Not to lie down to sleep? (She is on a cam now, so I’m checking it a few times during the night.) Just wondering if they may feel too clumsy? My mare is at 300 days this week. She also has an arthritic ankle, so her dexterity is further reduced I suppose. I’m neuros-ing and concerned about her getting too tired!
Yes. Many don’t lay down at all the last month or so. Seems they think it’s just too much work to get back up again, lol.
Yes. Many don’t lay down at all the last month or so. Seems they think it’s just too much work to get back up again, lol. They have a locking mechanism in their legs that allows them to sleep standing up. 
My mare didn’t lie down once the last five weeks of her pregnancy. It was awful, she would fall asleep and her legs collapsed so she would stumble forward. Most of the time she woke up before she went all the way down but towards the end she would fall all the way down a few times per day. I felt so awful for her. She couldn’t breathe very well when she laid down because the foal was gigantic so she just didn’t lay down. Poor thing.
I have two brood mares who have each had a few foals. One gets up and down all night and snores!!!–The other does not lie down once she is passed 6 months!!!- Two extremes. Actually the one that does not lie down is a much easier foal watch. If she is not lying down, nothing is going to happen. On the other hand, years ago I had a mare (dam of the snorer) who would foal standing up!!!–She would just sqat and dump the foal out!!
I had a tall, mare pregnant with what turned out to be a very substantial colt. She didn’t lay down the last couple months of her pregnancy. She did have a large corner feeder, and a dutch door in her stall. Both were at a height where she could lean and sort of sit on them. I actually reinforced the corner bucket for fear it would break under her. She would lean back and sit on her door for hours while she napped.
Yeah, same answer - I’ve had some that stop laying down, others that lay down more as they get closer to foaling. I figure all that bulk - makes it harder to get up, but some probably get tired of standing with all of that:eek:
I don’t know how much “normal” there is with later term pregnant mare. However, both of my mares lie down at night all the way through their pregnancy. Like mysticoakranch, I think they must get tired of standing on their feet with all that weight.
