Submitted by Tiffany in Oklahoma on January 2, 2002:
Do you recommend cutting the umbilical cord or letting it detach on its own? If you recommend cutting it, then how far away from the foal should you cut it? Thanx so much
Dear Tiffany,
I recommend letting the umbilical cord break on its own. There are circumstances under which I will cut an umbilical cord, but with a normal foaling it is best to let it break on its own. If you have to cut it for some reason, cut it about two to three inches from the foal's belly, then be sure it doesn't bleed. The vet may have to trim it, but it's better to cut it a little too long than to cut it too short.
Hope this helps.
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Submitted by Winona in California on January 4, 2002:
We have an 8 year old quarter horse mare who is about due in May. When will be able to see or feel the foal moving?
Dear Winona,
This varies greatly from mare to mare, but about eight months or so seems to be average. Try feeling while and just after the mare eats or drinks.
Hope this helps.
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Submitted by Catherine in Texas on January 5, 2002:
How common is it for a NOT pregnant mare to bag and have fluid coming from her udder? She was bred, but either absorbed or didn't take and she is older (16 now) with previous foals. Not a big tummy at all. Just had a feed change from pasture with alfalfa and a 12% feed to coastal hay, Equine Senior, and dehydrated alfalfa. I was cleaning between her nipples and when I pulled on one I got a huge stream of clear fluid. Calling vet tomorrow and she already has a checkup scheduled for February 4, but if you happen to read this before then comments or ideas would be great! Very strange...
Dear Catherine,
The fluid in the mare's udder could be due to the feed change or is possibly a hormone imbalance. It's not all that uncommon in mares as they gain some age. I'm sure your vet will be able to help.
Thanks for writing.
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Submitted by Denise in Texas on January 5, 2002:
I plan on breeding my mare this Spring (she did not stick last Spring). Is it alright for her to graze on winter wheat, an acquaintance of mine said it will make the foal too big for normal delivery, is this true????????? He said he has had several problems with his brood mares and the foals were too big for normal delivery so he took them off of the wheat and no more problems. Thanks again for your time
Dear Denise,
I don't know. I haven't heard anything about winter wheat one way or the other, but I doubt that any feed would make a foal grow too big. That's pretty much decided by genetics, not feed. Interesting, though.
Take care.
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Submitted by Julia in Iowa on January 10, 2002:
I have heard that feeding moldy hay to horses can cause colic and abortion in a pregnant mare. I have hay that looks really good... but doesn't quite smell right. We have a pregnant Clydesdale mare coming and am wondering if this hay is safe to feed to her... Our other horses are eating this hay... but are not enthusiastic about it. It's alfalfa, clover and orchard grass mix. How often does moldy hay cause abortion? Is there a strong chance of abortion if you feed questionable hay? I'm not even sure there is mold in this hay - I've looked and can't see any evidence of it but I trust my horse's noses more than my nose or eyes. And the way they act... makes me suspicious. Thanks in advance!
Dear Julia,
Yes, moldy hay can cause abortion and colic, very serious and sometimes deadly colic. So if you have ANY reason to think the hay may be moldy, don't feed it! Much better to be safe than sorry.
Hope this helps.
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Submitted by Megan in Oklahoma on January 12, 2002:
My brother just recently bought two mares in foal. One due end of Mar, the other end of May. He is so generously going to give me one of the foals! We are all first timers to foaling and coming across your Advice Column has been a God send. Thank you! I've learned so much reading the posts. My brother had a question. He is wanting to do round pen work with the new mares to establish a relationship with them. Is this wise to do in their condition? Also when should they be separated before the first mare is due to foal? They do not like being separated and so is this too stressful for them right now to be separated while one is in the round pen? Thank you so very much for taking the time to read and answer these questions. We are all looking forward to a great experience with these mares.
Dear Megan,
Thank you for your kind words about the column! The mares don't need to be kept separate until the first one looks like she is ready to deliver. It's fine to do round pen work with them as long as it isn't too strenuous--getting them really hot and sweaty if they aren't used to it wouldn't be good. It's also fine to separate them for round pen work. They might get upset but as long as they don't get terribly agitated, they'll get over it.
Enjoy the whole experience!
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Submitted by Audra in Oklahoma on January 17, 2002:
I am having trouble finding info on foal cataracts. How do you know if a foal may have cataracts? Is it genetic? We have had two other foals from the same dam and sire without cataracts. If you could tell me anything or give me advice as to where to look for more info I would appreciate it. Thank You!
