Question for those who have Experience with Maidens

[Tapestry Minis]

Hi Everyone!

This is my first year foaling out a maiden mare so I'm keeping a real close watch on her. Every time I reach under to feel her bag she gets real antsy and picks her foot up as if to knock my hand away. She doesn't try and kick me just as if to say...."Ummm what are you doing...get your mitts off that!"

I'm a little concerned that she may push the baby away once it tries to nurse. Anyone else have a maiden like this? How was your outcome??

Thanks!

 

[Magic]

I seem to have at least one maiden mare foaling every year here. I am very insistent on checking bags on all of my mares, several times a day if need be when they get closer to foaling, and checking the color and consistency of their milk as well, so my maiden mares just have to get used to it. Some take to it with no problem-- either they have been shown and are used to being thoroughly handled everywhere (gotta wash completely when bathing!) or are just not ticklish or overly "private". But those that don't like it, I start slowly: start by giving her belly rubs, or scratches, if she likes that. I slowly work my way back to her udder, and at first just touch it and then take my hand away. Each time I keep my hand there longer, and I don't take it away until she is behaving. If she is raising her leg, etc, I scold her and wait until her leg is back on the ground before removing my hand. Before long they are amenable to me cleaning them up and checking out their progress.

I know that some mares that object to being touched in the udder area do fine when they actually have a foal-- instincts and all of that-- but I also know people who did not desensitize their mares and the mares refused to let their foals nurse. One, I went over to help and we had to tie the mare, hold up one leg, and pin her to the wall so that the foal could nurse. The mare refused to let him nurse without all of that, and she didn't get any better. The foal didn't make it.

 

[caity2772]

Yikes that's scary. Just thought I'd add my two cents.. I had a maiden mare two years ago who wasn't too keen on having her bag touched. She turned out to be an excellent mother, very caring and protective.

 

[Tapestry Minis]

Thank you for the info Magic....I would scold her but she is very skittish and I've been trying to work with her for a year now. She's been with my other girls who don't mind if I walk up to them but this one has always been the type to stay just out of reach. So I'm afraid if I were to scold her it would just put me that further behind on getting her to trust me. Any ideas?

 

[Suzie]

IBut those that don't like it, I start slowly: start by giving her belly rubs, or scratches, if she likes that. I slowly work my way back to her udder, and at first just touch it and then take my hand away. Each time I keep my hand there longer, and I don't take it away until she is behaving. If she is raising her leg, etc, I scold her and wait until her leg is back on the ground before removing my hand. Before long they are amenable to me cleaning them up and checking out their progress.

We had two maiden mares here this year. I do exactly as above too. I was worried about one- she was very Private- no touching at all. We started 2 months early with her doing as above too. She foaled out textbook, and she loves being touched by the foal and nursed.

Just keep it up- slow and steady and you should get them "desensitized" by foaling.

Best of luck!

 

[lvponies]

I had a maiden last year who did exactly what your mare is doing. When I would go to check her udder, she would lift her leg and give me a dirty look!!! Once her colt was born, she was absolutely fine with his nursing and was a great mom.

 

[Magic]

Ah, a scaredy-cat type! I've had those too.

:

A good way to deal with this is during feeding time-- give her what she likes best (mine love their beet pulp/hay pellet meal) and while she is busy eating, start just on her belly, where she doesn't object. Over time, move your hand back just a tiny bit (while rubbing or scratching, if she likes that). It's good to have a halter on her if she is really skittish. This will take days, and maybe even weeks, to really see any progress, because you want to go slowly enough that you don't spook her. If she enjoys being groomed, I'd start with that. Everything very very slowly.

I don't mean to panic you (or anyone else) about a mare that isn't desensitized about her udder. Obviously wild mustangs don't have anyone checking THEIR udders and somehow those mares do just fine with nursing their foals.

: It's just so much easier on a mare to have one less thing to worry about after foaling, so in essence you are helping to "destress" her about her udder being touched. And, you will be able to keep track of her progress as she nears foaling if you can touch her udder.

 

[FoRebel]

At the moment I have a mare in foal that is an experienced mom and she does the same thing to me. When I feel her bag she kicks at my hand and tries to nip at me.

:

 

[Margaret]

My experience with 2 maiden mares this foaling season..

One "skittish type" mare that is sorta new at my farm-does not mind me checking out her utters as long as I go about it starting at the belly and slowly working my way to them. As a matter of fact she tucks in her belly for me..

: (still waiting for her baby)

The other mare is a "friendly as you can get type mare"- has a pet peave abt being touched in that area.. Although I worked slowly when I went to check them, she usually went into a tail swishing antsy dance..

She foaled out a little filly this year, and was a very good mom- from the get go.

Sometimes when the foal would latch on, at the beginning, the mare would squeal out in discomfort, but "always allowed the foal access" to nurse anyway. She finally got to the point where it did not hurt and is a textbook mom.

I think the personality of the mare does not always indicate if she will be touchy in that area..

 

[Miniv]

Even some of my pros don't appreciate the hand down there........but giving them belly skritches helps.

I think you'll find that when the foaling happens, instinct will kick in 99 percent of the time.

:

MA

 

[Tapestry Minis]

Thank you everyone for your experiences. I will keep working with her and hope for the best.

