Hannah's bag - again (husband thinks this is horse porno!)

[_jetset_]

Well, Hannah's bag is much bigger this morning. She is still quite restless, not eating much of her haylage and is looking totally fed up! She is going out when the ground softens up a bit, but I cannot believe how quickly it has changed.

I couldn't get a picture of her, but her body shape has completely changed over night. Her shoulder is completely defined but then just behind it her belly is really protruding and low. Much more so than it was last night.
Today:

1st February:

 

[_jetset_]

Forgot to add it is absolutely rock hard too... but she is ok about me touching it etc.

 

[sallyf]

Dont be panicking just yet they will get a huge amount bigger than that.
The teats will also be full right up and just look like they are going to burst.

 

[Tempi]

its really filling up isnt it? gosh im so excited!!

What with this and your Spencer lesson tomoro!!

 

[darkangel1243]

Here is a picture of my friends mare Flight who foaled 3 days later,her bag was tracked all the way up her belly and very large so large that her nipples could hardly be seen (She is wet from the rain not sweaty. Not a good picture but it was pouring with rain and we were trying not to get the camera wet!!)
She looks roughly like your mare's build it might help you to judge if she is ready to drop or not..

She was bang on her dates.

 

[_jetset_]

That picture looks like Hannah's belly today... that is what I meant when I said the shoulder has become defined and the bump has dropped and moved backwards. I'll try to get a photo of her tonight, but today she was not cooperating.

This is not her first foal either... she had one when she was 3 we think.

 

[measles]

Looks like she's on her way! We found with our older mare who had had a few foals that she bagged up earlier. With both of ours it was the dripping from their teats that indicated the foal would be born in the next 36/48 hours.

Very exciting!

 

[_jetset_]

From the rapid change in her body shape and the size of her bag (it has come on so quickly and is not going down with exercise at all now, in fact I would say it gets bigger while she is out in the field) I think she may be one of those that just surprises you and it all happens quite quickly. Up until last week there was not much change in her bag, but in the last two days it has really swollen up (in real life it looks much more than these pictures) and her teats have become much larger. She has always had droopy boobies (

) but they are now hanging below her leg so you can see them without even looking up...

 

[Kelly1982]

Oh i am so excited for you

Keep the pics coming as it so interesting to see her changing

 

[magic104]

They are all different, some mares even foal differently ie run milk hours before foaling, or a day or 2 before. Sas foaled 2wks after this was taken & it was her 2nd foal, which she chose to have outside in the afternoon. Not sure why as she was not being disturbed in the evenings & she had 2 other mares in the field with her.

 

[viola]

I cared after pregnant mares at a stud some time ago and from what I remember the udder fills two to four weeks pre-foaling so she seems to be heading towards her date beautifully

My vet also always said to observe the croup rather than shoulders - when the muscles in the croup go soft and flat the time is coming fast

 

[_jetset_]

Thanks for that picture... Looking at other mares photos makes me realise how droopy Hannah's boobies really are

I think there will be a further increase in her bag size tonight (as over night last night it had increased a hell of a lot, and yesterday during the day too). I'll try to get anothe photo if I can.

My friend's horse did not run milk at all before foaling and surprised everyone, but had plenty when the foal arrived... so I agree with you that they are all different. Some mares go quite late and others foal earlier every time.

All I know is that I am not sleeping, I can think of nothing else and I feel sick when thinking about it

 

[_jetset_]

Muscles very soft in her bottom today, even more so than they were last night, and she keeps standing like a rocking horse!

 

[lennysmith]

If she's anything like Josie you still have a little way to go. That bag will get LOADS bigger. but as you say she could decide to do it all on the quick.

Loads of love and luck from this end. I know completely how you're feeling (actually getting a bit envious!!)

 

[MillionDollar]

OMG, can't believe how much shes changing, how exciting!

I'd be panocking every minute if i was in your situation, lol.

 

[Equibeau]

So excited for you, cant wait to see what pops out!

 

[no_no_nanette]

How exciting! I'm following this with obsessive interest, 'cos as you know my mare Beth is due to foal May 5th ... and we are both new to the experience , so I'm really hoping to learn from you and Hannah! It does look as though she's very close to foaling; you must be sooooo excited! Is her stable near your house, and have you got any sort of a foaling alarm? Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[squirtlysmum]

I hate to be a meany but my mare had me fooled for a long time and kept changing shape and lying down and looking at her tum etc, 23 days later out plopped foal!

 

[Tia]

Aw bless her. I think she probably still has a fair way to go though so you needn't worry too much just yet.

I am finding it soooooooo exciting too!!!

 

[_jetset_]

Thanks everyone... just worried because she has totally gone off her food and has not eaten any of her haylage today. My husband has turned her out and said she is acting very restless (and he does not know much about horses)

 

[Enfys]

I too, am watching Hannahs progress with interest, I suppose her not eating and being restless could just be because she's so uncomfortable. It was a long time ago but when I was pregnant I got totally fed up with the baby playing football and I didn't want to eat either (unless it was bananas, I should have had a monkey!) and as for getting comfortable, forget it!

My mare is huge and not due for ages yet (I hope) and she has an incredibly active foal, you can see it kicking from several feet away and if you actually touch it......you get kicked, I hope it's not as feisty as it feels once it arrives.

When is her due date? Good luck, this is so exciting, I love this time of year with a new batch of HHO foals (and babies) due.

This was Lola a week ago, if this had been my previous mare I would have been expecting a delivery imminently, but this one is going to keep me wondering until the end I think.

 

[_jetset_]

Han is due at the beginning of march (although it could also be 27th Feb too...)

I'll try to get some pictures of her tonight so you can see her shape... she's out in the field at the moment, so might be a bit happier having her photo taken in there.

 

[Enfys]

Oohhhhhhh, 3 weeks! I hope Hannah and her baby have read the same books that you have about gestation periods! Basically anytime between now and the end of March then

I've never had one foal on the DD yet, I remember going to check on a mare one lunchtime, she was fine, no running milk, no restlessness, nothing. I'd gone home for some food and had been away about 20 minutes when one of the Grooms phoned ranting that I hadn't told them that the foal had been born!

She ALWAYS did that to me, out of 4 foals I was only there once and she always foaled in the daytime.

What do you think about this imprinting from birth trend?
I read somewhere (www.imagineahorse.com) I think, that foals are handled straight away, even to the extent of having a hairdryer run over them so that they would be good to clip in later years. I know that MR likes this approach too,perhaps not the hairdryer!

 

[Cullohill]

Here is Tina 3 days before she foaled.... she didn't run milk and had no bags but then she didn't produce much milk at all we bought some milk pellets to keep little Fin going...