Question:
Is my mare pregnant or just fat?
anonymous
1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Is my mare pregnant or just fat?
Fourteen answers:
anonymous
2009-03-23 04:37:56 UTC
Just looking at her topline, she ain't fat. It is possible for a mare in her emaciated state to cycle. That would have put her bred in June-July or August, August was around the time you rescued her, right? (using your reversed seasons, mares coming into estrus in the spring, spring comes in September. May, June, July is the middle of winter. wondering to myself)



I'm kind of thinking she's bred and I'll go out on a limb and say if she is, it's a filly. The udder is not going to be a 100% indicator, she may not fill 'til the last minute.

IF she's bred, that kind of belly swag is a late pregnancy developement. I'd be upping her grain and start a foaling kit to be on the safe side. (better to be safe than sorry) From April on, she could be surprising you.

My crystal ball goes out when it's really needed. I hate that.
Missy
2009-03-23 04:12:31 UTC
I'd say she's pregnant. That belly is dropped real low for that to be just fat. It's almost come to a point already. She is more than 9 months... Maybe 10 or 11. In the first picture on that forum you can see she's dipped in the croup and hindquarters on either side of the tail.



Mares don't bag up until between 2-6 days before delivering.



She also has white crystals on her udders, typical of a pregnant mare. Waxing occurs 2-4 days before foaling. Wax is just colostrum beads that have dried on the end of the udder.



If she hasn't come into heat, it's very possible that she is pregnant... But even if she has, she could be pregnant. The mare I'm training has had many foals and comes into heat even when she's pregnant.



Get your vet out to do a rectal ultrasound and palpation... It's no more than $100 for the examination. That way, you know for sure if she's pregnant or not.
Greg B
2009-03-23 13:22:02 UTC
The only way to tell for sure is with a vet exam.
Mutchkin
2009-03-23 03:25:08 UTC
I would consult the vet for 100% but I think she is just being fed well. Consult with the vet to make sure she is not getting over fed or under worked. Possibly a change in physical activity?



When my mare was pregnant, around her 6th and especially her 8th month mark, my now gelding would constantly switch sides on her. I would go check on her and the baby would be more on one side than the other. So one side of her belly would be more rounder than the other. She often was most annoyed when this happened.



Her utters would be more fuller as well. Her utters look normal for a non pregnant mare.



When my mare was about 10 months, I could go out there and actually feel my gelding kicking and moving around once in awhile. By then, my mare was mellow up until a few weeks prior when she was in that stage of "get this kid out!" lol.



Has this mare gone through being in heat at any time you had her?



She should at least had a cycle or two. If she is anything like my mares, they are always in a darn cycle no matter what time of the year it is.



I wish there was more signs of a pregnancy in a horse. That would save a lot of exam money just to get a yes or a no. But at the same time, this vet exam can also determine the horse's intake of food and make sure there isn't any other possibilities something is going on.



To be on the safe side, do light riding and keep the horse active.



Get some mare and foal and supplement feeding. If this mare is in foal, the mare will need all the nutrition she can get that the foal will take from her.
anonymous
2009-03-23 05:38:34 UTC
I would say yes she is. I have seen so many people buy a horse in symaler way and fined thay are in foal.



But look on the bright side thats like 2 for 1 lol

Please let us all know whot hapens wont you?

Good luck :-)
?
2016-11-06 12:54:55 UTC
Pictures Of Pregnant Horses
anonymous
2016-02-07 20:37:36 UTC
Infertility can be caused by a huge number of factors: hormone imbalance, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Endometriosis, Anovulatory Cycles, physical blockage, inadequate hormone production, short luteal phase, lack of lutenizing hormone, high levels or prolactin, and many others. How to get pregnant https://tr.im/H23ct



Poor nutrition often plays a major role, as does exposure to toxins. Age plays less of a role before menopause than was originally thought. While there are many wonderful naturally minded fertility specialists out there, in many cases it is not possible for them to test for and address any of these possible underlying issues.
anonymous
2014-12-21 20:38:50 UTC
Now everyone can cure infertility using this natural remedy http://pregnancyhelps.info

infertility can run in the family and one of the first things the doctor asks you when you go to a fertility clinic is your family history regarding cases of infertility or other reproductive issues.

