# new pictures suprise mystery pregnant mare



## farmgirl6




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## Teej

I don't think she looks quite ready but I had one mare that never looked ready so you just never know. Thankfully, except for 1 out of the 4, she always foaled on her due date or the day after. I guess since you didn't know she was pregnant you don't know the breeding date so that's not going to help you much. Can you see/feel the baby kicking or moving? Usually in the flank area or underneath her belly. Once the baby is in position you stop feeling the kicks. One time I was in the right place at the right time and got to see it roll around into position. It was pretty freaky. Looked like she had an earthquake going on inside her.


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## ShyAnne

I agree, her udder looks almost there but it still has a bit to go. Her Vulva is super long though and is all but screaming ready..I would watch her that udder can go BOOM in hours. 
Her tail head area looks ready too and her belly shape is all but there. 
Have you tested her milk?

Sure is pretty, do you know what she is bred to?


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## farmgirl6

ShyAnne said:


> I agree, her udder looks almost there but it still has a bit to go. Her Vulva is super long though and is all but screaming ready..I would watch her that udder can go BOOM in hours.
> Her tail head area looks ready too and her belly shape is all but there.
> Have you tested her milk?
> 
> Sure is pretty, do you know what she is bred to?


thank you, she is a sweet girl as well, unfortunately, the fellow who dropped her off gave me a "by the way, she was out with a stallion" out the car window as he left, a black mustang, and apparently a donkey who was quote "too young to do anything" now I suppose there is slim possibility it was my mini, althought they were never out together before or for three months after being gelded and she hated him on sight even through the fence but have heard through the fence stories, he is only about 30" tall and she is 13.2, but again have heard stories...however for that to be possible she would have to go all the way to the middle of July at the earliest for it to be him so doubtful...the vet just came and gave her all her shots and her tetnus booster; said anytime. I do have fescue so he recommends keeping a pretty close eye (not much, and my pasture if more for turnout, everyone gets good hay 24/7) so guess will tackle putting in an infrared wireless camera this weekend.


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## farmgirl6

ShyAnne said:


> I agree, her udder looks almost there but it still has a bit to go. Her Vulva is super long though and is all but screaming ready..I would watch her that udder can go BOOM in hours.
> Her tail head area looks ready too and her belly shape is all but there.
> Have you tested her milk?
> 
> Sure is pretty, do you know what she is bred to?


oh, sorry no have not tested, have gently squeezed and nothing comes out, so not sure how to do that, although I saw a picture of a syring being used...


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## ShyAnne

If nothing comes out with a gentle squeeze or two, then she isnt ready 

When I get milk to test, it helps to grab above the teat, and slowly work down, when she gets closer you will get ample amount to test. Though, I did have a mare one time that never got milk till after she foaled, then it was easily expressible.
Typically, if fescue is going to be a problem, she wouldnt have the udder she has right now, so I dont think you have to worry. I bet her udder will get very full tight and possibly wax or drip when shes really ready.
But that vulva, wow, really would have me on guard just in case lol!


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## farmgirl6

Well, mystery suprise mare is still lady in waiting, but this morning I gave her udder a little test squeeze and milk shot out, Lord help, I hope we are getting close! bought 250 feet of drop line, hope to put a camera out there in the next day or so.


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## CIW

I didn't catch what the breeding date was. 
I understand that you are excited.
The baby has to move back and will usually drop off the back of the rib cage. She will likely hollow out more just ahead of the points of her hips. The tail head will become even more pronounced.
These things can happen over 24 hours but that mare isn't quite ready to foal.
Do you see her rolling to help the baby move into birthing position?


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## farmgirl6

CIW said:


> I didn't catch what the breeding date was.
> I understand that you are excited.
> The baby has to move back and will usually drop off the back of the rib cage. She will likely hollow out more just ahead of the points of her hips. The tail head will become even more pronounced.
> These things can happen over 24 hours but that mare isn't quite ready to foal.
> Do you see her rolling to help the baby move into birthing position?


the short answer is, I've no clue I got her in trade on 1 Sept and she looked like this:









as the fellow was leaving, he let me know that she had been out with a stallion and a donkey, but as she was 16 and he didn't see anything happen we were probably okay In January I could no longer deny this was not a hay belly, and used a wee foal 120 day test. Vet confirmed she was pregnant after that but could not estimate, he thought somewhere between five and seven months but couldn't say for sure as we are not sure of the parentage. Now, I had a min stallion I gelded in Oct, I was careful to insure he was never out with her or exposed to her directly, but have since heard on this blog some wild stories about through the fence stuff, she is 13.2 and he is less than 30" tall..but if she was accidently bred on my place, then she would have to go to the end of July and beyond if she was bred the day (very first day) she arrived, and I just don't think she is going to wait that long She had some cranky times when I got her I thought may have been heat but have seen that same cranky stuff recently when I know it wasn't the heat - and she loaths the mini, even tho he is a gelding now...

