If the mare is dripping milk, there’s no plug. Mares drip, and then even stream, milk all on their own, very regularly, without infection.
I have only had that happen right before delivery on any of my mares. Waxing up just prior to foaling also means the teat plug is gone.
I would not consider it normal at any other time during the pregnancy for anything to be coming from the udder.
It is very common for mares to drip for a couple weeks, and even stream as they get closer.
I’m not talking months - that’s a danger sign.
But a couple/three weeks is totally normal (which doesn’t mean all mares do)
The Equine Repro people have no problem expressing a little bit of milk onto a test strip once that process has started.
I’ve milk tested dozens of pregnant mares for literally decades with no issues.
Sorry for the lack of updates, I’ve been working 3 jobs trying to be able to afford her foaling stall… and of course had to learn from the property owners that the stud left 3 weeks after I was told he had. She had started showing signs of getting to the last leg, but then stopped. I honestly see no changes but I see her everyday so here are some pictures.
This morning
3/5
3/4
Has her hind end always looked like there are sunken muscles on either side of her spine, or is that new?
Getting to the “last leg”, as in acting uncomfy? Probably the foal starting to move into foaling position
She doesn’t " look" pregnant to me at all. I know some can really hide it well and she looks long bodied, but are you sure?
If you upped her feed it could all be her. The fact that no vet or those at vet school actually felt a foal is so strange to me.
I will happily be wrong and can’t wait to check in and see a foal
Got any udder pics?
Also - do you have straw ready to go when she is showing signs of imminent foaling? You want straw in there for a week or 2, not shavings.
My money is on not pregnant for what that is worth.
This was also from yesterday. Her hips have been slowing sinking in like that (in front above flank)for about 2 days, that day she spent the entire morning lying down (unusual for her) and her tail had been more prominent that day, but no foal or signs of contractions. I would say false pregnancy, except that I’ve seen and felt foal kicks and her belly is quite distended. She’s had straw for about 4-5 days now, I cleaned her stall out after that last pic with shavings and put in the straw you see from yesterday’s pictures (cleaning and adding more daily). I’ll look for a good picture that shows her at about this fitness without the obvious (to me and those that knew her before this all happened) pregnancy belly. And unless there is another explanation for the alien movements that feel like when I was pregnant except much larger body parts and how tight her belly is (like when I was about 9 months pregnant) …I’m going to say it’s a very safe bet that she is very pregnant.
These first 2 are from 2020:
This was last Spring. She had a nice layer of fat over her ribs but wasn’t in any kind of work due to not having a place to ride/work her.
Snapchat-358968641
Alien movements…that have become more pronounced since this was taken. Baby is just camera shy so no more videos have been captured
Well something is moving in there Not much udder yet so you may be a lot longer in waiting. Have a supply of colostrum on hand in case the mare foals without any milk.
I did a quick scan through the past comments so forgive me if you already answered this - has she ever had a foal before, at least to your knowledge?
The udder looks like it could be a normal one for a mare who previously foaled, even years ago BUT, to me, it looks could easily be a maiden udder with the start of some filling in the back, with the actual nipples starting to enlarge just a bit too.
I’d start watching/documenting her udder at least every days, especially any comparison between morning (after a night of less movement/stalling) and night (after moving around more) Early stages of udder development can look pretty normal after lots of movement, and then fill with less movement and that fill amount, and duration, is more and longer as she gets closer.
She is maiden and her udder started swelling to this point about 4 weeks ago? I do think the teats are slightly more swollen than when swelling first started. And she’s all but dripping when doing the milk tests (been doing them about every 3-4 days) when previously it was more like having to milk her, now it’s just a slight pressure to release the milk. Her milk tests have always been as follows:
She needs to be both in the 95% and foaling range to be considered “most likely” to foal in 24 hours.