If infertility is caused by genetic disorder then it's not unusual that one of the kids (your mom) doesn't have it and another does (your aunt).

two months of trying is still to early to be concerned about the fact that you might be infertile and it's also quite early to go to a fertility specialist. Go to a regular Obgyb to get a closer insight and see what ways there are are to improve your fertility rate.

Also remove alcohol, caffeine and cigarettes from your life because they might influence your chances too. Stress is also a risk factor when it comes to infertility.
Katie
2009-03-23 12:45:41 UTC
From the pictures it looks like she may be preggers. I would keep an eye and get the vet out there asap. She may just be a good eater since she probably wasn't feed as good as she has while with you.
Starlight 1
2009-03-23 06:39:36 UTC
You need to get this mare ultrasounded ASAP, as I am CERTAIN she's in foal. I worked on a breeding farm for a number of years, and I've seen a lot of pregnant mares- and they ALL start to look like this as they get close to their time. Your comments about how she's "exploded" in the past month or so are a dead give away that the mare is pregnant- that's most likely why she was at the rescue you got her from in the first place, in fact. I'm thinking that this may have been one of those cases in which this mare was somehow bred by an undesirable stud, and whoever did this decided they didn't want the responsibility for the baby, so they shipped the mare off to the rescue place or tried to run her through a sale to get rid of her as quickly as possible. You have no way of knowing her history, as you've said, or what she was bred with, so the only thing you can do is take care of her as well as you can and hope for the best.



Are you in Australia or some other part of the southern hemisphere, per chance? If so, then that makes it even MORE LIKELY that this mare is in foal, since you got her during the first part of your spring last year. Unfortunately, it ALSO means that she's going to be foaling in late July, which is the dead of your WINTER- NOT a good time for a foal to be born. ( If you were in the States, or in Canada, it wouldn't be so bad, because late July is our summer, and there's plenty of time for a foal born then to develop and grow up some before the first of the winter storms arrive.) I agree with the responder who said it's likely the mare is carrying a filly, because as a general rule, fillies take less time to mature and come to term than colts do- and as a result, the mare will probably foal a little earlier than she might have otherwise. From now on, you need to keep a close watch on the mare, and start making a habit of checking her udder every day for signs that it's swelling and the nipples are enlarging. She should start to show real signs of making a bag about a month or so before delivery, and as you get to a week or so before, the mare should start to produce some clear colostrum, the first milk the baby will get when it's born. Once this happens, over the course of the following days, the colostrum will gradually turn cloudy, and 36 to 24 hours before delivery, it will go completely WHITE and become sticky to the touch, like honey or corn syrup is. At that point, you may even see small, dried beads of it on or around the mare's udder and nipples- this is the phenomenon called " waxing" by horse people. Once the mare waxes, she is within a day or so of giving birth, and you need to have her in her foaling stall.



Good luck.
Mare
2009-03-23 03:17:46 UTC
I would say yes.She still doesn't have much meat over the withers and she definately doesn't have a groove along back or croup so she is not carrying excess weight.

Her teats are bigger than a maiden mare,but she may have previously had a foal.If you are riding her i wouldn't stop she does need light exercise.Maybe add some sunflower seeds (1-2cups) to her feed this will boost her protein level,some bran for phoshorus and plenty of good quality luccern + hay(which contains calcium) You could also add a tablespoon or so of apple cider vinegar,which will help overall health.

Hopefully you'll have a nice healthy foal....
veritasdraco
2009-03-23 02:49:44 UTC
hmm hard to tell, I've seen mares that look like that, and it was just fat lol. I have little experience with pregnant mares, but i know with goats if you press into the hollow (in front of the point of the hip) you can feel if there are any kids, so one would assume this could work for horses too. go with the tests, that seems the best way.



Every pregnant mare I've known we got in foal on purpose, so wern't too suprised when the got 'fat' lol



But hey if she is, you saved two lives! and got two for the price of one haha



Good luck eihter way!
Sam H
2009-03-23 05:52:35 UTC
How you can really tell if shes pregnant is to take a photo from the back or front and you would notice a huge difference in her belly as it would protrude from the sides just in front of her flanks(but not any further forward than that) I think it would be a good idea to get the vet out as from those photos I wouldnt say shes pregnant but that she could possibly have a worm infestation.
steph
2009-03-23 04:32:44 UTC
i dont think so she is just eating good hay and grain she looks really good you should get a vet or someone who knows horses really well to palpate her to be sure


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