Dear Audra,
Usually if a foal has cataracts, you can see them. Have you tried searching the internet for foal cataracts? I would think there should be info available. Yes, cataracts can have a hereditary component.
Hope you find some info.
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Submitted by Trina in Alabama on January 19, 2002:
I have a question. I was in the barn this morning and my racking mare went into labor. This was her first foal and we left her alone for a little bit and she was at the wall laying down. We called the vet and he said to help her but the foal would not come out and after we did get it out it had already died on Jan 19, 2002 at 10:30 this morning. And Jan 25 we have another foal due what can i do to keep this foal alive and well and not let it get stuck.
Dear Trina,
There is nothing you can do to keep a foal from getting stuck, but you can help the mare if one does get stuck. If the foal isn't progressing, it's okay to take hold of its front legs, above the ankles, and pull when the mare pushes. Also, if a mare lies down too close to a wall, get her up and make her try again.
Hope this helps.
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Submitted by Carol in New York on January 21, 2002:
A mare I was given had been given Regumate to get her ready for breeding by the owner. When the vet came out to check her over to be sure she was ready to be bred, the vet and the owner got a surprise in that the mare was already in foal. Seems she was in a pasture briefly with a yearling waiting to be gelded. The mare is now with me for as long as I wish and is due to foal March 3, 2002. My question to you is: Is there any problem with giving Regumate to an already pregnant mare?
Dear Carol,
No problem with a pregnant mare getting Regumate. Quite a few need it to stay pregnant and if they don't need it, it won't hurt anything.
Good luck!
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Submitted by Lori in California on January 21, 2002:
Hi Theresa! Soooo happy you have a website. I'll be ordering a copy of your Complete Book of Foaling Manual, but I have a question that maybe isn't unique to you but I'm concerned about what to do. My 8 year old quarter horse mare is 9 months into her pregnancy (her first) and is doing quite well. I am in the process of setting up her stall (which she hates!!!) that has access to a large dirt paddock. I have started feeding her in there to help make her more comfortable, but she is so worried about everyone else as she is the alpha mare that when I close her in she is so stressed!!!, even jumping up and crashing into the gate. I worry about too much stress or her hurting herself. I sure don't want her foaling in the dirt!! What should I do?? When the time comes will she not care about being in a stall?? I'm also thinking she'll probably turn 180 degrees and not want any of the other horses any where near her. I'm probably overthinking this but I'd feel better having some advice from an expert. Thank you!! Can't wait for your book to arrive.
Dear Lori,
I think your gut instinct is correct--when the mare gets close to foaling she will want to be by herself and won't mind being in the stall. In the meantime, do whatever makes her happy. But I'm sure I don't need to tell you that!
Keep us updated on how things go.
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Submitted by Dawn in Arizona on January 22, 2002:
Hi, I have a question regarding the eating habits of my pregnant mare. She is within her tenth month. Her 345th day is March 10th. I have read several places that it is very important that the pregnant mare receive feed that is high in nutrition during her last trimester. We started her on a feed that is created for pregnant mares in their last trimester as well as lactating mares. We started giving this particular feed about mid Dec. It is an alfalfa based pellet. I have owned this mare for 2 years and we have always fed pellets. She has always eaten everything we gave her, never been an overly picky eater. Meanwhile, we board some other horses that receive alfalfa hay morning and night. As a treat, we like to give my mare a little of the hay as she loves it. Lately, the past week) she won't touch the pellets and only eats the hay. We typically don't give her very much hay and her primary diet was always the pellets. She liked the pellets up until now. I am concerned now that she is not getting the proper nutrients that are in the pellets. She is not underweight by any means but it concerns me that the baby is not getting the nutrients in the pellets. Her teeth are fine and she isn't showing any symptoms out of the ordinary. I have also read that the mare's eating behaviors often change as they get closer to their due date. Although it is only an average, the projected due date is still more than a month away (3/10/02) unless you count the 320th day which is Feb 13th. My worry about her new found eating habit is increasing each day. Should I just continue to feed the hay? What about all those needed vitamins? She does not have a nice green pasture, only a fenced arena. Her only feed comes from us morning an night. Is the lack of interest in her regular food normal this far from the due date? This is the first baby for us both. Sorry to be so long winded, I like provide as much detail as possible in hopes for a more complete answer. Again, thanks for such a wonderful site.
