Here are some pics from Friday/Saturday. Will get you knew one later today! What do you guys think about purple for a bay? I like it but would like some opinions!
Well I for one am really getting a bit puzzled about our sweet Penny! I really hope that I'm wrong, but I still think that she is some way off from having this baby. From your pictures she simply doesn't look like a mare about to foal and certainly not like a mare at a pregnancy of approx a year - her udder has a lot more development to make yet, in my opinion, and her tummy doesn't look large enough to be carrying a full term foal, especially as she has foaled before. Below are some pics of three of my mares a month to six weeks before foaling. Hopefully you can see what we are looking for in Penny's tummy? All these mares had had foals before.
A side and rear view of another mare, again a month away from foaling - from the rear picture you can see that she is still carrying the foal up high. The side pic shows her tummy taken the same day - it will get much more dropped once the foal gets into the foaling position.
Plus two udder pics - a bit dark so dont know if they are that clear - taken 2-3 weeks before she foaled.
As I said, I really hope that I'm wrong and this is just my opinion from your pictures plus her dates. I dont feel that we will have to wait until February to see this foal though, so is it at all possible that she could have got with a stallion/been covered unseen by anyone (through a fence say if they were next to each other) somewhere between August and April? I just feel sure that she is not ready to foal yet??
She is worring me too Anna. But here are some pics from today. I talked to the previous owner and said she never showed as much as other mares. She always kept them high and tight.
I am hoping she foals tonight. Full moon don't you know! She has been acting really weird today, stomach was moving weird. Standing off by herself. But I talked to the vet today, and I told him that she wasn't making a bag. He wasn't worried about it.
I love how your little fella has to get involved with the picture taking session!!
Interesting info from her previous owner about the way Penny normally carries her foals - gives us hope!! Still a bit concerned about those dates though.
That would amazing jstarr! What's your name? Mine is Katie. It would be great if they both popped tonight!! You think that he likes being in the photo shoot? Look at this! He poses for the camera!! And a Tuesday funny! And look at at the last pic. The swelling (not sure how else to explain it) is right in front of her udders....
Katie, that edema in front of Penny's udder is quite normal and is seen in most mares before they start to properly fill their udders. A lot of folk say that it looks like the milk is collecting in the veins under the mare's tummy before transferring itself to the actual udder. This usually happens some while before they foal, (more confusion about dates??) but shows that she is progressing steadily and normally.
No baby yet :-/ but it looks like her bag is filling! Standing off by herself. Looks uncomfortable. Constantly keeping her tail up and passing gas quite often (every half hour or so..) I will keep you posted!!
Well, I didn't think Ray's little mare was quite ready, but she popped out that beautiful pinto filly. And she was carrying high and tight too. So, we'll watch and wait. I may have to give up on guessing with these mares that hold these babies up so high!!
Give me an old saggy broodmare, and I'm right at home. But lately, with these "tight" mommas, I'm getting a bit confused on when things might happen,
She's looking great, though. And say hello to Freddy!!
I agree with you Diane, praise be for the waddling brood mares! LOL!! Although I have to admit that right now even my 'not even in foal' maiden mares look well advanced in 'pregnancy'!!
Then perhaps you will remember this picture of my 'not in foal' Nutty when even the vet was sure she would be delivering any minute!