 

[Gena]

I have had maidens and experienced mares that didn't like the bag checks - I too just started scratching their tummys and made my way slowly to check their bags on the more sensitive mares - I feel as long as you stay consistant with your checks she will soon get used to it.

:lol: I have to share a cute story - we had a maiden one year that was extra sensitive about her bag being touched and we had concerns - well as long as I live I will not forget what she did when her filly was born - for the first day or so when her filly would start to nurse she would let out a loud WEEEEEEEE but would not move an ounce, stood like a statue :new_rofl: - the cutest thing I have ever seen with a maiden - she is to this day a wooooonderful mama and loves her babies

:

I hope all goes wonderful with your maiden and you will be sharing a beautiful foal with us soon!

:

 

[Michelle@wescofarms]

We've had maiden mares that were like that pre-foaling that were super mom's from the beginning, and we've had a few that needed convincing!

The worst one we had to physically restrain by tying her to the fence to milk her/let the foal nurse. Once she realized the foal was releaving the pressure on her bag not adding to the problem she was fine. I've never had one flat refuse a foal though.

As a rule with maidens, we always milk off the first colustrum and feed the foal. This helps with the mares that want to look at the baby not let it nurse. One last year was like that, (of course in the middle of the night and it was freezing cold) but she took to nursing and motherhood, and was a nuisance helper by trying to get in with every other new mom to help with their baby and also let other foals sneak a drink too throughout foaling season!

 

[StarRidgeAcres]

Great thread! I don't have any maiden mares this year, but I will next year. This has been very helpful!

 

[Latika]

This is a great thread, i dont have any maidens but have just bought a yearling that i plan to breed, so all this info is excellent!!

A little off topic - but at what age do you normally start breeding the mares? i know with big horses 3 is the earliest (folaing down at 4yrs) but alot still breed at 2 to foal down at 3yrs, is it same with mini's or is optimal to wait until they are older?

 

[Tapestry Minis]

This is a great thread, i dont have any maidens but have just bought a yearling that i plan to breed, so all this info is excellent!!

A little off topic - but at what age do you normally start breeding the mares? i know with big horses 3 is the earliest (folaing down at 4yrs) but alot still breed at 2 to foal down at 3yrs, is it same with mini's or is optimal to wait until they are older?

I prefer to wait till they are three....just my preference....The maiden I have now is actually 5 this year. Got her in Dec of 05 at 3. Bred her in 06 when she was 4. Very excited for these foals as they will be our first "Phantom" foals!!!! :aktion033: :aktion033:

 

[REO]

I've always gone in from between the back legs to feel the udders. My fillies are raised with me rubbing and itching their buns. As time goes by, I go lower and lower to itch the inner thighs and feel udders. When that goes well (they love it and ask for more!) Then I pet on them from the side, starting on the lower inner thigh and working my way up towards the inner thigh. Some can be ticklish in the flanks. Each time I stop while they are liking it. And I do more each time.

I make it "feel good" to be touched so. And I make sure my hands are warm LOL!

Once they don't mind their udders handled and also the inner flanks from the side, that's it.

I have not raised all the girls we have so I do the same thing to the maiden fillies we have bought.

My mare Tango, if I stand behind her and reach under and itch both thighs at the same time, she tries to do the splits! She LOVES it!

 

[Lucky-C-Acres-Minis]

It's not that she's scared, she just has NO idea what the heck is going on! lol I mean how would you feel if you were contently doing what so ever and someone came and did it to you!?! :new_shocked: :new_rofl: :new_rofl: LOL Take your time like others said, get her used to you rubbing her belly/flanks and gradually work your way to her udder.. I've already started with the yearling filly we're keeping, we plan on breeding her when she comes of age, so I've already started working with her on her flank/udder that way she's not ticklish and is used to being handled there, also makes for easier clipping of belly/flanks because they're used to your touch..

Our first mare due HATED to have her flank/udder touched, and I got a little worried too because I didn't want her to do it to her foal, but as she moves along in her pregnancy and is getting closer (we're a month away from her 300) she doesn't mind it at all! I can freely check her udder without her getting upset like before and her raising a hind foot when I checked.. I have no doubt she will be fine for her foal now.

 

[Jean_B]

Same here, like some of the others have said.

Those of you who are mothers....remember how your belly ITCHED ??? I mean, to the point that you were going CRAZY??? Well, so does the mare's.

So with my maidens (usually have one or two every year)...and the old ones because they LOVE it...I start out scratching their side and move to the biggest part of their belly, scratching HARD. Pretty soon that lip is flipping around because it feels sooooo good. (the old girls know what's coming and stand there begging to have their bellies scratched) Then I work my way back, still scratching. As I get closer to their udder, I don't scratch as hard. The first few times I might not even touch the udder. I want her to totally trust me -- so I start doing this at a few months before due. When I get to the udder, I just rub lightly (again, girls....remember....that area is sensitive, right?????)

But even if you have a mare that just won't let you do it, mother nature (usually) has a way of kicking her brain into accepting the foal.

As far as complications during foaling for maidens....I keep a supply of oxytocin on hand, just in case a mare doesn't let her colostrum/milk down. If not sure when/how to administer this -- this is something you need to discuss with your vet.

 

[HGFarm]

We have had maidens and others alike. We have had seasoned mares that did NOT like you messing with their bag or were cranky about it. Have never had one not want the foal though and all went well. Dont worry!!