…I knew I should have stayed with geldings…
My mare was getting a good bath today and I was cleanign her udder as it gets grungy when lo and behold. .MILK.
I’m talking squirtable, milkable, MILK.
She is NOT pregnant.
Is this normal? Does it go away? Should I do anytihng about it?
I’ll call the vet tomorrow, but I don’t think it’s worth a Sunday call…Maybe while I’ve got him, I’ll ask if there is a way to turn my mare into a gelding.
NJR
Someone in my area had their mare spayed 
I don’t remember the exact price but I remember it was cheaper than I was expecting.
I’ve got an older mare who has a cyst on an ovary, and she has made ‘milk’ for a couple of years now. Otherwise she’s fine, so I just let it be.
I had a pony mare dripping one spring and she has never ever been bred ~ stopped as suddenly as it had started - I never knew the reason ~ just grateful she stopped dripping. Anxious to hear a reason ~
It happens. 
If she’s otherwise A-OK I wouldn’t sweat it. But you ARE sure there aren’t (or weren’t) any stallions around . . ?
Happens to my mare too and was told that it isn’t that unusual. And there isn’t a stallion in sight. 
If there is absolutely, positively NO chance she is pg, then a couple of things can cause it…
This time of year it’s not uncommon when they get clover to have some estrogenic reactions. Soy --or just soy on top of the clover etc., can cause it.
Multiparous mares sometimes always have some letdown with stimulation, however usually that is not milk it’s more of a clear fluid.
Mastitis is a concern–but teats will be hot/hard and full.
If she’s just letting down ‘something’ with stimulation… most likely culprit is spring grass/clover/other green stuff with phytoestrogens.
Having said all that… proud cut geldings, yearlings, and all sorts of other situations where there are dangly bits can end up with surprizes… you SURE? :eek: :winkgrin:
Is it really milk- or is it a clearish liquid? My mare always had a merky fluid that would discharge from her teets, I was told it was normal and not to worry about it.
Have you taken her temperature?
[QUOTE=gloriginger;4934298]
Is it really milk- or is it a clearish liquid? My mare always had a merky fluid that would discharge from her teets, I was told it was normal and not to worry about it.[/QUOTE]
Same with my mare. It’s not that uncommon for mares, especially ones who have foaled.
Same with my mare. Its a clearish liquid and I can literally milk her like a cow. She gets alfalfa in her hay and clover in her field and has soy in her feeds. Ive always heard it has to do with the phytoestrogens. I wouldnt worry but call your vet if you would like just to be sure.
BTW my mare has never foaled. I never had this problem until I moved them home and she started eating the clover and hay that is here.
It happens. If she’s otherwise A-OK I wouldn’t sweat it. But you ARE sure there aren’t (or weren’t) any stallions around . . ?
Only 11…but they are all well controlled by the stud manager and there have been no oopses!
Definitely not pregnant.
Interesting that it isn’t that rare.
I’ll talk to my vet in the AM.
NJR
We once bought an elderly pony, my vet came to give her a once over. He proceeded to spray a stream of milk across the barn aisle and I nearly fainted.
Turns out, she had been out on clover and getting soy so we suspected phytoestrogens. It stopped shortly after we got her as we fed her differently than her prior owner.
When I first got my mare she did this. She was out in about 40 acres with access to clover and alfalfa. Course she was so butterball round we actually weren’t sure if she was preggers or not. Found out she wasn’t and it was a sheer miracle she hadn’t foundered with the amount and percentage of protein she was getting.
Clover and soy both will do it to my mares. I killed a LOT of clover in the last month and no more lactating mares. Didn’t kill it all, just killed enough of it to put a big dent in the clover population. I can keep them off of soy but the clover is a pest to deal with.
Seen this happen with two mares I owned. Both times it was clover.
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