here is picture in January









I have not seen her laying down although have seen a lot of the "squirrel tail" up and down stuff, which the author of "blessed are the broodmares" says is unique to mare close to delivery, but I dunno, she is an enthusiastic taill swisher all the time


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## GrannyCarol

When I saw your pictures, I remembered when I was pregnant and my mother looked at me on my due date and told me I wasn't ready to have my baby yet, because I didn't look miserable enough. In her pictures, she looks pretty miserable, but not quite sad enough yet... by now though, who knows?  

BTW, mom was right, baby was two weeks late, darn him!


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## farmgirl6

GrannyCarol said:


> When I saw your pictures, I remembered when I was pregnant and my mother looked at me on my due date and told me I wasn't ready to have my baby yet, because I didn't look miserable enough. In her pictures, she looks pretty miserable, but not quite sad enough yet... by now though, who knows?
> 
> BTW, mom was right, baby was two weeks late, darn him!


that is so funny! she is always pretty cheerful, with sudden random suprise flashes of surliness (a few weeks ago she tried to stomp a poor chicken that walked in front of her, normally she pays no attention at all and is patient with everything) she has been such a delightful suprise unexpected baby not withstanding; I just needed a small well broke horse for friends and family to bomb about on and give pony rides when they came to visit..agreed to her sight unseen as a bomb proof sixteen year old mare...she is a gem


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## jennigrey

Soooooooooo pregnant!!


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## ShyAnne

Milk shot out?? Cool! Was it sticky, thick? or thin and oilyish still?...


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## farmgirl6

ShyAnne said:


> Milk shot out?? Cool! Was it sticky, thick? or thin and oilyish still?...


still seemed thin, will go catch a drop or two in a plastic cup to look at it...she looks pretty miserable, very introspective...but eating


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## ShyAnne

Can you get a picture of her udder from underneath it looking up at it?


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## farmgirl6

it is yellow clear and very sticky, I tested the little bit I could get out and it showed 200 in calcium but I find that hard to believe....


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## CIW

Take one of those old, black film canisters. Put a drop of milk on it. Do it at approx. the same time each day. When the milk changes to where you can't see the color of the film canister through the drop you are within 24 hours of foaling.
It only takes a drop.
You have to do it daily so that you can see the change.
But you are probably going to see some more physical changes in her first.
Post another picture of her. I'm sure that she is changing. Please.
Remember this though. Mares have the ability to postpone birth. If you bug her too much while trying to see the birth she'll just wait you out. Then have it the second that you go to sleep.
Most of our babies are born between 20:00 and 02:00 hours. There are exceptions though.


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## MDKatie

CIW said:


> Take one of those old, black film canisters. Put a drop of milk on it. Do it at approx. the same time each day. When the milk changes to where you can't see the color of the film canister through the drop you are within 24 hours of foaling.
> It only takes a drop.
> You have to do it daily so that you can see the change.
> But you are probably going to see some more physical changes in her first.
> Post another picture of her. I'm sure that she is changing. Please.
> Remember this though. Mares have the ability to postpone birth. If you bug her too much while trying to see the birth she'll just wait you out. Then have it the second that you go to sleep.
> Most of our babies are born between 20:00 and 02:00 hours. There are exceptions though.


Reminds me of a comic I saw once. It showed a farmer and a cow. The farmer's thought bubble said, "I wish she'd calve so I can go to bed", and the cow's thought bubble said, "I wish he'd go to bed so I can calve." :hysterical:


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## farmgirl6

CIW said:


> Take one of those old, black film canisters. Put a drop of milk on it. Do it at approx. the same time each day. When the milk changes to where you can't see the color of the film canister through the drop you are within 24 hours of foaling.
> It only takes a drop.
> You have to do it daily so that you can see the change.
> But you are probably going to see some more physical changes in her first.
> Post another picture of her. I'm sure that she is changing. Please.
> Remember this though. Mares have the ability to postpone birth. If you bug her too much while trying to see the birth she'll just wait you out. Then have it the second that you go to sleep.
> Most of our babies are born between 20:00 and 02:00 hours. There are exceptions though.


that is a cool idea, finding one of those old film cases might be interesting will have to look around. will take some more pics of her today. I am putting a camera out in the paddock this weekend, working on wiring it in, to avoid bugging her too much. She has two young heifer companions who share the paddock, I wonder if I should seperate them, they don't bug her and she is very tolerant of them...


