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Expert
Posts: 1477
  
Location: In the land of peanuts and cotton | My mare isn’t due until the beginning of February (bred March 3rd or March 5th) I started noticing last week that her bag was feeling different. Firm or knotty is the best way I know to describe it. Haven’t noticed much change in it until tonight. Tonight it was her whole bag and starting down into her teats. And it’s more like firm but mushy at the same time. Hard to describe. Also noticed yesterday she’s very ill and agitated acting and not wanting to be messed with. I’m so busy with my wedding being in two weeks and want to make sure I don’t miss anything. Plus when she had an ultra sound about a month ago the vet wasn’t too pleased with how the foal was laying. Said it wasn’t breach but he didn’t think it was quite how it needed to be. He said with her being maiden he’s afraid she’ll have trouble. Is it possible the foal may be coming sooner than the beginning of February? Is there any other signs I can look for that tells me how close she is?
ETA: has anyone heard of being able to use a pool test strip to test the colostrum/milk to see how close she is? I saw something about it in an article but it wasn’t very well explained.
UPDATE!!! She’s here!!! Someone’s going to have to tell me how to post pics.
Edited by TessBelle 2018-02-16 11:10 AM
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| With some mares, especially maidens, it can be really hard to tell when she is close- some bag up, some never do, and some bag up and regress. They can also start exhibiting colic-like symptoms, and a relaxed tailhead. Here's a link with pictures and some great insight:
http://articles.extension.org/pages/29126/horse-foaling-management-...
There's also alert systems you can attach to your mare, but I've seen those get rubbed off and activated from the weirdest things. If it is at all possible, could you board her at your vet's for a week or two to be foaled out safely? I know it could cost a bit, but that peace of mind might be worth it to know she is in good hands while you're planning your wedding. |
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Expert
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Location: In the land of peanuts and cotton | madredepeanut - 2018-01-19 10:54 PM
With some mares, especially maidens, it can be really hard to tell when she is close- some bag up, some never do, and some bag up and regress. They can also start exhibiting colic-like symptoms, and a relaxed tailhead. Here's a link with pictures and some great insight:
http://articles.extension.org/pages/29126/horse-foaling-management-...
There's also alert systems you can attach to your mare, but I've seen those get rubbed off and activated from the weirdest things. If it is at all possible, could you board her at your vet's for a week or two to be foaled out safely? I know it could cost a bit, but that peace of mind might be worth it to know she is in good hands while you're planning your wedding.
We talked about boarding her with him. We both decided it would be best to let her foal here 1 because she’s always been the type to get nervous anytime she’s stalled somewhere new without her buddy. And 2 he just opened his practice here and has his own personal horses but really didn’t have a place to put her that he thought would be suffecent because all he has is a couple small stalls and he preferred she have a big open area. I have her a 24x24 stall set up in the barn because I didn’t want her to foal out in the open with the other horses. |
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| As far as the milk tests go, they sell tests online specifically for predicting the foaling date- they’re fairly accurate, but not 100%. They’re testing for a change in the electrolytes in the milk, to give you a predictive value of when she might foal. In regards to the foal being out of position, the foal doesn’t get into the exact position until hours before foaling. That’s actually the first stage of parturition. I would be concerned if the foal’s back legs were presented first, because usually in the last stage of pregnancy, they’re in dorsal recumbency, meaning their front legs are pointed out but they’re upside down.
It sounds like you’re getting as prepared as you can be. I hope it all goes well for you and your mare! Keep us posted 
Edited by madredepeanut 2018-01-20 1:12 AM
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 Reaching for the stars....
Posts: 12704
 
| One of the reasons mares roll a lot when getting ready to foal (say starting about two weeks out) is to reposition the foal for birthing. They lay in all sorts of positions before that time.
My experience says maidens don't foal early. But the fact is any mare can foal early, on time, or late. And maidens are harder to read since they've not been through the experience before and sometimes are way reactive to the first pains (think braxton hicks) of labor. The bag is helpful in knowing when foaling is getting close, but I don't count on it being THE sign of imminent foaling. I've had mares that took 3 years of foaling and foaling notes before I actually was able to see them foaling. I've had others that practically held up until I was there on their first foal.
Since your wedding is coinciding with your mare's expected due date, and mares are very, very astute at figuring out when you aren't around, if you want this foaling attended I would recommend figuring out a way to board her with a facility that can foal her out.
Good luck with both your wedding and foaling! |
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Expert
Posts: 1477
Location: In the land of peanuts and cotton | Do horses get mucus plugs 24-48 hours before like cows do? |
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  Sock eating dog owner
Posts: 4553
Location: Where the pavement ends and the West begins Utah | the signs you will be looking for.rocking of the hind legs. left right left right right left right left.wax like droplets on the tips of the tit.all mares get this and they do drop off. walking in circles even in pasture.nosing their flanks.the hips around the tail head will feel like jello.the signs will put you 24 to 48 hour from foaling.the time of day your mare was bred will be time of foaling.if bred at 5am foal will be born at 5 am or bred at 6pm will foal at 6pm and so on. |
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Elite Veteran
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Location: SE KS | Prayers for you and your mare & foal!!!!! |
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Elite Veteran
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| cow pie - 2018-01-20 2:41 PM the signs you will be looking for.rocking of the hind legs. left right left right right left right left.wax like droplets on the tips of the tit.all mares get this and they do drop off. walking in circles even in pasture.nosing their flanks.the hips around the tail head will feel like jello.the signs will put you 24 to 48 hour from foaling.the time of day your mare was bred will be time of foaling.if bred at 5am foal will be born at 5 am or bred at 6pm will foal at 6pm and so on.
