Surprise! We’re pregnant! First time poster

[HucklberryHollow]

Well...looks like we’re going to have a foal! The short story is that it appears that our handsome Pistol Pete isn’t sterile after all. (Severe colic, colic surgery, life threatening infection and lengthy recovery). Our cute little Taffy is going to be a first time mama - but when? Our vet confirmed her pregnancy through ultrasound on March 29th, but we have no idea when she was bred. So, here we are thinking every day is the day. Although she is a maiden mare, her udder seems really full and her belly really low. Any ideas? 

 

[Magic Marker Miniatures]

I would say you are very close.

Can you get any fluid out of her bag. If should be thick and sticky.

 

[HucklberryHollow]

That’s great news Magic Marker! I haven’t messed with her udder much, but I did notice a small stream of whitish clear fluid came out onto the ground when I cleaned her udder crease two days ago. I have noticed the udder has stayed full all day for two days now and was full like bursting today. I’ll check it out tomorrow morning. At the moment she’s busy rubbing her shoulders and rump all over her “maternity ward” stall. She seems to pick something every night from the “signs of impending foaling” list and then try them out between 2 am and 7am. Then she goes down for a long sleep. I really appreciate that lol! 

 

[Ryan Johnson]

I also agree you dont have much time either , the fact the udder is staying full now makes her very close.

All the rubbing are also great signs , just keep a close eye on her, with an udder like that your only days away

Best of luck !!

 

[HucklberryHollow]

Just checked on our girl and tonight there is a sticky fluid, kind of clear faint yellowish tinge. Sticky enough to feel tacky when pulling your finger off the fluid. Also on one teat a small yellowish round bit of something stuck to my finger  - I’d say the size of a bread crumb. Udder has stayed full and firm all day.  A little bit of swelling on her belly in front of the udder. Foal must have been tap dancing on the bottom of her belly as her udder was bouncing up and down lol! There is a nice storm brewing, maybe tonight is the night?

 

[Magic Marker Miniatures]

I would keep a very close eye on her. Sounds like tonight she may add a addition to your herd.

 

[HucklberryHollow]

Update - tested tonight with ph strip got a reading of  7.5 so I guess we have a little more time. Udder is still staying full and tight all day and evening. Milk was clear and sticky. Any info on how fast the ph reading can change? Just wondering if it gradually gets lower or can there be a drastic change. The learning curve is huge when it comes to these mini pregnancies lol!

 

[Magic Marker Miniatures]

They can take time or change in hours.

I kbow some people check every few hours because it can go from not ready to ready in just a hour.

 

[Magic Marker Miniatures]

Any updates?

 

[HucklberryHollow]

Update - No change in the ph, but I can barely get enough to put on the test strip. She is a maiden mare, not sure if that makes a difference. She is usually trying to bite my scalp at the time lol! What I do get is sticky and clear with little “crumbs” of something kind of hard. I clean her udder daily so I don’t think it’s dirt. Udder still stays firm feeling all the time. There is a little more swelling in front of the udder you may can see it in the pictures. Her belly is really low and sides are flat looking. She rolls everyday and scratches her legs with her back hooves like crazy. She rubs her shoulders and belly all over her foaling stall and has periods of some serious rump rubbing as well. I see less and less movement from the foal which I hope is normal as I guess they run out of room. I think her rump looks kind of pointy. I was so hoping the full moon and barometric pressure change would bring on labor, but maybe it’s just not time. It’s so hard since we don’t know when she was covered.  These pics are from this evening. Not a great one of the udder. She was not having any of it tonight lol! Oh, I do think vulva is a darker pinkish red, but didn’t really want to post a pic since it’s not really a pleasant sort of picture. Thanks for checking on her!  

 

[Mona]

Those little crystals you are feeling/getting from her teats is what people refer to as "wax".  It is the colostrum leaking out slowly then crystalies when it hits the air.  GOOD LUCK!  Shouldn't be long now! 

 

[chandab]

If it's wax, I had a foal within 2 hours of noticing wax, but I'm not sure how long the wax was forming before I noticed it.

 

[HucklberryHollow]

Do maiden mares have false labor? From 5:30am to 7am Taffy looked like she might be in labor. Huffing and puffing, bumping her belly with her nose, ears laid back, no good morning whinny, didn’t get up, didn’t look for breakfast, didn’t want to be turned out, grunting, tail flicking and then it stopped. She then spent the whole evening rubbing her butt on the foaling stall so hard she’s ripped hair out of her tail and while she does this she shakes her head like she’s gone crazy.  She has rubbed fur off her shoulders too. Is all this intense itching and scratching normal for late pregnancy? Tonight pH went down a little, “milk” droplets are clear and sticky. She looks very mad to me lol! Oh, is this little one ever coming? These pics are from this morning...pure miserable...poor girl  

 

[HucklberryHollow]

My daughter posted this on Facebook - so funny I had to share! I hope the video link works it is hilarious! 

Hi, my name is Taffy and I am addicted to false labor...
- full udders
- swelling in front of teats
- milk production 
- rolling
- butt scratching
- belly biting
- tail switching 
- excessive itching
- grunting, sighing
- holding my breath
- restlesness
- agitation
...but I'm actually never letting this foal out!

 

[Magic Marker Miniatures]

The foal may have been getting moved around and she didn't like it.

I know your pain. It's called a mare for ya. They will drive you nuts and when you are ready to pull your hair out; they deliver.

 

[HucklberryHollow]

Woo hoo! Tonight we’re about 6.8 on the pH milk test! When I brought her in from her turnout she couldn’t even get through the stall door before she started trying to rub her butt on the gate. Maybe we are going to see this baby soon!

 

[Zergling]

I hope your foal comes soon. Excited to see the photos.

My mare, her and our first foal was a completely different experience. She was running a few weeks overdue and still no obvious signs of impending birth. Her udder barely filled out. Started to think we had misjudged her conception date or something. Came out in the AM to feed and water them and everything was as it always was. Came out again a few hours later and baby Coral was standing there nursing. Just like that. Mildly sad we missed the experience but very happy that it was so easy for them both.