Advice please back legs filled.. Due 24th April

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Foxfolly

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Our mare is due to foal on the 24th April

For most of the winter she's been in a barn with our other mare and some calves.
We moved her into her foaling box last weekend, so she can get used to it before her big day. The box is huge (About 20'x 15' but samller than the barn!
Now her back legs are looking a bit puffy, what is the best thing to do? I'm sure its because she's got less room to move and also she's obviously bein g fed up with stud nuts (Has been for the last 3 months!)
Unfortunately we can't turn her out at the moment as our ground is absolutely saturated, also she has arthritis in her foot and is quite lame on hard or very soft ground.

I thought about trying to walk her out in hand but i'm not sure if she'll explode as she's been in most of the winter and I'm worried with her being so close if she gets away from me she might do herself or the foal some damage.

Any advice greatly apreciated!!
 
Stable bandages may well help reduce the puffiness. You are probably right about it being the reduction in space to move around on being the cause. Could you put her back in the barn for a walk & then when the puffiness has reduced apply the stable banages? I'm sure you know how to put them on, but if you don't please get someone to show you.
If she's fed up with Stud nuts (& who could blame her) why don't you introduce some stud mix as well,or gradually change her over from nuts to mix.
 
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Stable bandages may well help reduce the puffiness. You are probably right about it being the reduction in space to move around on being the cause. Could you put her back in the barn for a walk & then when the puffiness has reduced apply the stable banages? I'm sure you know how to put them on, but if you don't please get someone to show you.
If she's fed up with Stud nuts (& who could blame her) why don't you introduce some stud mix as well,or gradually change her over from nuts to mix.

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Yes i do know how to put bandages on..... I hate seeing them put on badly too!
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I'm a little unsure as to why you suggest putting her onto stud mix as opposed to nuts?
I was under the impression that nutritionally they were of similar value and that the only difference is that one is a mix the other is in pellet form.

.....Or did you think I said she was fed up with nuts?? I actually meant she is being fed up with nuts.. ie. lots of them!!
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She's a pig and will eat whatever you put in front of her!!!
 
I would try and walk her out and then the swelling will come down. You have to be careful with swelling because the lymphatic system in that area can be damaged with regular or constant swelling. If she is almost ready to foal, I would be tempted to turn her out in a small paddock (even an arena if you have one) as it will do her some good.

What will you do with the foalie when it arrives? It will need some turnout even if the ground is wet, so I am sure it will be ok to turn her out for an hour now she is almost at her estimated due date.

Of course, speak to your vet first if at all unsure
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What will you do with the foalie when it arrives? It will need some turnout even if the ground is wet, so I am sure it will be ok to turn her out for an hour now she is almost at her estimated due date.

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We're beginning to worry about that too, unfortunately we've got no arena, we were planning to fence off an area of our field for Nell and the foal with electric rope, but as the ground is so wet for the last month we've held off because if we go charging round in the tractor we're going to chew up the ground and also the stakes won't be very stable if they're put in, in wet ground!!
But its looking like we'll have to do it anyway asap so Nell can get out and walk off her elephant legs!!

How robust are foalies legs?? Only our ground is so wet at the moment that I sink a few inches when i'm walking accross it in my wellies, it is particularly heavy ground, quite a lot of clay type soil.
 
I know... ours is exactly the same!!! It's just so wet
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We also have clay type soil and it just doesn't drain anywhere
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It might dry up a bit yet hopefully!
 
I had a nightmare of a time with this with my mares legs before she foaled in February.

I bandaged her and begged everyone on the yard to take her out for me so she got lots of little walks through the day.

Once the foal was born her legs are back to normal.
 
Yes I did think you meant that she was fed up as in pi**ed of with the stud nuts - thats why I suggested the change !!
 
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Don't worry, my mare's legs filled before she foaled but this resolved when the foal had been born.

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Well you were spot on, she took us by surprise... no warning, no waxing up or obvious mood or muscle change.... just dropped a beautiful coloured filly foal whilst we were at work yesterday. Both mother(A maiden) and foal are doing great.
And her fat legs have gone completely!!

She must have popped her out in the morning cos we didn't get back til 6 and she was already bone dry, suckled and trotting round the stable playing football with her mothers bucket!! The only time we've seen the foal lie down was first thing this morning, she's an active little thing!!
 
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make sure you take the metal handle off the bucket as these foals have glass legs and are into everything!! think 2 yr old child!! Good Luck

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We don't have buckets with metal handles!! I've seen too many destroyed and my last horse got a really nasty deep wound from a bucket that hooks on the gate so I just use those flexible plastic ones!!
 
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