Dear Dawn,
Mares can change their eating habits drastically when they are pregnant. I have known several mares that, for reasons known only to them, stop eating pellets in late pregnancy then as soon as they foal, they'll gobble them up like they did before. I've also know ones that wouldn't eat pellets when they were empty, but would eat them like crazy when they are in foal. Who knows why they do some of the things they do?! :-) But don't worry. The alfalfa is good for the mare and if she really needs the pellets, she'll eat them. You should have a mineral block available to her but other than that, I wouldn't worry about it.
Hope this helps.
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Submitted by Cathy in Minnesota on January 22, 2002:
I have a 16 year old maiden arabian mare that was pregnant, pasture breed. I thought she was due any day (sept 01) so I was cleaning out her bed and found an aborted four month old fetus buried in the straw. The fetus was not a mummy. I insisted that the vet come out to check her. The vet checked the mare saying that her cervix was closed and would take a culture. The culture showed a yeast infection. The vet said the mare wouldn't be able to be breed due to this infection. The mare has remained the size of a tank since that time and is very moody. Before all of this, the mare looked like a five year old in excellent shape. I have talked to many horse people and have tried to research this to no avail. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you
Dear Cathy,
You mare needs to be treated, whether or not you ever try to breed her again. Yeast infections can be very difficult to treat, but treatment needs to be done. If the vet won't treat her, then my advice is to get another opinion. You might search the internet (especially the sites of vet schools) for info on yeast infections.
Sorry for the loss of the foal!
Follow up by Cathy on May 22, 2002:
I wrote to you earlier this spring about about my two mares; the older one (Lucy) that aborted her fetus and was found to have a yeast infection and the newly purchased mare (Ma Belle) that was pregnant to deliver in May. I purchased both of your books and have enjoyed and appreciated all the wonderful information and pictures. I had the foaling kit ready for action. We have a beautiful healthy filly (Goldie). She was born at 1 P.M. May 20th. I missed the event by 20-30 minutes as Belle didn't indicate she was ready to do her thing. I think she planned it that way! She knew what she was doing as this is her fourth baby, but her first filly which is exactly what we hoped for. During the four months that we owned her, I had made sure that Belle was fed plenty of nutrients and TLC. It sure shows in Goldie's health and Belle is glowing. Goldie has been up and going strong since she came into this world. You would never know that she is only two days old. Thanks again for your informative site.
Dear Cathy,
Thank you so much for the wonderful news! I'm so glad everything went well with the birth of the new filly. What happened with the yeast infection?
Congrats again!
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Submitted by Lynne in Alberta, Canada on January 23, 2002:
I have an Arabian maiden 8 year old mare bred every other day from March 6-14/2001 and I was wondering why all the information I have read suggests calculating the "possible" due date from the last day the mare was covered? Is it unlikely, therefore, that a mare will settle on the first breeding? I have enjoyed your column and learned a lot from it, Thank you!
Dear Lynne,
The approximate due date is calculated from the day of the last cover because that's most likely the one that was closest to when the mare ovulated, and therefore, that's the one at which conception occurred. Mares generally go out of heat within several hours after they ovulate. So yes, it is unlikely that a mare will get in foal from a breeding early in the heat cycle, especially if that cycle lasts as long as your mare's did. Many mares get in foal on a first and only cover, but only if that breeding is timed to correlate with ovulation.
Hope this helps.
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Submitted by Cathy in Florida on January 24, 2002:
Just found your spot and love it! I have two mares due this spring. One is a TW and the other is a 1/2 Arab. The TW I had utrasounded and was confirmed at 18 days. I never had her rechecked so now I'm going through the .."is she still in foal"..thoughts? She is a 16 years and the year before having her bred she was kicked in the head and almost died. She still has a few problems chewing hay...I have her on Mare and Foal, keep plenty of good costal in front of her and supplement with beat pulp twice a day. She has always been on the thin side, the vet thought she looked okay. But then the others I have are BLUGAS. Her due date is March 6th. I have yet to feel a foal move or I don't know what I'm feeling for or where to feel? She does have a milk vein (I think)....and two definite bulges in front of her bag. I guess what I'm asking is just where to put my hand to feel for movement? The other mare is very much in foal and looks it. She is due a month after the TW mare (who isn't anywhere as big as the 1/2 arab, of course the TW mare is very small and long backed). These will be my first foals on the ground and I'm a nervous wreck. Thanks so much for any help.
