Dave's Mam
Well-Known Member
Oh exciting!
Anyone bought a mare and found she was in foal?
- Thread starter Ali27
- Start date
nagblagger
Mildred's Maid
Maybe there should be a thread for all the bogof foals on HHO, with photos to include when you got the mare (the is she or isn't she) and of course the foal.
Tarragon
Well-Known Member
How exciting! Perhaps not what you had paid/bargained/planned for, but exciting anyway. Looking forward to hearing the vet report!
Laurac13
Well-Known Member
She looks suspicious to me too. Great you have a local stud should you need their help. ? try not to worry till you’ve had the vet out xx
ycbm
Overwhelmed
Edited for clarity.
I don't think it's unusual, especially in the wild, for a filly to be pregnant in the second year after it was born and give birth in the third year after it was born. But I've never heard before of one impregnated as a yearling and giving birth the following year. Poor little girl, she is very lucky that she has ended up with you.
.
I don't think it's unusual, especially in the wild, for a filly to be pregnant in the second year after it was born and give birth in the third year after it was born. But I've never heard before of one impregnated as a yearling and giving birth the following year. Poor little girl, she is very lucky that she has ended up with you.
.
Last edited:
Ali27
Well-Known Member
I gave her the biggest hug tonight, cried and said sorry! Absolutely devastated that a baby at 2.5 could be in foal? I absolutely love her already and will do my absolute best for her and foal and they will be with me forever?
Caol Ila
Well-Known Member
My teen mom gave birth a couple weeks before her third birthday. Her full sister, who is a year younger (so three at the end of June this year), had a foal in March. *facepalm, facepalm, facepalm*. How do I know this, you ask? Her breeder posted about the sister's foal on Facebook. *more facepalm, facepalm, facepalm*.
Fabel
...
My vet told me that a pregnant 3yo was the equivalent of a pregnant teenager so ??
Ali27
Well-Known Member
It’s just unbelievable! I absolutely hate the idea!My vet told me that a pregnant 3yo was the equivalent of a pregnant teenager so ??
Ali27
Well-Known Member
It’s just so wrong! That’s why I cried tonight and said sorry to her ?My teen mom gave birth a couple weeks before her third birthday. Her full sister, who is a year younger (so three at the end of June this year), had a foal in March. *facepalm, facepalm, facepalm*. How do I know this, you ask? Her breeder posted about the sister's foal on Facebook. *more facepalm, facepalm, facepalm*.
ycbm
Overwhelmed
My teen mom gave birth a couple weeks before her third birthday. Her full sister, who is a year younger (so three at the end of June this year), had a foal in March. *facepalm, facepalm, facepalm*. How do I know this, you ask? Her breeder posted about the sister's foal on Facebook. *more facepalm, facepalm, facepalm*.
I have edited my post for clarity. Pregnant in the year she becomes 2 and giving birth in the year she becomes 3 is not that unusual, unwelcome as it was for you to buy a filly who was in foal when you didn't want her to be.
The OPs filly is simply too young to be giving birth, and unlucky to have been caught in her yearling year, poor little thing.
.
Fabel
...
If she was to young to be giving birth the pregnancy would not have held. Pleasant no but nature being nature, yes
ycbm
Overwhelmed
My vet told me that a pregnant 3yo was the equivalent of a pregnant teenager so ??
And a pregnant, about to give birth, 2 year old is like a pregnant 12 year old child, probably.
But it isn't common in nature, is it? Probably because being fertile at 1 and giving birth at 2 in the wild with no after care kills so many of them that the genes for such early fertility don't get passed on.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6732036/
Fabel
...
Yes it is common in nature, out on the moors etc it is not uncommon. A pregnant 2yo would equate to a pregnant 14yo. I only know this as I have been through the situation buying a young and un knowingly pregnant filly 13 years ago
Ali27
Well-Known Member
I just hope she’s ok! Not got her insured either!? So hopefully no complications ?
ycbm
Overwhelmed
In the research I have pointed to above, not a single foal was born to a mare in her 2 year old year.
.
AmyMay
Situation normal
If you tie her up, and stand quietly with your arms on her belly, you may well feel the foal moving.
ycbm
Overwhelmed
I would be asking your vet how to support her going forward to compensate for the fact that she will have been giving her foal the minerals intended to build her own skeleton.
You have the whole of HHO crossing their fingers for the three of you. Good luck!
.
Ali27
Well-Known Member
Oh god! I hope she is ok??
Hackback
Well-Known Member
I think she looks quite mature for 2 so maybe she is an early developer? I have no idea what age fillies start having seasons usually. Good luck with the vet.
Ali27
Well-Known Member
I stood in the field tonight with her and could feel belly moving!
tda
Well-Known Member
Yes I purchased a very young looking, just turned 3 yr old fell filly, she grew a bit of a tummy which I wasn't concerned about as she was so poor when she arrived, but then she gave birth overnight to a big filly foal which sadly did not survive the birth.
I also purchased an older mare who was not confirmed in foal, but had been running with a stallion so I thought she was so I was happy when she did have a cracking colt shortly after
I also purchased an older mare who was not confirmed in foal, but had been running with a stallion so I thought she was so I was happy when she did have a cracking colt shortly after
Ali27
Well-Known Member
I was never going to back her when she was 3 so definitely won’t start doing anything until she is 4! Have been feeding her and giving minerals and vitamins since she came! She will have what ever she needs to keep her healthy?
meleeka
Well-Known Member
It may be better for her to stay where she is, depending on how far along she is. A quick search brought this up: https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/threads/in-foal-mares-travelling-question.225900/
Obviously it’s not ideal to have electric fencing, but plenty of foals are born in fields with electric fencing and come to no harm. How big is the field?
ycbm
Overwhelmed
Ali27
Well-Known Member
I’ve got a 5 acre field! My other two are on around 1/2 acre as on a diet! The field is hedges/ sheep netting and post and rail around perimeter. I just use electric tape and plastic posts to section off parts! Will get post and rail in asap but need ground to soften!
Ali27
Well-Known Member
Dave's Mam
Well-Known Member
& Janet's still helping people from beyond the grave. *tips hat
Caol Ila
Well-Known Member
OP said her filly is 2.5. If she foals soon, she's only a few months younger than Hermosa and not far off the age of her wee sister. Anyway, if it makes you feel better, OP, the vet was not that concerned by my filly being pregnant (amused, for sure, but not concerned) and did not think that she was at higher risk of complications than any other maiden mare. Not that the breeder should be letting her colts knock up her fillies! It was, however, a massive ballache for me because the horse had been unhandled up until I bought her in March, and when she foaled in early June, she reverted to a feral state. That was fun. Vet warned that a young, confused mom might reject a foal or need assistance to get the foal nursing, but that's a risk with any mare of any age. My horse was a good mother, at any rate, and seemed to know exactly what to do. I think she wants a full time job as a broodmare.
Last edited:
Ali27
Well-Known Member
Mine was unhandled until end of July when I got her! She is super friendly though so hoping she doesn’t go feral! She loves the mini likits though so I’m giving her a few mins with one each day so should be a good bribe! Helped her have hooves trimmed last week too?