Whaaat?? No.. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 575
| cow pie - 2018-01-20 1:41 PM
the signs you will be looking for.rocking of the hind legs. left right left right right left right left.wax like droplets on the tips of the tit.all mares get this and they do drop off. walking in circles even in pasture.nosing their flanks.the hips around the tail head will feel like jello.the signs will put you 24 to 48 hour from foaling.the time of day your mare was bred will be time of foaling.if bred at 5am foal will be born at 5 am or bred at 6pm will foal at 6pm and so on.
We had one mare who in all 8 of her foals would NEVER wax up. Not once.
She also had everything between 1 AM and 4 AM. And we definitely didn't AI her at those times. |
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Location: Not Where I Want to Be | cow pie - 2018-01-20 3:41 PM the signs you will be looking for.rocking of the hind legs. left right left right right left right left.wax like droplets on the tips of the tit.all mares get this and they do drop off. walking in circles even in pasture.nosing their flanks.the hips around the tail head will feel like jello.the signs will put you 24 to 48 hour from foaling.the time of day your mare was bred will be time of foaling.if bred at 5am foal will be born at 5 am or bred at 6pm will foal at 6pm and so on.
just saw this
but Holy Balls are you serious?
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Go Get Em!
Posts: 13503
Location: OH. IO | checking in to see if everything is ok |
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 Expert
Posts: 1343
Location: Oklahoma | TessBelle - 2018-01-19 9:46 PM My mare isn’t due until the beginning of February (bred March 3rd or March 5th) I started noticing last week that her bag was feeling different. Firm or knotty is the best way I know to describe it. Haven’t noticed much change in it until tonight. Tonight it was her whole bag and starting down into her teats. And it’s more like firm but mushy at the same time. Hard to describe. Also noticed yesterday she’s very ill and agitated acting and not wanting to be messed with. I’m so busy with my wedding being in two weeks and want to make sure I don’t miss anything. Plus when she had an ultra sound about a month ago the vet wasn’t too pleased with how the foal was laying. Said it wasn’t breach but he didn’t think it was quite how it needed to be. He said with her being maiden he’s afraid she’ll have trouble. Is it possible the foal may be coming sooner than the beginning of February? Is there any other signs I can look for that tells me how close she is? ETA: has anyone heard of being able to use a pool test strip to test the colostrum/milk to see how close she is? I saw something about it in an article but it wasn’t very well explained. UPDATE!!! It’s currently 12:09am and she’s been in labor since around 7. I’ve tried calling her vet but haven’t been able to get him yet.
Please let us know if she and the foal are okay. That sounds like a very prolonged labor.  |
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 Hugs to You
Posts: 7550
Location: In The Land of Cotton | cow pie - 2018-01-20 3:41 PM the signs you will be looking for.rocking of the hind legs. left right left right right left right left.wax like droplets on the tips of the tit.all mares get this and they do drop off. walking in circles even in pasture.nosing their flanks.the hips around the tail head will feel like jello.the signs will put you 24 to 48 hour from foaling.the time of day your mare was bred will be time of foaling.if bred at 5am foal will be born at 5 am or bred at 6pm will foal at 6pm and so on.
That last sentence was the craziest thing I have ever read. If that was true, we would all breed on a pretty day, at 11 AM so we could enjoy our morning coffee, watch the birth, and then have a good lunch. |
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 Guys Just Wanna Have Fun
Posts: 5530
Location: OH | veintiocho - 2018-01-22 2:43 PM cow pie - 2018-01-20 2:41 PM the signs you will be looking for.rocking of the hind legs. left right left right right left right left.wax like droplets on the tips of the tit.all mares get this and they do drop off. walking in circles even in pasture.nosing their flanks.the hips around the tail head will feel like jello.the signs will put you 24 to 48 hour from foaling.the time of day your mare was bred will be time of foaling.if bred at 5am foal will be born at 5 am or bred at 6pm will foal at 6pm and so on. Whaaat?? No..
That is kinda funny---surely they were not serious. |
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Expert
Posts: 1477
Location: In the land of peanuts and cotton | Sorry just saw everyone’s comments. Had the vet out this morning. What we through was labor was not true labor. Said it was just her getting the baby prepared for labor. Told us not to be overly concerned yet but that true hard labor probably wouldn’t be too far behind. We would have known this last night but we called 4 different vets and couldn’t get a single one. Her vet that’s been seeing her the whole pregnancy was out of town but he’ll be back tonight.
Edited by TessBelle 2018-01-22 3:41 PM
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Go Get Em!
Posts: 13503
Location: OH. IO | TessBelle - 2018-01-22 4:38 PM
Sorry just saw everyone’s comments. Had the vet out this morning. What we through was labor was not true labor. Said it was just her getting the baby prepared for labor. Told us not to be overly concerned yet but that true hard labor probably wouldn’t be too far behind.
glad everything is ok so far! |
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | Please keep us updated |
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Expert
Posts: 1477
Location: In the land of peanuts and cotton | Chandler's Mom - 2018-01-22 8:59 PM
Please keep us updated
She’s about the same. Her bag is a lot more full tonight. Other than that I didn’t visibly see any change. I let her out by her self this afternoon to graze for a bit and watched her the whole time. She never once laid down or acted uncomfortable.
Edited by TessBelle 2018-01-22 11:48 PM
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My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | Good luck and I hope all goes well (and uneventful!) for her. |
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