Dear Cathy,
It could just be the difference in mares between the two. Some mares don't show as much as others. Try feeling for foal movement right in front of the mare's stifle, or a little below, and feel while and right after the mare eats. If you still can't tell, there is always getting a vet out to take a look at her.
Hope she's in foal!
Follow up by Cathy on January 26, 2002:
Hi Theresa.....I wrote earlier asking for the spot easiest to feel foal movement. WOW...I found it, with your help! I was a little worried that she had slipped. As she is so much smaller then my mare that is a due a month after her. The movement was large and almost a rolling feeling. It started higher up under the ribs and continued down to a little before the stifle....Her foaling date is 38 days away.....I'm so very excited!
Hi Cathy,
Good news! We'll be waiting to hear about your new foal.
Follow up by Cathy on January 28, 2002:
First I would like to say, your column is a godsend. I am drawn to it like a moth to a flame. I have yet another question, this one on the relaxation around my mare's hindquarters. Would this be on either side of her croup. I'm beginning to feel and see (I think....lol) a hollowing on either side of her tail? Is this the right spot I should be looking at? It is kind of hard to describe, but I can almost put my fist in a depression on either side? She has 32 day left of calculated gestation. Thanks again
Dear Cathy,
That's exactly what you're looking for! Let us know when the new baby arrives and thanks for the kind words,
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Submitted by Dana in California on January 25, 2002:
First I am so glad I found this site! My mare is a 6yr old TB and this is her first. She has been dripping colostrum for about 4 days. Please understand I had to look the word up that's how new I am at this. In talking with a friend he said this could be a problem for the colt. What kind of problem is the first question. Second question, is this a normal happening? I have called the vet and he has not returned my calls and that's making me even more nervous. She is being kept outside so she is walking around and drinking water and eating. I am going to start to bring her in at night to a birthing stall. Is that wise to do? As I am sure you can tell I am a totally nervous twit. But I just want to do the best for her. Thanks again for this great site. I only wish you lived next door.
Hi Dana,
I don't think you are a nervous twit! I think it's great that you're asking questions. It isn't really "normal" for mares to drip colostrum for that long, but it happens quite frequently. It doesn't mean that anything is wrong. However, your friend is correct that this can cause problems for the foal. The reason is that foals are born without immunity to anything, including bacteria found naturally in the environment all the time. The way the foal gets this necessary immunity is through its mother's colostrum, which contains the antibodies it needs to survive. A foal will not survive without either its mother's colostrum or a colostrum replacement. Since your mare has dripped colostrum for a long period of time, you need make sure a vet sees the foal when it is about 12 hours old and does an IgG test to determine if the foal is lacking antibodies. If it is, the vet can give it a colostrum replacement. It is absolutely essential that the foal be checked for antibody levels. If the vet you've been using isn't returning your calls, it may be time to contact another vet. It's good to bring the mare inside at night so you can more easily keep a watch on her.
Please let us know how everything goes.
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Submitted by Molly in Washington on January 27, 2002:
I purchased my Quarter Horse mare from a race trainer. She ran at Santa Anita. After a successful barrel career, I have bred her to our stallion. She was sutured at the track and I had to open her up some to breed her. My question is this: Should I open her more before she foals or should I let her tear? I'm not sure where her natural opening ends and her suture scars start! The vet thought she'd need to be opened, but I'm reluctant to cut on her if I can avoid it! Any thoughts or related cases? (I am a vet tech, and do a lot of my own care, within reason, of course!!). Thank you for your time!
Dear Molly,
The mare needs to be opened, not allowed to tear. If they are allowed to tear, it's usually a mess. If you aren't sure how far to open her, have a vet do it this time so you can see where to stop cutting.
Hope this helps.
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Submitted by Mike in Indiana on January 28, 2002:
I started my own small breeding operation in the Spring of 2001. Now I'm anxiously waiting for my fist babies. I have not had horses for several years, and must confess that I've not had any of my horses shots updated. My mares range in pregnancy from 6 months to 7 1/2 months. Is it too late to bring them current, or should I wait until after they foal now? I love your advice column, and have really enjoyed reading up on different peoples problems. I've learned a lot already, and look forward to this foaling season. Thank you,
Dear Mike,
You need to at least give the mares rhino shots, then bring them up to date on their regular vaccinations about six weeks to two months before they are due to foal. Best bet would be to establish yourself with a vet, if you haven't already.
Good luck on a successful season.
