My AQHA mare is a maiden mare and shes due mid March. She doesn’t look very big to me but I’m new to all of this. Besides constant watch and a foal kit what is best for preparing for the foal? What does the foal kicking feel like and any over all general advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance! My mare is at 312 days and I’ll try to get a picture of her up on here soon.
If both you and your mare are both first timers, it is best to have access to someone who is NOT a first timer to help during the foaling. This could be a vet, OR someone who has foaled out lots of mares. But have that person on “speed dial” and phone right away, when you see the water break, or when you notice circling, pawing and sweating on the mare. First timer mares don’t know what is happening to them, you haven’t done this before either. 80% chance that all will be fine. But if it’s not (and problems are more likely with a maiden mare- not so much in presentation, but in meeting and accepting the foal) you won’t have time to make a call later, and get the help you need. Good luck.
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Have you been working with a vet? If she’s this close, she should be looking, IMO, as big as a house (at least as wide as one) 
Can you post a photo of her?
Remember that due dates for mares are very fictional and she may go long past her “due date”. Unlike people, you do not want to induce a mare. When the mare and foal are ready, she’ll go into labor. Until then, the foal is not fully ready to meet the world.
Maidens often don’t look pregnant so that wouldn’t concern me. You should see fetal movement however. Definitely agree that you need experienced foaling help however.
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Subbing for pics before I comment
My friend has a checklist for every foaling. It includes the vet phone number. She has written down all of the normal times for labor length, time until placenta delivered, time until foal stands, and time until foal nurses. She then records the actual times next to the normals. I have helped her with lots of the foalings. When it seems the placenta has taken far too long to be expelled, it is nice to look at the actual time and the normals. If can seem like it has taken forever, but actually only have been 10 minutes.
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I’ve kept close contact with the breeder, and a friend as both of them are very experienced with the foaling process. I have a note book to write down times and a timer with the foal kit. She’s starting to drop more but shes just not getting her belly.
This is great advice. I am breeding for the first time (myself on my own farm… We bred and foaled on my parents farm but I was a teenaged observer) this season. Experienced mare though. So no foaling until 2018. We are in an area with multiple vets on call within one hour, are 50 minutes from a full clinic, but are trying to think through different things we can prepare for in advance to help make good use of our location and accessible experts throughout the process. This checklist, along with timer and notebook seems like very practical advice. It would clue us in to anything deviating from normal quickly enough to put a call into the vet early on…
I had a maiden mare foal that didn’t look pregnant at all, really, just somewhat substantial. She didn’t wax either. Fortunately I had a Foalert sewn on, because she foaled in the middle of the night, right at 340 days, and retained her placenta. I have had mares foal from 318 days (a maiden) to 350 (another maiden). CCTV is definitely your friend, although I had a maiden walk away from her friends at 2:30 in the afternoon and foal, so nothing is ever for certain. 
There is an excellent book you might get, called The Complete Book of Foaling, by Karen Hayes. It has a lot of very useful information.
I work on a breeding farm and I would agree. Maidens often don’t look pregnant and may not bag up much before foaling compared to a mare who has had a foal before. It’s often a guessing game with maidens and that’s another reason it’s important to have experienced foaling help. I tend to rely on maidens behavior and level of comfort vs their physical signs because they may not bag up a lot or wax or have a belly that drops before foaling. I tend to keep a look out for any change in her behavior, like rolling more than normal, acting more restless when turned out, etc. Sometimes a herd mate will stick by her side like glue the day before the mare foals. The Complete Book of Foaling book is excellent to read up and there’s a lot of information online as well. You know your mare though! If she’s more of a dramatic princess vs a stoic creature, she may be pretty uncomfortable for a few days out. We’ve had maidens foal 2 weeks early while eating hay. Eating away, water breaks, lay down and foal like they’ve had 12 foals before! We’ve also had maidens act just sooo uncomfortable for an entire week before finally foaling, well after their “due date.” Having a vet on call and an experienced person will be invaluable.
We have a paper at work for every mare that lists things like when mares pregnancy shots were given, due date, if mare waxed and when, if mare dripped milk and when, mares behavior before foaling, date mare actually foaled, time water broke, time foal was out, time foal stood, time foal nursed, time mare placed placenta, if placenta was all there, if any banamine or oxytocin were given, if foal tetanus shot and enema were given, IGG results, as well as several spots to list if any issues/comments that may be important regarding the whole process. It’s nice to see the next time she’s pregnant and it’s good in the heat of the moment or the next day because sometimes you get so caught up that you’re left wondering, wait when did this happen?
A foal kicking feels just like it sounds like. Some foals seem to be more active and you can see and feel them kick regularly, whereas others are quieter and don’t move around much. Generally if you use a finger to tap on the mares sides (near in flanks) the foals will move around/kick a little. The mares don’t always enjoy this though! :lol: Best of luck! It’s an exciting event.
