Dorienna, you can usually throw out what the mare does the first time. That doesn’t mean that they won’t repeat what the did the first time but they generally don’t. The second and third times tend to be better indicators.
JB, while it is common to have a mare get a little ribby in later pregnancy you have to work hard to get her up to a good weight before she foals. Otherwise you are fighting a losing battle. I would add BOSS to the mix and keep hay in front of her at all times. Maybe up the beet pulp some and add oil if necessary. I add alfalfa into the diet the last few weeks and all through nursing for the extra calcium but it wouldn’t hurt to add it now for extra calories.
Already there Laurie 
No alfalfa hay yet, but alfalfa pellets have been added, and a third meal has been added. She does have hay all the time, but she’s just not a Hay Hoover. She’ll probably change her tune when I get some alf hay though.
I was going to post a recent picture of my girl, but I think my cell phone warps it a little so she doesn’t look all that big. Once she gets near/around Day 300, I’ll start taking daily pictures from a few different angles.
I might have posted this before but…a friend and I refer to that book as “Stephen King for Mare Owners”.
I’m getting nervous! I just put up my foaling cameras today.
I have a young maiden mare who is due mid-May. She is super sweet but so dramatic and I worry of how she will react to the weirdness going on in her body when she goes into labor.
So far, I have seen her scrootching her lip around (like they do when you itch them in the good spots) but no one was near her and she wasn’t rubbing herself on a wall either. I think the baby might have been moving and she liked it. She had that goofy happy look on her face. Tonight when I was grooming her, she was forcing me to curry her belly by pushing into me and positioning herself to my curry to where she wanted scratched. Maybe that baby is itchy too? Haha!
I too have read the horror stories. I guess its good so that I’m prepared but it does scare the crap out of me! My vet tells me to stop reading horror stories on the internet. I’m driving her crazy with all my “what if’s” I just can’t help it! I’m nervous and crazy-excited!
JB- did you figure out what the edema was?
Don’t have much to add because my mare isn’t pregnant (yet) but I’ll hopefully need someone to hold my newbie hand next year!
Wasn’t my edema
[QUOTE=About Time;5403687Tonight when I was grooming her, she was forcing me to curry her belly by pushing into me and positioning herself to my curry to where she wanted scratched. Maybe that baby is itchy too? Haha![/QUOTE]
Maybe she’s getting itchy stretch mares? You should rub some cocoa butter lotion on her belly :lol:.
Haha Amastrike! I just might try that. LOL!
I think I’m going to take pictures of her about every 10 or 15 days and start compiling a little album of how she’s changing. I think that’d be interesting to watch the progression.
The mare is HYOOOOOOGE. I don’t know how she’s going to last another two months without exploding. But she doesn’t seem to care–she moves around okay. Maybe I need to adjust to my new glasses :lol:.
Man, my baby is lazy. I’ve only felt it move that once. Today I was poking and rubbing and rocking her belly and telling the baby to wake up, but s/he refused to move. Hopefully this blase-ness will carry over to riding.
Oh goodness amastrike! I’ve seen some mares that looked like they swallowed a house and still had 2-3 months to go LOL I’m SO glad mine doesn’t look like that!
Baby was SUPER active the other morning, her whole belly was visibly moving from several feet away, bouncing and poking. I felt so bad for her LOL Hopefully this will NOT carry over to riding :lol:
[QUOTE=JB;5410035]
Oh goodness amastrike! I’ve seen some mares that looked like they swallowed a house and still had 2-3 months to go LOL I’m SO glad mine doesn’t look like that!
Baby was SUPER active the other morning, her whole belly was visibly moving from several feet away, bouncing and poking. I felt so bad for her LOL Hopefully this will NOT carry over to riding :lol:[/QUOTE]
JB, getting a little verklempt here. Excited for you!
as of today my maiden mare is exactly 320 days. You can take her tail and lift it over your head with almost no resistance. tis morning I finally see the start of a significant bag forming. I really don’t think she will keep the little guy inside for another 20 days. So today I’m going to wash and bag her tail (she has a rather thick and impressive tail & i don’t look forward to having to clean it if she goes without the bottom covered) and start keeping a closer eye on her. She is normally a vaccum cleaner and yesterday it took her 45 min to eat her breakfast that normally takes her 15 min to eat. I think I’m down to the wire.
Cripplecreekfarm, that is best username ever!!! Good luck with your girl, and keep us posted. Any photos?
amastrike - that is the name of my farm. originally I lived on Cripple Creek Ridge so that was the name of the farm. Since then we have moved & we just kept the name of the farm cause I like it. i don’t have any pictures because my digital camera has decided to crap out on me but I’m on the way to the store right now to get a new one so I can take plenty of baby pictures. This is my first foal by my stallion Ace.
Good luck CCF! I hope she goes soon and saves you weeks of waiting LOL
JB I would like her to hold out for a a little while longer. They are calling for snow on Thursday & I would like her to hold off until next week sometime but with Murphy’s Law, she will foal on Wed night or Thurs morning.
Cripple, I wouldn’t be surprised if you got your wish and then some! Talk to us in 6 weeks when your eyes are so glazed over you can’t see straight.
Laurie I really do hope I get my wish! Even I’m excited to see what exactly is baking in there I’m not sure I’m mentally ready for grandmotherhood just yet. It has always seemed so far off where as yesterday I finally realized it was right around the corner.
I also own “Blessed are the Broodmares”, bought it a few years ago. It makes me want to vomit in terror! I stop trying to read it as I figure it will do me more harm than good.
Does anyone have any decent foaling books? Considering doing it at home this year. Have two people who are experienced and can help, but obviously it would mostly be on me. Also, vets not so accessible, which is why I’ve always sent them to Lexington. Would like to be able to do it at home.
Sonesta, coloredcowhorse, et al- when the milk changes colors/tastes, what sort of time frame are we talking about? I have an older injured mare who I will DEFINITELY take somewhere to foal out, but I always panic and take them waaaay too early and it always costs me a fortune. I’d like to get it closer to when she foals.
Good luck everyone! May the foals be with you!