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Submitted by Levi in South Dakota on January 28, 2002:
Hello, I stumbled across your page here and I think this may be the perfect spot to find out what I need. Anyway, I have a paint mare that is at 7 months of pregnancy and this is her first foal. Well, I was wondering if I should be able to visually tell if she is bred? I haven't had her ultra sounded or checked, but shouldn't at 7 months be able to tell at sight? Shouldn't there be a bulge by this time? Anyway, any info will be greatly appreciated....thanks.....
Dear Levi,
It may be difficult to tell on some mares at seven months whether or not they are pregnant. That would depend on body style, physical condition, etc. Since your mare is a first-timer, it could be particularly difficult to tell with her just by looking. So, she could be in foal. If you want to know for sure, the best way is always to have a vet palpate her.
Hope this helps.
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Submitted by Shannon in Michigan on February 5, 2002:
Hi, my mare is pregnant and due in about three weeks. The last few days her teats have been extremely itchy and last night my husband was rubbing her to relieve the itch when he noticed that one (the one that is still quite flat) appeared to express a drop of blood! We are having the vet out tomorrow, but any advice or info would be appreciated, we are quite worried about her and the foal.
Dear Shannon,
Not to worry. This is quite normal. It seems that as the udder prepares to lactate, the canals opening to the outside begin to stretch and that sometimes causes some bleeding. Many times after this blood is noticed, the mare will shortly begin to wax.
Hope this helps.
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Submitted by Rose in Arkansas on February 7, 2002:
Just a quick question, I know you are covered up, especially at this time of year. My TWH mare is only 282 days today. She carried her last foal for 329 days. When would you recommend having her caslicks removed? Also, I visited a web site that stated a foal could be born safely anywhere from 305 to 365 days. I thought 305 was very early and not safe. What are your thoughts on this? So far, this pregnancy is going well and I'm hoping for a nice safe delivery. Thank you again for your time and please let me know what you think.
Hi Rose,
Caslick's are usually opened two to four weeks before the mare's due date, or earlier if signs of an earlier delivery are present. I would calculate from when she foaled last time. I know some people say foals can be born safely at 305 days. That has not been my experience. I have found that foals born before 310 days generally have a very slim chance to survive, and some born 310-320 can be pretty iffy. The only exception I know of that regularly breaks that time frame is miniature foals. They seem to be routinely born early and do just fine.
Glad everything is going okay. Keep me updated.
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Submitted by Mary Lou in Tennessee on February 8, 2002:
Hi, I have a similar question to one of the ones posted on the column. My mare is a 14 year old Arabian who has had two live foals in the past, born here while I was present to assist - everything went normally. She has aborted and then been barren 2 or three years in between times. The mare is currently in foal again, and she first bagged up 3 weeks ago. I'm not sure of the exact due date this time because I pasture bred her with my stallion. My question is two-fold. First I can't remember how long generally from the first "bagging up" I can expect delivery. There's a tiny amount of waxing on one teat, but no milk dripping yet. Her udder looks full aside from that. The second part to my quesiton is that she's HUGE bellied right now and seems to be carrying her foal lower this time than before. She has an edema- a pouch of what seems to be fluid between her front legs that is about palm sized and hanging a couple of inches down. It seems to extend back toward where the swell of the belly begins. She's eating and going to the bathroom normally, and doesn't appear to be in pain. She doesn't want me to touch it but then I think she's tired of me poking and prodding at her anyway and she walks off. Is the swelling evidence that something may have ruptured or is this likely just a fluid build up due to poor circulation and her belly size or age? It doesn't appear to be anything relating to a mammary edema. she is turned out in a paddock area with free access to her stall. I'm feeding 1/2 bale Orchard Grass hay, and about 6-7 pounds of mixed grain/pellet 14% sweet feed with 1 pound alfalfa pellets and a mare plus supplement and 2 cup flax seed and a dollop of corn oil all split into 3 feedings a day. Water is in constant supply. I didn't give her grain this morning only her hay wondering if that might affect a change in the swelling. Would hand walking her for a while make any difference you think? Any thoughts? Neither of us are beginners at this but it's the first time I've seen her have this "pouch" thing. I'm very attached to this mare and anything different worries me. I check on her several times a day and I note every little change.
Dear Mary Lou,
Mares generally foal an average of four weeks or so from when udder development begins, and since your mare is now waxing a little, it sounds as though she's pretty much on schedule. The edema you see is normal. It's part of the lymphatic system. I know it looks awful, and they do get sick of you poking at it, but it's almost never anything to worry about. A little hand walking wouldn't hurt, but probably won't help a whole lot. The good news is that this edema goes away fairly quickly after delivery. In most cases it is down significantly within several hours and is usually completely gone within a couple of days.
