Question for you breeders...

[MooreAcres]

Earlier this year, a friends mare lost a foal due to her placenta seperating a month too soon. The vet flushed her twice and said she was very clean considering. The mare has had numerous foals before and never had any issues.

Would you try breeding this mare again? If so, would you do anything special for her to reduce the chances of this happening again? What do you think caused this to happen in the first place?

Someone suggested giving her selenium shots during pregnancy, anyone have experience with this?

Thanks so much, Erin

 

[Joanne]

Erin when did the mare foal ?

When you say a month early, do you mean 310 days or ??

For miniatures they are able to have foals quite early and survive.

I would breed her again, but the management would depend on when she lost the foal.

 

[MooreAcres]

I'm not sure how many days the mare was in foal when she miscarried. I was just told she lost it about a month before she was due. The placenta was already coming out when the owner found her, so obviously the foal died. The foal seemed normal otherwise.

 

[Matt73]

Sounds like placenta previa (red bag), which can happen anytime (not, necessarily, a month early). As for experience with it...nope (knock on wood), but it can be a no issue if you're there to help...

 

[Jill]

If I were her, I'd ask the vet's opinion about breeding again but my hunch (which is not the most educated yet in this department) is that most people would breed her again and that she will probably do fine w/ the next pregnancy.

 

[Becky]

A foal loss would not keep me from breeding a mare again. More than likely, the mare had an infection causing her to lose the foal early(without knowing all the details). Flushing, infusing and systemic antibiotics would be warranted. A culture too would be advised. Once the mare is clean, no reason not to breed her back.

 

[Joanne]

This also could have been a normal term foal and just no one was there to break the bags and let it out.

A red bag requires quick intervention otherwise the foal is lost.