Confusing advice about my mare

Rhossili

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Hey everyone, don’t know why I’m sharing but I guess I just need to share with fellow pony people
I’ve had my mare, who will be 4 in June, since July 2018. She was very petite when I got her but she’s been piling on the pounds even though she’s on low sugar/starch diet as my other pony is EMS. Minimal grass in the field and my EMS pony has lost weight over winter (planned) but my mare has got fatter.
I asked the vet at her vaccines in December and she said it was just her shape as to why she had a large tummy and with work in the spring she will tone up
There’s no chance she’s been covered whilst being with me and the previous owner said no chance from April 2018 onwards and doubtful before that too
Yesterday I saw these abdominal movements and the vet said they’re from gas?
To ultrasound her they want her travelled there to go in the sticks or sedated at my yard, and I’m really not keen to put her through the stress and trauma of either unless I absolutely have to
She doesnt have any swelling around her teats
Basically Ive always had geldings and totally utterly clueless with mates and breeding but something just doesn’t sit right with me that’s shes just fat
And if she is I need to do something ASAP or She’ll be in real trouble going in to spring!! :(
So this is us and I just needed somewhere to share hope that’s ok
P.s not sure how to attach the videos? I’ll try and link them
 

PapaverFollis

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I'm betting on preggers too. If it was her shape to have a belly that dipped like that I'd expect a dippy back to go with it... get another vet out.
 

Rhossili

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Yea it is the stud vet who wants the sedate but I guess I couldn’t get them out for just a health check

havent seen and standard
Season ‘signs’ that I’ve seen in friends mares but again when I asked the vet said that can be expected as she’s so young so I don’t know :(
 

paddi22

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I know the answer is yes, but is all worming up to date? it does look like a preggers belly shape :(
 

WandaMare

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When I got my mare I was worried she was pregnant and my vet came out and did an examination of her, no ultrasound, and confirmed she was not pregnant. I didn't need to get her sedated or anything.
 

Rhossili

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Wormed when I got her in July, did an egg count in sept came back as 300 so under vets advice I wormed her then and again in November, due another worm egg count now but not done it yet
 

AmyMay

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Why on earth would they want to sedate? I’m another who’s going to say preheats - and if she is there’s bigger all you can do about it, except be prepared.

Is she stabled at all?
 

Rhossili

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She said for safety because it’s a rectal ultrasound probe? I have no idea about these things
Yes they’re stabled over night and out approx 10hours in the day just her and my gelding
I don’t even know where to start I guess I need to start googling ASAP
 

The Fuzzy Furry

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I think you'll only need to wait a couple of weeks or so, poss a month?
If last owner said def not covered from April onwards, if she was in foal then you'll have a result by beginning of May.
I'd just get vet to do internal manual check.

I had an unexpected foal last year, mare was doing xc on the Sunday, foal arrived early Friday morning... but, I had only purchased the mare 6 weeks prior, from breeder, my vet had said 10 days before that she was a little round, so to up the workload.... all went well tho.
I've had a number foal down in the past, but this maiden didnt wax up, no signs at all even the night before. I'd even only 4 days before, put her properly out with the 3 others!
 

Peregrine Falcon

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Looking at her shape I would be suspicious that she is in foal. She doesn't look like she is carrying too much weight on her shoulder but has a rather large belly!

I've had ultrasounds done at my yard without being in stocks. Is she quiet to handle? One mare just had an internal so I would be tempted to ask your vet for one.
 

Cortez

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You should be able to feel movement of the foal yourself through the flank, they start to kick around quite a bit in the final months. I have never, ever had to sedate for a scan or rectal exam - is your vet a breeding vet?
 

Rhossili

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I think you'll only need to wait a couple of weeks or so, poss a month?
If last owner said def not covered from April onwards, if she was in foal then you'll have a result by beginning of May.
I'd just get vet to do internal manual check.

I had an unexpected foal last year, mare was doing xc on the Sunday, foal arrived early Friday morning... but, I had only purchased the mare 6 weeks prior, from breeder, my vet had said 10 days before that she was a little round, so to up the workload.... all went well tho.
I've had a number foal down in the past, but this maiden didnt wax up, no signs at all even the night before. I'd even only 4 days before, put her properly out with the 3 others!

Woah!! That’s crazy I bet that was a shock and a half!!! So glad they were both ok!!
 

Rhossili

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Yea I think so, they said they’d got the stud vet to speak to me?
I’ve got videos of what I thought was kicking on the underside of her tummy but the vet said it’s gas?

Hmm well also I’ve just managed to contact the person who I got her from, who has contacted the person she got her from, who said that he got her from a dealer who had an Arab stallion? Dates are around March/April 2018?
 

hobo

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From the sideway on photo and with the information you have just given look forward to a lovely Arab cross foal sometime soon. Anything from 11 months to 13 months is considered normal as mares can control it somehow strange but true.
 

SusieT

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To be fair - why should a vet risk breaking an arm if the stable door isnt the right height and the horse is a youngster and wriggly? W dont actually know what the facilities are like or the mares temperment and a wriggly scan over a stable door can and will break a vets arm and /or scanner.
I would travel her to the stocks to get an exam and or scan - if shes that near foaling she should be easily identifiable on manual exam
 

Pearlsasinger

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To be fair - why should a vet risk breaking an arm if the stable door isnt the right height and the horse is a youngster and wriggly? W dont actually know what the facilities are like or the mares temperment and a wriggly scan over a stable door can and will break a vets arm and /or scanner.
I would travel her to the stocks to get an exam and or scan - if shes that near foaling she should be easily identifiable on manual exam



Fair enough but dismissing probable foal movement as gas is inexcusable without an exam.
 

paddi22

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Yeah, you would need to start thinking about her nutrition now, just so if she is in foal it gets what it needs.
 
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