# How long before foaling do your mares wax up?



## ElleSkywalker (11 March 2011)

As title! Would really appreciate knowing how long other peoples mares tend wax up before foaling.  

I know all mares are different and there is no hard and fast rule but looking to see if there is any kind of pattern I can work out, espcially with maiden mares!

My maiden mare is now at day 331 after covering, yesterday am she had 2 lovely little beads of yellow wax on her teats, but by evening they had gone. This morning they were back again.

Should there generally be more than little beads? Should the wax stay there constantly if foaling imminent?!

Would love to know everyone elses experiances!


----------



## Gucci_b (11 March 2011)

Interesting post


----------



## Touchwood (11 March 2011)

No helpful answer I am afraid.  This really is a 'how long is a peice of string question' and to compound the confusion, a significant number of mares don't even visably wax up!!  We have a LOT that don't wax up come through our place, so it makes me very nervous when people rely on this sign!
The only way to know for sure is to watch them!


----------



## Puzzled (11 March 2011)

My only advice is to say watch them like a hawk!! Our one mare will wax up about 24 hours before. I always check mine every 2 hours when they're near foaling, but even then missed our maiden mare foaling last year! She waxed up at 9pm, was still happily eating her haynet, I went up for a bath, popped back down about an hour and a half later to find a foal in the stable!!! Luckily there were no problems!


----------



## ElleSkywalker (11 March 2011)

Thanks for replies so far chaps 

I should have said in orignal post that I am not relying on the wax alone as a sign of foaling, mare has had camera in box for last 2 weeks so I can get a good idea of her normal routine, day and night (I check about once an hour through the night) am also keeping an eye on her vulva (which is starting to separate and perhaps look a bit 'puffier'than normal), her tummy shape, which has been 'pointy' for the last 3 days and the muscles either side of her tail (squidgy at present!)

This is my first foal so am perhaps being over cautious with the amount of camera watching I am doing, but really don't want to miss it and not be on hand to assit if neccesary.

The question about wax is really to get an idea of other peoples experiances, I totally agree nothing beats watching the mare, but really curious to see what other people have found re waxing before foaling


----------



## Laafet (11 March 2011)

Ditto Touchwood, I've done over 50 in the past 2 years and some wax up 5 days before, some an hour before and some not at all!
I did an article on boobie development on the Horse Breeders Forum if you are interested. I take the whole picture, mare not eating up, sloppy poos, slackening off behind.


----------



## Touchwood (11 March 2011)

There is no such thing as being over cautious when foal watching  the most important part of assisting a foaling is being there IN CASE you are needed!  The vast majority of time you are not, but if you're not there you definately CAN'T help!


----------



## ElleSkywalker (11 March 2011)

Laafet said:



			Ditto Touchwood, I've done over 50 in the past 2 years and some wax up 5 days before, some an hour before and some not at all!
I did an article on boobie development on the Horse Breeders Forum if you are interested. I take the whole picture, mare not eating up, sloppy poos, slackening off behind.
		
Click to expand...

Article sounds great, would love to read it, where would I find it? Search on the horse breeders forum?


----------



## Whizz105 (11 March 2011)

My mare with both pregnancies started waxing around 310 days but was not regular. 
I'm now on day 343 and last 1-2 weeks has been near enough everyday.
General rule is that it's starts honey coloured, getting lighter in colour, clear then White. BUT! How long this takes to change is not textbook! And it can also change back to more yellow! 

So in short, it is a general indication and as others have said needs to be included in all other factors...it's still up to mare and foal when the day will be!


----------



## zippo (12 March 2011)

Weeks,days,hours,never.


----------



## TelH (12 March 2011)

I don't know what day of the pregnancy Maud waxed up on, she was in foal when I bought her and if the seller was to be believed Maud carried her foal for approx 13 months  (Seller said she was due end May/early June, Harold was born 3 Aug  ) Anyway on the day he was born she waxed up in the morning, in the afternoon she dripped a few drops of milk down her legs and then he was born about 8.15pm that evening.

A yard I worked at years ago bred a few foals, the mares there waxed up at various times from 24 hours-14 days before foaling


----------



## tikino (12 March 2011)

my mare doesn't wax up we have to look for other signs


----------



## Magicmadge (12 March 2011)

I had 2 mares foal in 2009 first i had did not have a due date for. She did not wax and had a huge bag for weeks beforehand ( i was on foal watch for 5 weeks!!!!!!)She foaled without any changes noted, lucky enough to catch her at the 4 am check!!!!!! 
Second mare was 3 weeks late did not fully bag up until 2 days before, then she waxed for a day dripped milk for half a day field walked, box walked, sweated and foaled. Suptle changes in behaviour were a very good indicator for early labour for me, i knew this mare  so well it was obvious.


----------

