Hi all- looking for some opinions as to whether this horse is, as the title says, fat or pregnant. Got this mare with no history, she was at a feedlot and I couldn’t leave her (I know, I know). I did hunt down a previous owner (thanks Internet!) but she only owned her for a couple months max but doesn’t think she’s been exposed to a stud, plus she hasn’t been really helpful with information… She wasn’t in bad shape when I got her about a month ago, but now she’s really gotten a bit big in the barrel, so it makes me wonder. I know I’ve certainly seen other fat horses and we do have great grass right now. Unfortunately, since I didn’t have any reason to believe she was pregnant, she’s been on fescue. Tomorrow the vet is supposed to come to do teeth on her and my friends horse, but I’m debating whether we’ll go ahead with that or just a pregnancy test!
Here are a bunch of pictures I took today:
http://m.imgur.com/a/31W9D
P.s. Isn’t she cute? Her barn name is Ivy.
Very cute! But she doesn’t look especially pregnant to me, just fat. I’d ask the vet and see what they recommend-- sometimes it’s easier to tell in person.
Thanks! The vet was sort of weird about it when she was out like, last week, no firm opinion, “only way to know for sure is to test” (duh) so I’m hoping she has more input tomorrow…
I think she looks more fat than pregnant also, although in the very last picture she does look a little preggers. Let us know what the vet says!
If she’s (potentially) more than a couple of months along, you can do a blood test for pregnancy–AFAIK it’s pretty cheap and accurate, and then you will know.
Yeah, I think I may as well… She would be assuming the previous owner was telling the truth.
[QUOTE=ernkinz;8692645]
Hi all- looking for some opinions as to whether this horse is, as the title says, fat or pregnant. Got this mare with no history, she was at a feedlot and I couldn’t leave her (I know, I know). I did hunt down a previous owner (thanks Internet!) but she only owned her for a couple months max but doesn’t think she’s been exposed to a stud, plus she hasn’t been really helpful with information… She wasn’t in bad shape when I got her about a month ago, but now she’s really gotten a bit big in the barrel, so it makes me wonder. I know I’ve certainly seen other fat horses and we do have great grass right now. Unfortunately, since I didn’t have any reason to believe she was pregnant, she’s been on fescue. Tomorrow the vet is supposed to come to do teeth on her and my friends horse, but I’m debating whether we’ll go ahead with that or just a pregnancy test!
Here are a bunch of pictures I took today:
http://m.imgur.com/a/31W9D
P.s. Isn’t she cute? Her barn name is Ivy.[/QUOTE]
The two states are not mutually exclusive. 
If her teeth need doing why would you delay that in favor of having her palpated? From the looks of her she’s not missing any meals so maybe her teeth are just fine. I’d have them checked (if you don’t feel comfortable doing that yourself).
G.
How long have you had her? When was she on the lot?
All the lots I’ve seen run the stallions with the mares, so it may be totally immaterial what the previous owners says…she might have gotten covered after she was sold.
She doesn’t look ready to drop a foal pregnant, but until the vet palpates and says “open,” anything is possible I sure have known a lot of people who have had surprise foals from their slaughter saves!
She IS adorable, and she looks pretty happy to have found you, too 
G-
My vet (it’s a long story, I don’t really want to continue using her) is super hesitant to palpate any mare and basically hates my mare since she thinks she’s mean. She’d want to do another pregnancy test and, from my understanding, not sedate her if she is pregnant. She’s very awkward around horses as well… She’s 6 so it’s my understanding that her teeth were not dire by any means but need to be done at some point. The reason she’s coming out ASAP (we intended to wait another month) is because he pasture mate, also from the lot, needs dental more urgently. I’m not using a bit on her though, just in case that might cause discomfort. Tell me if any of this doesn’t make sense because honestly I already want to switch vets but there’s a bit of small town politics involved and I’m a bit of a rerider, so teeth and stuff have just been scheduled by others and taken care of at the boarding barn when it was closed in my past!
[QUOTE=Simkie;8692802]
How long have you had her? When was she on the lot?
All the lots I’ve seen run the stallions with the mares, so it may be totally immaterial what the previous owners says…she might have gotten covered after she was sold.
She doesn’t look ready to drop a foal pregnant, but until the vet palpates and says “open,” anything is possible I sure have known a lot of people who have had surprise foals from their slaughter saves!