Good luck and be sure to let us know about your new foal.
Follow up by Mary Lou on February 21, 2002:
Hello Theresa and readers: I'm posting as a follow up to let everyone know that my mare delivered her third foal safe and sound at about 7 a.m. Teus. Feb. 12. It was a healthy red chestnut Morab colt with a blaze face, 3 stockings and a sock. We've imprinted the baby and he's very people friendly. The mare is doing great, the intact placenta came around 11 a.m. The pocket of edema I was concerned about was gone just a couple hours after the foal's birth and she's giving plenty of milk. The foal is already curious about his mom's grain and appears to be trying to lip at it. He's really a cutie and exploring everything. Thanks for the reassurance it helped having someone experienced to ask.
Dear Mary Lou,
Congratulations! And thanks so much for writing to let us know about your new baby!
Enjoy!
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Submitted by Karen in Oregon on February 16, 2002:
I just found your website today. It is great, and very informative. My question is this. This is my QH mare's 2nd pregnancy. Her first pregnancy she was pasture bred between Oct. 4th and Oct. 20th. She had a large beautiful colt on Sept 11th. We bred her again on March 3rd. She is now at 349 days, and still not acting like she's going to foal soon. She's huge, she bagged up about 3 weeks ago, but no waxing yet. Her last pregnancy, she stomped around and swished her tail a lot, and bit at her flank for a few days before foaling. She is doing none of that, but she's very tired all the time. She's sleeping a lot more than normal. I didn't have her pregnancy checked this time. She was covered only 1 time, but never went back into heat. I just figured if she was pregnant, great, but if she wasn't, we could always breed her again. Now I have read some things about false pregnancies, and am worried that maybe my mare isn't really pregnant. In false pregnancies, do mares get super huge? Our vet was out here about 3 weeks ago to geld a couple of horses, and thought she looked pregnant. I never questioned if she was or not until I read about someone else having a mare that had a false pregnancy. I guess I'm worried since this pregnancy is lasting so much longer than her first. If a mare is having a false pregnancy, will she get over it on her own, or does she need a shot or something? I'm giving her 3 more days, then will call the vet if she hasn't foaled. Thank you
Dear Karen,
Sounds to me like she's in foal. One thing to remember--since this is her second foal, last time was her maiden year, and many mares on the second foal don't do a thing like they did with the first. They know what it's all about so many don't show behavior signs like they did the first time. I'd say she just isn't ready yet.
Let us know.
Follow up by Karen on February 17, 2002:
I wrote to you 2 days ago, asking about false pregnancies. My 7 year old mare still has not foaled. She has been so cranky, and doesn't want me to even touch her. I put my hand on her belly this morning, and thought I felt something move, but she was so upset that I was touching her that I quit. Her nipples feel rock hard, and she has been rubbing her rear end on things, and holding her tail up a lot. Her vulva is elongated and swollen. It looks like it is opening a little, and about a week ago, she had a little blood dripping from it for a few days. I am planning on calling the vet tomorrow, (Monday), and make an appointment for him to come out. I don't know if false pregnancies have all these symptoms, but I will be so disappointed if she is not pregnant since I gelded my stud. I loved their first baby, and wanted one more out of them. Thank you,
Dear Karen,
With the signs your mare is showing, especially the slight bloody discharge, I really think she's in foal and this isn't a false pregnancy. Of course it's always good to have a vet take a look any time you're in doubt, but I think she's just not quite ready to foal yet.
Please let us know what you find out.
Follow up by Karen on February 23, 2002:
I just wanted to update you on my mare. She is now at 356 days. The vet was out today. He did a check just to make sure there was really a baby in there. He said that yes, there is definetly a very active foal in there, but didn't think that she would be foaling real soon. He said that her bag isn't completely full and he had to reach in pretty far to feel the foal. He said the foal felt like it was in the right position. He also said that since he is predicting that it won't be in the next couple of days, that she would probably have it tonight. I've been out at the barn, and she seems pretty calm. Occasional tail swishing, a stomp now and then, but mostly just eating. I wanted to tell you that I have learned so much on your forum. I have been reading on it every evening since I found your site, and even so, I am only on page 7. Still 13 pages to go. I wonder if I will be finished before the little one arrives. When I first got on here, I thought there was only one page. I was so excited when I found out there were 20. If people would read the pages before asking you questions, they probably wouldn't need to ask you too much of anything, since you cover so much information, over and over. By the time I am done reading all 20 pages, maybe my mind will have retained some of it. Thank you so much, Theresa, for dedicating so much time to this page.
