# is my mare in foal



## nicola1972 (13 January 2008)

ano this stupid question  
	
	
		
		
	


	




how would i know if my mare was in foal without a vet ,when a bought her 3yr ago she was in foal and a still have him, have decided to breed her again ,the stud said she was well covered and should be in foal,agot her back in august which was quite late just wanted to know if you can tell without vet, she hasnt came back in to season and when two geldings went in field beside hur ,she didnt turn in to tart


----------



## AndyPandy (13 January 2008)

A urine test is available.

http://www.foalproof.co.uk/urine_run.htm

That should do it.

I have to say though, trying to do these things without veterinary assitance &amp; monitoring is a false economy. I would advise you to get a vet out to check for twins, heartbeat etc.


----------



## arwenplusone (13 January 2008)

Have you had any scans at all?  If not, I would get the vet to do that.  You can check she's in foal and, as AndyPandy says check for twins too. 

Fingers crossed she is!


----------



## nicola1972 (13 January 2008)

eh have thot bout those things was just a thot to see if any one had much more experience ,she isnt easy horse to handle , unfortunately some human did her wrong and she is a handful [is okay with me thou] nearly killed vet last time,hes no keen


----------



## Abigail13 (13 January 2008)

get a vet!

its not something that should be done without a vet!


----------



## AndyPandy (13 January 2008)

[ QUOTE ]
...she isnt easy horse to handle ...nearly killed vet last time,hes no keen 

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, if there are any complications then you're going to get into trouble - especially if the vet can't get near her (or won't). Imagine if she has complications during the birth, or the foal needs treatment post partum for some reason?! Surely someone nearby will have stocks so she can be examined properly?

If possible, get her happier around people and get her seen to properly. It will be worth it in the long run.


----------



## lincolstables (13 January 2008)

Can I ask why you would want to breed from this mare??

She doesnt sound like a mare most of us would breed from!!


----------



## Fahrenheit (13 January 2008)

I agree with what the others have said, she really needs to be checked by a vet, it the only way to check that everything is as it should be at this stage. Finding somewhere to take her with a set of stocks is a very good idea.

May I ask, if she isn't good around people other than yourself, how did the stud manage to cover her??

If she is in foal, are you prepared for the arrival and any possible complications??


----------



## lindylou (14 January 2008)

I can see where you are coming from, scanning for twins at this stage is all well and good, but what would you do about it, the only options i can see is either abort both, or carry on, and hope for the best, i have personally known 2 set of twins that have survived, so i would not go for the abort option.  In an ideal world it would be  nice to be aware if there were twins, but why stress the mare to that extent, when there is little that can be done.  I would go for the urine test option if she is within the time this is sucessfull, then never take my eyes off her when her time comes.  My mares are watched 24/7 by cctv when they are close to foaling.


----------



## AndyPandy (14 January 2008)

[ QUOTE ]
this stage is all well and good, but what would you do about it, the only options i can see is either abort both, or carry on, and hope for the best, i have personally known 2 set of twins that have survived, so i would not go for the abort option.  

[/ QUOTE ]

The leading cause of mid- to late-gestation abortion is twinning, then think of the high number of twin births where one or both foals die, and quite often the mare is killed or left injured and/or unable to breed again... and, as a very experienced colleague of mine says "With ultrasound so readily available we have the technology and ability to prevent twin pregnancies from occurring! [too late in this situation, but I have to say that in my opinion, it shouldn't have been allowed to get to this stage] Few women would consider undergoing a pregnancy without multiple ultrasounds, so why does the mare not warrant the same attention to her welfare and the welfare of her foal?"


----------



## lindylou (14 January 2008)

I agree, but as you say too late in this instance, so constructive advice is what is needed, many people still do not scan, especially among the native breeds, and in many very small mares, it can be problematic.  As for women, i had my babies without any scans, as they did not exist then, and the human race managed ok.  Yes it is nice to have the help of scans when things are not right, but not all is so straightforward as my friends daughter had a baby recently, the midwife thought is was an abnormally large baby, from external palpation, the scan said no normal size.  An almost 11lb baby was produced after a difficult labour, who was right.


----------



## nicola1972 (15 January 2008)

as a said when i got her she was already in foal had been battered and left to starve, the person who had said they were trying to break hur spirit so thats why ave got hur ,she isnt a demon just terrified,my friend works at RDA and after foal was 2yr,she went there but got her home,and was advised shes only suitable as brood mare [sorry this has turned in to a life story] and just to let you all know vet is coming after begging and crying ,shes to be sedated and checked ta for your feedback


----------



## Fahrenheit (15 January 2008)

good luck, personally i think its for the best, then you know if you are expecting a foal or not and can get prepared for the arrival.


----------



## lindylou (15 January 2008)

best of luck hope all goes well for you, i am sure with plenty of quiet gentle handling, she will respond by learning to trust.


----------



## nicola1972 (15 January 2008)

cheers prob thats why she okay with me, very kind and gentle with dont feel shel ever trust many ,quite a wee shame when this happens ,least she safe now


----------



## putta2008 (9 March 2009)

i've got exactly the same problem. my mare is absolutely petrified of everyone but my husband. we brought her from a dealer who didn't mention she could be in foal and said he knew nothing about her. on her passport it had an address for her previous owner so i wrote a letter to ask her why she was sp scared. she doesn't know either but said that her vet did a urine test that came up positive in august'08 she still isn't showing and i wonder how big mares this far gone are, it does say however that some maiden mares dont show. but to be honest i think she has probably lost it.


----------

