For Horse people only please?

Question

I have a 5 yr old mare in foal with 2nd foal. I bought her already bred so not sure of due date. Do mares in last weeks of pregnancy go off their feed?? Or stay off to themselves? PLEASE ANY ADVICE IS APPRECIATIED. GOING CRAZY WAITING.

Answer 1

You should probably call your vet out and have him examine your mare to be sure of due date. I'm a retired veterinarian that now practices at my horse ranch. I have my own sonogram machine and love watching my mares in foal.
But to answer your question- yes many horses either eat smaller portions or stay off feed before giving birth. They will also go off by themselves. You may be thinking that your mare isn't eating because you are looking at her grain portion. Most mares will quit eating grain up to a month before birth because feed is harder for their body to digest and stays in your horses colon for 48-65 hours after a 7 hour digestion. Your horse may have discovered that by eating hay or grass(this is easier for her body to digest) that she won't have as much pressure on her gut. In the wild a mare will give birth in a secluded place with only another mare with her. This mare is not only there to comfort but keep predators away from the laboring mare- many wild animals will be attracted to the smell of the sac and after birth.
Depending on your surrounding's and what other horses are out in the pasture with your mare you may want to bring her into a paddock or a birthing stall. If you bring her into a paddock make sure you place plywood in each corner so your pin is not squared off. Many mares like to go to corners because it is dark and they can brace to push here. This can be dangerous for the foal if she get's in a corner.
Start keeping a look at her teets- mare's will usually bag up about 2-3 weeks before birth and start dripping from the teet 2-4 days before birth.

While you wait stock up on tail wraps and vet gloves(in case you have to assist in delivering or repositioning the foal)
ALSO make sure you have IODINE. This is the upmost important thing you can have. You will need iodine to rub on the foals umbilical cord after birth. IODINE will save your foals life. It will protect from systemic illness that travels by many names-shigellosis, naval ill, joint ill, or polyarthritis. This can cause illness and even death for your foal- and if left untreated- cause deformities and inflamation in the joints.

Try not to worry so much though- your mare's body knows what to do and it is very rare for problems to occur in healthy mares. good luck with your new arrival.

Answer 2

Some mares will go off their feed just before foaling. And they will seek a place to be alone to foal. You may want a vet to check your mare to see how far along she may be. She will show other signs of foaling when the time comes. Just because she stops eating doesn't always mean she is ready to foal. Have the vet look at the mare or get someone who knows about foaling to check your mare. Don't let her go without eating in case it's something else that has caused her to be off her feed.

Answer 3

Well if you know the round-about month she was bred, mares are pregnant for 11 months. They may go off of their feed a little because they are getting some discomfort from the foal moving down in their bellys. I'd look at her vagina, it will become looser as it expands to make way for the baby. also her milk bag will become more swollen with milk. About 24 to 48 hours before birth the bag will actually drip. When you see her getting up and down a lot, and I mean laying down, rolling around, getting up, pacing and turning, laying back down, switching her tail, laying on her side then she is almost ready to give birth. Mostly this happens at night, so you either won't catch it, or there will be a lot of sleepless nights.
I'd also begin collecting things for a foal kit, just in case of problems, and other necessities for a new foal.
http://www.gaitedhorses.net/FoalKit.html

Answer 4

DUe you have a for sure due date? If it is questionable then delivery may be closer than expected. up to a day or so before delivery a mare will get peckish about her food. Go off by herself or if in a smaller confined area rotate between pacing and standing amost as if asleep. when she walks does her flanks jiggle? when the time is near her flank area and vaginal area should jiggle when she walks almost like water sloshing under the skin. This means the muscles and pelvic area have relaxed and spread getting ready for delivery much the same as in women. When she is standing off by herself does she kick at her belly a lot? You can actually watch contractions whether small or hard ripple across the abdoman. Another question is she waxing? usually once she starts waxing ( small wax like balls like pearls form on her teets this is colostrum starting to drop and seep ) the delivery should start with 24 hrs. ( There area laways exceptions to every rule ) If you have a for sure due date and she is still week or more out deffinetly besafe and have her checked by a vet. Unlike many babies Equine babies rarely survive if born more than a couple days early. Hope all is well and congrats on the upcoming foal.

Answer 5

Call your vet. From what I know this is not normal and could be a sign of some problem. I would make sure she is drinking water, and see if she needs something special. The vet should be able to tell when she is due by looking at the foal, but as far as the right date...only God knows that! Even if the former owners told you, the chances of her giving birth then are slim.

Answer 6

You should call your vet. Mares usually go off by themselves before they foal but they should be supervised by a vet/ professonal to make sure everything is going right. The vet can do a test to see when she is due. I don't think it's normal she's not eating. Call the vet. I said that twice because it's important.

Answer 7

I would call your vet and get their opinion I know when my horse had two foals she would tend to stay to herself and wasn't eating as well. Also look and see if she is bagging up or not, if her udder is swelling. That is usually a sign that it isn't far away!!

also look up info on the internet... I'm sure there is a lot!

Answer 8

Check her pelvis. If the tissue/muscle at the top at her pelvis is very soft, she may be in pre-labor.

IF she stays off her feed for more than a day or two, I'd call your vet and have them come do an exam. Even close to labor, she should still be grazing in the field at least.

Answer 9

Check out


http://www.gaitedhorses.net/FoalingManagement.html


And have a large animal vet check your mare's health. It could be a lot of things including a blockage or a torsion that would cause that behavior.

Answer 10

Are you asking whether or not a mare stops eating during her last Weeks of pregnancy? If so, probably not...
Congrats!
-Jessica
P.S. Maybe you could rephrase your Question?