Dear Karen,
Thanks much for the update on the mare. I'm sure having your vet out did a lot to ease your mind. Sounds like he's been around if he says that since he predicted it would be a while until she foals, she would probably foal that night. I like that! You'll have to keep us updated. Thanks so much for your observations on the column. It does my heart good to know that someone is actually reading it from beginning to end. You're right, there is a lot to learn there and if people would just take the time to read, I also believe most of their questions would be answered.
I hope that baby arrives before you get through the whole column! Please do let us know.
Follow up by Karen on March 2, 2002:
Just an update. We are now at day 363 and still no baby. It's so hard to wait. Today finally she is starting to show signs again that it will be soon. Her vulva started relaxing again last night and has had some discharge. Usually it will look like it's relaxing, then will tighten up again by the next morning, but this morning it was still relaxed and is still tonight. She doesn't look like she has dropped yet, but her bag is very full. No waxing up, but she didn't with her first pregnancy either. This morning she was pacing a lot in her stall, and when I put her out in her paddock, she was acting strange, pacing, and flipping her head around. The dog was on the outside of her fence, but I think she was upset he was there. Usually she doesn't pay attention at all to the dogs, even if they are in her pasture with her. This afternoon, while I was cleaning her stall, she was very agitated. She kept swishing her tail, stomping her feet, biting her sides, and going in circles. That lasted for about 15 minutes, but quit as soon as I put her in her stall with her evening grain and her hay. She ate for about an hour, then had a nap, and is now eating again. Her body keeps getting really tight, and some of the times it does that, she passes gas. Anyway, I don't think tonight will be the night. You can tell anyone that asks, a full moon does NOT work. I saw on your site that a few people had asked about it, and we had a huge full moon on her 361st day, but nothing happened. I still have 7 pages to read on your site, and I'm trying to hurry and get them read, because I'm sure Rosie is waiting for me to finish them before she foals. Oh well, thanks for listening. I guess misery loves company. Hope everything is going well for you.
Dear Karen,
Sure sounds like your wait should soon be over. Let us know! I agree with the full moon deal. If they are ready, they will foal. If they aren't, they won't.
Follow up by Karen on March 7, 2002:
It finally happened! My mare foaled on her 367th day, and I missed it. At midnight, she was calm, no signs of restlessness at all. I fell asleep but went out to check on her at 2:30 and there was a foal standing next to her, completely dry. She had a BIG colt that came complete with his top teeth (they are barely through though). The vet did a blood test on him and called today to say that the numbers were lower than he would like to see them. They were in the 400 to 600 range. Do you know what he meant? He said he wasn't too worried since my mare seems to have a lot of milk, and the baby seems so alert and healthy. Thank you again for this great site. It sure helped me while I waited for the big day. I still have 5 pages left to read, and still plan on finishing them because they are so informative.
Dear Karen,
Congratulations! I'm sorry you missed the delivery, but very happy that all went well. The numbers your vet was talking about is the IgG level--the level on antibodies in the foal's blood. It is best if the reading is 800 or higher. But most foals do just fine at the 400-600 level. It could also be that if the test had been taken a few hours later, the foal would have tested at 800 or more.
Congrats again and have fun with your new baby!
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Submitted by Mary Lou in New Jersey on February 16, 2002:
Hi, I have found your advice to be so useful in the past. This year we are expecting an early March delivery, which can still be quite cold in this area. In a previous post, you recommended a heat lamp - is there a source or type you could recommend that is safe to use in a barn? With all the combustible elements around, I always fear starting a fire. Thanks so much
Dear Mary Lou,
That's a very legitimate concern. I just use heat lamps like you can buy at Wal-Mart with a clip on light shield. As long as you put them up in an area where they aren't around straw, cobwebs, hay, and make sure the lamp is extended away from the wall and not pointed right on it, there shouldn't be a problem.
Good luck with your coming delivery.
