Bred mares showing signs of heat?

[Blue_Eyed_Tovero]

Disclaimer- I am not looking to replace a vet’s opinion, just asking to satisify my own curiosity.

A self care boarder has 2 broodmares due to foal the end of May. Both were confirmed in foal via ultrasound in June. Mares moved to my farm the end of June. The older mare (this would be her 7th foal) showed signs of heat in July and August, lasting 3 or 4 days, about a month apart. Owner was informed of this. Not concerned, saying it’s common for a bred mare to do that. Didn’t notice if she did it again. Fast forward to last week - mare doesn’t look any larger AT ALL then she did when she first arrived. Also seemed to be in a full blown heat for 4 days - wouldn’t leave the fence line she shares with a studdy gelding. Lots of squirting, squealing, flagging tail. Owner still not concerned about having her ultrasounded again. He’s 100% sure she’s pregnant.

2nd mare is young, due with her first foal. Haven’t noticed any signs of heat in her. She also is not any larger then when she first arrived. Also had laminitis over the winter. Stall bound for 3 months. Owner began questioning if she was in fact in foal. Had vet run blood work - results said NOT in foal. Owner said results can be sketchy - still believes she is in foal.

So, just to satisify my own curiosity, (as I have next to no experience with broodmares) have any of you had any of the above situations occur and still have the mares in foal? Common behavior for them or not?

[BaysofourLives]

I have a large bodied mare who just this week started to look pregnant and she’s due end of may. Was also showing signs of being in heat, which is not uncommon at all but paired w/ the not showing I had vet check and she has a big healthy baby inside.

For maiden mare it isn’t unusual that she isn’t showing much in the belly since her muscles are still tight and hold things together well. Honestly, if things are looking that weird and you’re questioning I think it’s worth a vet check. Would be a shame to wait until they’re ‘due’ and realize they aren’t in foal

[KBEquine]

We had an old mare who showed signs of being in season to the point we did wonder whether it was a hysterical pregnancy. She also carried almost a full year. She finally foaled a wonderful colt with no issues.

We bought another older mare in foal & she showed some signs of heat and wasn’t big, so we had a preg check (she was maybe 6 months along at the time?) she was indeed in foal & gave us a nice filly, no complications.

So I no longer get excited when a pregnant mare shows signs of being in season, although I do have them checked out if I have any questions.

[MuskokaLakesConnemaras]

I have a mare here that I bred last year… she came back into heat in the fall. I obviously didn’t try to rebreed, just decided to wait it out and see. She hasn’t come back into heat yet this year with everyone else and is getting bigger (6th foal and due end of June), so going with pregnant.

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

Mine did. Freaked me out–I thought she had lost the foal. She didn’t get large until the very end either.

[Fastjofast]

This spring I decided to turn out my yearling colt with my pregnant mare. After a couple days it looked like she was coming into season. She just showed very weak signs for a day or two and that was it. I had the vet check her just in case, and she’s still in foal for a July baby

[skip_rainy_shi]

My mare was confirmed not in foal. I thought nothing of it as she was coming into heat every month very normal for this mare come may and being on a diet and work program she was just not loosing weight and her hay belly was not looking like a belly anymore I had the vet put last may to palpate and guess what mare is in foal and due within 4-6 weeks. All summer I had no clue she was her normal self and at the 6 week mark she had a huge filly.

[camohn]

well have had mares slip pregnancies (is easy to do in the first 2 months).OTOTH have has mares in foal with fillies continue to show heat while confirmed in foal and I have one mare…not even a maiden…that is large bodied and never looks pregnant until about her 10th month along. She is the exception though. For mares due in May…I would definitely expecting them to look like they are looking like they have some sort of a belly by now. By this point a palpation check will tell if in foal…no need to ultrasound at this late date.With blood testing…hopefully the vet did the right blood test. One is accurate up to 100 days/ the other 100 days +