her belly protrudes - her belly does not stick out like those photos. If anything you may see the absolute edges of her belly.

 

That's okay, it will give us a "starting point" to start looking for changes.

 

[Trapeze]

Sorry I have been super delayed in replying!

Here are some pics of her udders taken today (June 26)

I tried to get one of behind, but she is wiggly and I think is tricking the eye

So I gave up and took a video!

 

[AnnaC]

Those pics are great - thank you. It does look as though there might be a little foal 'pod' there, but on the other hand it could just be her normal shape depending upon her life/work/exercise/feed at the present time. As a maiden she could be carrying exceptionally high and could change dramatically in the next month or so. What are you feeding her at the moment - if you are not worrying about 'working' her until she proves to be in foal or not, then I suggest that you slowly change her over to a good quality mare and foal feed and bring it up to the amount she should be having for this late stage in a possible pregnancy because she could be carrying a bit more weight before arriving at her delivery date (they can lose a lot of weight during the actual delivery so it is good to 'prepare' beforehand if possible).

May we now have another picture of her side on (down at her level as usual) please so we can compare with those you posted at the bginning of your thread.

 

[Trapeze]

She would be at around 302 days now. She's on almost a half scoop of trimax a day + hay. When speaking to the vet she was hesitant to switch to mare/foal as it can pack on too much weight if she isn't pregnant. Is that a concern? Her suggestion was to wait to see for more significant changes (like beginning to get a bag) before switching feed. Is there a specific feed I should look for for mare/foal? My feed store carries Purina products.

Tonight both myself and my friend noticed a slight odd movement on her belly, below her ribs towards her flank. We're just unsure if it was coincidental and just a muscle spasm. I don't want to leap to the pregnancy conclusion and then be proven wrong - and look quite silly! It has been a waiting game so far!

I will try for a side shot tomorrow - must easier with her. A friend commented that the weight seems to have shifted a little further back - but her hay intake was upped as well so could always just be a hay belly. Too many possibilities!

 

I would suggest Omolene 300 -- it's Purina's mare/foal feed. She won't "pack on" enough weight to hurt her even if she isn't pregnant, so I'd go with Anna's suggestion. Things can dramatically change in a month, and as a maiden, it is better to be on the safe side and let her gain a bit more weight.

I'm hopeful that the little "pod" will continue to grow. Don't worry about leaping to a pregnancy conclusion....no one here will think you look silly if it turns out she's not pregnant. These girls have fooled us going both ways! Waiting is always hard, and maidens are the most difficult to predict. We've all had some that we decide aren't pregnant, and then POP! A little one is on the ground! So, we're happy to wait and watch with you!

 

[Trapeze]

Yeah, I have to keep eyeing her!

Took these two photos today. One makes her look pregnant, the other slim. Mares!