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Submitted by Sherri in Texas on February 17, 2002:
This is not so much a foaling question, as a "get to the stallion" question. What suggestions do you have for safe trailering of mom and new baby going back to the stud farm? I have a 3-horse slant. Figured I'd take the partitions out and tie the mare up front. Bed with straw (too slick??) and head to town. New baby is quite a stinker with a very good aim with those hind legs, not too sure how I'm going to get him INSIDE the trailer either. Any advice?
Dear Sherri,
Foals will usually follow Mom into the trailer without a problem. If yours gives you a problem, he should be small enough for two people to cradle him and escort him into the trailer. Straw or sawdust is okay for hauling. Be careful about tying Mom up in the trailer unless you can partition her from the foal enough that he can't get to her rope. A couple of years ago, someone I know hauled a mare and foal to the breeder--nice big trailer, plenty of room. They arrived at the breeding farm to find that the foal had gotten Mom's rope around his neck and died. So either leave the mare loose or if it's a short trip, partition the foal away enough that he can't get caught in the rope.
Hope the mare gets right back in foal.
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Submitted by Leanne in Iowa on February 19, 2002:
I have a Thoroughbred mare, recently bred, who showed a 2 Progesterone level on blood test, and the stallion owner said it must show a 4 level to be reasonably safe in maintaining the pregnancy. The mare was started on Regumate right after the breeding, has been ultrasounded in foal twice. Will I have to keep this mare on Regumate her entire pregnancy? Thank you!
Dear Leanne,
Most mares can go off Regumate between 100-120 days. You can have her progesterone level tested again at that time. If it tests high enough, you can stop the Regumate. The test reads only natural progesterone, not that provided by the Regumate, so the test will tell you if she is producing enough progesterone on her own.
Hope this helps.
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Submitted by Donna in Ohio on February 19, 2002:
It was nice to find your site. This is mine and my mare's first time so it's the blind leading the blind. I found a lot of answers by glancing through but have one concern. My mare & I are very close however when it comes to touching her stomach or even start to touch near her teats she is ready to kick me out of the stall. She is a standardbred and I can do pretty much anything to her but that and she is serious about it. Could this be a sign of a mare we could have problems with the foal sucking? When she raced she did have cortesone injections in stifles but I don't know if that has anything to do with it. Also, we have had racehorses in and out the entire year we have been here, but yesterday the last of the three left and she is alone. She seems agitated and put her ears back tonight when I went out on my usual night visit. What's up with my girl, is she just lonely tonight. Could this stress her out into any danger? Thanks Theresa, I really appreciate it.
Dear Donna,
Don't worry about the mare not wanting you to touch her udder. It doesn't mean a thing about how she will react to her foal nursing. As a maiden, she may be unsure of things at first, but if you just hold her still and let the foal go at it, she'll catch on. She probably is lonely, but she could also just be grumpy. I doubt that the stress will cause any problems with the pregnancy.
Good luck!
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Submitted by Janice in Oklahoma on February 22, 2002:
Hi! First, I just want to say what a wonderful wealth of information! Great Job! Here's my question. Let's hope I have a dry, standing, nursing foal by the time you answer it ;-) I have a 10 yr. old QH maiden mare. We do not know her due date as she was in foal when I bought her, which was a pleasant surprise. From the palpation and the previous owners "story", we came up with "sometime in February". She's had a bit of "bloody show" for 4 days. I (and my vet) assume this must mean she passed her mucus plug. He has told me not to worry about it. She's been waxing for 5 days and has a good sized bag with distended udders. She's been relaxed "back there" for 2 weeks. This has become much more noticeable during the last 3 or 4 days. She's had the typical "dips" on each side of her tail head for a week. Now these dips are gone and she's hollowed out in front of her hip bones at the top of her flank instead. She also has some swelling of her back legs and just seems utterly miserable. There's good fetal movement and all seems well. I have her bedded in a 14x24 stall on straw with (supervised) turnout during the day. Based on this info, can you give me a "best guess" when this baby is going to get here? I keep saying "any day", "any day", but any day just isn't here yet!
Dear Janice,
My best guess is "any day", "any day", "any minute", "any minute!" All sounds fine and I, too, hope you have a dry, standing, nursing baby by the time you read this. The only other thing I can say is that I don't think I'd leave that mare long enough to see if this answer is there yet!
Hope she's gotten it done!
Follow up by Janice on February 23, 2002:
Thanks for your quick reply Theresa! We still have NO BABY! She laid down yesterday and seemed to be straining a bit, then got up and acted like nothing happened! She's having a lot of tail lifting and swishing, but has stopped waxing??? I think I