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## farmgirl6

MDKatie said:


> Reminds me of a comic I saw once. It showed a farmer and a cow. The farmer's thought bubble said, "I wish she'd calve so I can go to bed", and the cow's thought bubble said, "I wish he'd go to bed so I can calve." :hysterical:


love it!


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## jennigrey

farmgirl6 said:


> that is a cool idea, finding one of those old film cases might be interesting will have to look around. will take some more pics of her today. I am putting a camera out in the paddock this weekend, working on wiring it in, to avoid bugging her too much. She has two young heifer companions who share the paddock, I wonder if I should seperate them, they don't bug her and she is very tolerant of them...


I would separate them for everyone's safety. An otherwise pleasant mare can turn into a firebreathing demon when she has a new foal. The foal will "imprint" on any creature that spends a significant amount of time around it during the first few hours of its life. The mare drives off other creatures to make sure that the foal imprints on *her* alone. Some mares are more adamant about this than others.

If she seems distressed when you remove them, maybe they can stay in an adjoining enclosure?


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## ShyAnne

I agree separate!


As for milk color & clarity, EACH mare is different! Ive seen them foal on thin skim looking milk, and thick golden honey. 

This is an example: Kate's milk & test results at 3pm, testing over 1000 on calcium (hardness) and ph 6.4. She foaled that evening at 930. She had tested this way at am check and rechecked at 7 pm.


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## Macybaby

Ditto on the "Fire breathing dragon" 

Here is an otherwise gentle mare deciding she didn't want her old pasture mate even LOOKING.










And this is what she didn't want him to look at.










This was an older mare that the seller had breed, and was sure she had not settled and had come back into heat - the main reason she was selling her. At least we were able to get a breeding date once we knew she was expecting.


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## jennigrey

Mine threatened to break the barn wall down when her pasture mate nickered at the new baby. Momma was the subordinate, pasture mate was the boss. All that can go out the window with a new foal.


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## Teej

Had a pregnant mare out with two geldings. One she'd grown up with and he didn't bug her. The other she had only lived with a year or so and he thought she walked on water. Always had to be right on top of her, invading her space. About month 9 she started getting aggrevated with him hanging on her all the time. Gave him warning after warning by swishing her tail at him, raising a rear leg, or the "if you don't get away from me I'm gonna bite a chunk outta you" look. He didn't learn. 

One day while we were at work she must have gotten him cornered in their lean-to and she beat the crap out of him. He had hoof marks all over and in some places shreds of skin hanging. Thankfully, all his wounds were superficial but they got separated that evening.


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## farmgirl6

Macybaby said:


> Ditto on the "Fire breathing dragon"
> 
> Here is an otherwise gentle mare deciding she didn't want her old pasture mate even LOOKING.
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> And this is what she didn't want him to look at.
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> This was an older mare that the seller had breed, and was sure she had not settled and had come back into heat - the main reason she was selling her. At least we were able to get a breeding date once we knew she was expecting.


oh how gorgeous! what a beauty!


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## gracie88

> Ditto on the "Fire breathing dragon"


I especially love how they can go from, "DON'T LOOK AT MY BABY, I'LL RIP YOUR FACE OFF!!! to, "Are you ok sweetie? Stay close to Mama, Mama loves her baby." in the instant it takes to look from one to the other.


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## Macybaby

That was one of those "right place, right time" shots. I was going to the barn with the camera to take pics of the baby, and noticed the big paint gelding trying to get a look in the stall. I was trying to get a pic of him looking, and just as I took the picture the mare came barreling out, teeth barred and ears flat back. 

She started pushing and lunging on the metal gate panel, so DH and I got more hot wire and strung it up on the mare's side. She only hit it once, then decided it was better to just give the geldings dirty looks than ram the gate. She was a very experienced Momma, and after a month we put everybody back together and never had problems.

At four months she decided she's had enough of motherhood so we separated them, and though the filly cried, Mom went up the hill with boys and never looked back. We had a yearling to keep the weanling company in the lower pasture.


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## TJN66

I cant wait to see some pics!


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