She IS adorable, and she looks pretty happy to have found you, too :)[/QUOTE]
Simkie- she was only there really briefly and apparently, according to the lot, dropped off by a horse trader (I don’t even want to know why a horse trader would think she was a good candidate for slaughter being that she’s a registered, sound 6 y.o…). I’ve only had her for about a month so definitely not enough time for her to show if she was bred there. I was thinking it was more likely that she could have been before the previous owner, which could have put it at January or February. Maybe that doesn’t make sense, but I don’t know too much about horse reproduction since I’ve never sought to enable it!
I think what has contributed to my suspicion is that I have also heard about a lot of surprise bundles of joy lately from slaughterbound mommas!
And thank you, I think she’s adjusting to the good life pretty well 
Sounds like you need a new vet…
You can sedate a pregnant mare - why not sedate and ultrasound, and have her teeth done at the same time?
[QUOTE=MysticOakRanch;8693279]
Sounds like you need a new vet…
You can sedate a pregnant mare - why not sedate and ultrasound, and have her teeth done at the same time?[/QUOTE]
That was my misunderstanding, I’m learning a lot all the time. Her teeth are getting done today which I’m super glad about because I want her to be in tip top shape!
Vet doesn’t have an ultrasound (see, I need a new vet) so she pulled blood. When I move her from my friends I will get a new vet.
Got the teeth done, I was confused before!
If she was bred in Jan/Feb of 2015, she would already have a foal at foot by now. In general, you’re looking at 11 months gestation for a horse. If she was covered in Jan or Feb of this year, she’d probably not be showing yet?
An ultrasound isn’t necessary–the vet can just palpate. Curious that option wasn’t offered! I hope the bloodtest is enlightening
So far, to me the horse just looks fat.
It’s hard to tell so early along though.
[QUOTE=Simkie;8693584]
If she was bred in Jan/Feb of 2015, she would already have a foal at foot by now. In general, you’re looking at 11 months gestation for a horse. If she was covered in Jan or Feb of this year, she’d probably not be showing yet?
An ultrasound isn’t necessary–the vet can just palpate. Curious that option wasn’t offered! I hope the bloodtest is enlightening :)[/QUOTE]
Jan/feb 2016, not 2015. She wouldn’t palpate because she says it can cause damage to the horse and really, she’s afraid of my horse. I realize this is very silly and I need a new vet/ to do training for ground stuff with her, but it’s only been 3 weeks.
[QUOTE=DJohn;8693933]
So far, to me the horse just looks fat.
It’s hard to tell so early along though.[/QUOTE]
FINGERS CROSSED FOR FAT!!!
[QUOTE=ernkinz;8694219]
Jan/feb 2016, not 2015. She wouldn’t palpate because she says it can cause damage to the horse and really, she’s afraid of my horse. I realize this is very silly and I need a new vet/ to do training for ground stuff with her, but it’s only been 3 weeks.[/QUOTE]
Ultrasounding and palpating are done in the same manner–arm up the butt. That’s an really odd reason to not palpate, and thousands of mares are palpated every breeding season with no damage. Honestly, I’d respect a vet a lot more with a “you know, I haven’t palpated a mare since school, let’s do this differently” vs some malarkey about it being dangerous! :lol:
But sounds like you know this vet is a little … unreasonable. Fingers crossed to a definitive result on the bloodwork! If you’d like to post your location, people here might have some ideas for you on a new vet
I had this same drama with a mare that came down to me from PA. We actually started to get kind of excited about a foal and what the different possibilities were that she could’ve gotten knocked up by.
We went to the vet who agreed it looked possible, but alas… she was just fat. Womp womp.
She’s a cutie for a feed lot find out out of a dealer trailer. Much better shape then usual. Most mares start to show at least a little about 5 or 6 months and don’t ovulate until late Jan or Feb so you’d need to know where she was then. It’s not impossible, have known of fall Oooops foals nobody ever fessed up to knowing how that happened. Palpating is cheap and easy if they are far enough along to be showing.
Your vet is embarrassing her profession. For your horse’s sake, find one who is not afraid of horses. I had a male vet once with the same problem. Had a colicky filly, he was too scared of her to give the tranq so I gave him the twitch and gave her the IM sedation shot myself. Filly was not doing anything ugly, he said she was so big it made him uncomfortable??? 15.3 on tiptoes? He went back to dog and cat work where he belonged at the request of the Senior Partner in the practice.
Get another vet who is familiar with horse handling to act in the best interests of you and the horse instead of decline to do a routine, inexpensive procedure on the grounds they are scared of the patient even if already sedated for another procedure.
