Breeding Question for in-foal mare please - sorry a bit long

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Folara

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Millie was a maiden mare last year but we sadly lost the foal as he was still-born. She had cysts when we were trying to inseminate her but it never caused a problem and she took straight away.


We decided to try again but the cysts were a little worse and we had trouble. We couldnt try earlier as she had an infection after losing the foal.

She was inseminated on 8th July and scanned as not in foal on 23rd July.

Re-inseminated on 9th and 11th August and scanned as IN-foal on 6th September with approx a 25 day pregnancy.

The problem: SHE IS MASSIVE. I mean Really HUGE and I cant see how she can go till 19th July. She is not fat either. Her nipples are big and so is the bit in front. She is also getting 'baggy' in the vulva and softer around her tail base.

What is the poss. of her actually being IN foal from the first time she was inseminated?

Could she be having twins even tho. vets couldnt see two when they scanned?

Vet is coming tomorrow so will get him to look but just wanted some other experienced advice as well.

Thanks.
 
I'm sorry to hear she lost her foal last year.

If she was inseminated on 8th July and was then inseminated again on the 9th August, the vet doing the AI would have scanned her to determine when she was ovulating so she would not be in foal from the 8th July. It is however possible to miss twins on a scan, fairly rare, but not impossible.

You are doing the right thing in getting your vet to have a look and feel, he will be able to tell you what is going on and how she is progressing, and will hopefully put your mind at rest.
 
My mare was enormous 4 months before she foaled, its unlikely the vet will have missed the pregnancy fisrt time also he would have recognised a older fetus. try not to worry every horse is different......Just like people!!!
 
I'm not very well up as only bred one foal but....

I wouldn't worry about how huge she is, it amazed me just how big mares go and they always look like they will burst at the seams! If she was scanned as not in foal and was re inseminated I presume before the 2nd attempt she was in season and had produced a follicle which if she was pregnant she wouldn't have done so chances of being in foal from 1st attempt would be nil to very slim I would have thought. If she isn't waxing or producing milk I wouldn't panic but I'd just keep a close eye on her 2 be sure or get vet to check her out but dont let them do what my dumbass vet did and try and rectally scan her though doubt they would at the stage your mare is at. Hope that helps.
 
Thanks for the replies. I am more than likely being neurotic after last year - it broke our hearts and we nearly didnt bother again.

My vet is a very experienced AI man so you are prob. all right about not being in foal from the first time. I know tho that it was difficult to see everything due to the cysts but yes you are right she wouldnt have had the follicles the second time round if she was.

He wont do an internal I am sure.

Shes not waxing but does have the clear stuff coming out.

Maybe she is just huge this time round as its 2nd foal?
 
To be honest it doesn't sound as if she's as far away as the 19th July. It's not so much her size that makes me think that its the other signs you say she is showing - esp the loosening of the vulva & the softening in the pelvic region. Twins wouldn't necessarily show up on the scan - esp if one was behind the other.
Hope all is well, especially after your tragic experience last year, which I rememebr you posting about -perhaps you could let us know what the vet says?
 
Hi zebedee, vet is coming this morning so I will post on here to let you know what he says.
Two month just seems a long way off for how she looks but like I said I think I am being a bit paranoid.
 
Hopefully your vet will put you at ease. We have a mare expecting her 2nd foal & she is huge compared to Mo who is due in 3/4wks & is due to foal 1st. Like some women after their 1st pregnancy, mares can be bigger after their 1st foal
 
Vet has just been and all is well.

Yes she is BIG and the vet was surprised at her size but said some are just like that!

She has definately gone a bit soft on her tail base and a little more relaxed in the vulva but again that could be just normal.

She is getting bigger in the boob department but she is not bagging up enough to be 'due' soon.

He said very highly unlikely that it was from the first pregnancy as putting in the semen the 2nd time and opening everything up etc would have effectively 'killed off' any poss. pregnancy. Also as she had a follicle the second time she was therefore in season and not likely to be pregnant.

Very doubtful it is twins as even with the cysts they had a really good look on the scan and couldnt see anything.

My vet is so super and knows how much we went through last year so he understands about me being a paranoid mummy.

SO....... we dont want her to have an early baby (certainly not this early) and the wait till D-Day will continue with (hopefully) a little less paranoia!!

Thanks everyone.
 
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