How early can a foal be and still be ok???

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As you can see from the photos of Hannah she has suddenly just dropped in her tummy so I am now starting to panic that she is going to be early.

How early can they be and still be ok???

Thanks,

Rebecca x
 
I think a couple of weeks early will be fine.

But i wouldn't worry too much my friends mare is HUGE and i mean MASSIVE and shes not due till May!!!! Im not kidding it looks as if shes having twins.
 
Thanks... just have a feeling she will be early, but it is not just her size it is the fact that in front of her udders she has started to swell!
 
ours bagged up for a couple of months with her first. They are all different. - just watch her closely, relax and expect the unexpected!
 
Thanks... exactly what I am trying to be like, but even though I am telling myself to be calm, I can feel panic bubbling up!

This is not her first foal, so she already has 'droopy boobies' as someone once called them... The swelling was there when I came back from my holiday and seems to be travelling backwards a bit now.
 
I think all pregant animals *inc woman* are like this... Just when you thought they couldn't get any bigger they double! She doesn't look like shes going to be birthing just yet... Remember how big the foal is then double that with all the fluid...
 
i was worrying exactly the same as you last year. Poor SN mustve got pissed off with me PMing her all the time with stupid questions.
Ebis tummy dropped about a month before she was due, started to bag up and everything. Then it all went quiet for a while. She started to change shape again about 2 weeks before she foaled. She really kept me on my toes.
 
Thanks... will keep my eyes out for another possible change of shape! There has definitely been a change since before I went away, I can't believe how much she has dropped all of a sudden.

I'll be bugging you no doubt very soon!!!
 
Yes, don't panic yet!!!!!!!
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It all sounds quite normal, if there is such a thing!

Foals can be born as much as 4 weeks early with no ill effects, providing you keep them warm if the weathers cold, but it doesn't sound anything to get too excited about yet.

How are the muscles on either side of her dock? They will soften and sag, leaving her spine more prominent a few days before foaling.

In my experience maiden mares tend to be late and if we get a cold spell shortly, she may shut up shop for a while. However, each mare is different, although they often have their own pattern. As she's a maiden mare you'll not know what that is.

Keep a close eye, but I honestly don't think you've cause to worry just yet!
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Just seen the photos.........she looks great! Not ready to foal yet but getting there!

Have you a foaling alarm on hire?
 
its so hard cos youre keep a constant eye on them. Maybe she hasnt changed as much as you think but because you havent seen her for while she looks different (if you get what I mean)
Yep Ebi dropped loads, but nothing compared to the night she foaled. you really wont believe the difference in them from now to the BIG day
just click on them to make them larger. - hope they help a bit
approx beginning of June
the day before she foaled the morning the day before she foaled
 
Thanks E_C_W... they are fantastic, and how lovely you have pictures of how she changed shape.

Bananaman - she is not a maiden, she had a foal over in Ireland before being imported to the UK at 3/4.

Her bottom muscles have not slackened at all, I keep looking at them! I'm glad they can foal up to a month early, it just makes me relax that little bit more. I am ordering her foaling alarm tomorrow!
 
no probs. Yes she is. Dont think she gets much time now as shes got to go to internet cafe or the library and gets charged by the minute - thank god for mums computer!!!

i dont mind you asking me if you want. There might be better people to ask but ill try and help you.
Have you got any good foal books?
 
Thank you so much E_C_W, I am sure I will take you up on that offer!

I have the one From Foal to Full Grown, and I also have the Modern Book for Breeders (might not be called this at all actually). To be honest I have not really looked at them recently but will find them tonight and start swatting up!

Are you keeping your foal???
 
Under 320 days (3 weeks early) is considered premature and you are at a high risk for complications - on the late side 12 months is considered normal.
 
you can take me up on that offer if you want - just PM me or ring me if you want - i can PM you my number if you want.

Ive got the foal to five years and another breeding book but the best one i found is Breeding Horse by Mina Davie Morel. When i first flicked through it, it scared the [****] out of me but when I wanted to look for specific things it was there.
I can lend it you if you want?

Of course im keeping the foal. Whatever gave you the thought that I wouldnt? No shell be staying with me forever. Hopefully ill be able to carry on with her where i left with Ebi. I dont know how long Ebi will stay with me now she has been retired due to the ringbone problem in both her fron feet coffin joint and now in her fetlocks so when she goes Ill still have the little girl to remid me of her. Shes so much the spit of her:
Ebi and her mum Jenny

Ebi and her foal Willow

 
Hi - she looks great

Im afraid the symptoms change from horse to horse - Jazz didnt show much change around her tail & she never got a V shaped belly! No change in appetite, behaviour etc.
She started to bag up gradually about a month before & the milk really does change a few days before.
There was a LOT of foal movement a good few weeks before birth which included baby putting his front legs up near her tail & stopping her doing any droppings which gave me a few panic moments - but 1 trip from the vet & all was well.
The only thing I can say is the day she foaled she was walking around the field like she'd pee'd her pants (back legs wide apart!) & the milk was actually flowing with every step!!
1 week before she showed a lot of signs overnight (rolling, laying down getting up, looking at her belly - but nothing happened)
We knew on the cctv that she was going to have him as Jazz never pee's in her stable over night - she came in from the field about 7pm, had her dinner - 9pm we were watching the cctv & she pee'd!!!! Next thing we knew there was a foot sticking out!!

Im looking for all my photos from this time last year!!
 
How exciting... This is why I love this forum so much, everyone has lots of advice.

I have bought a cctv set (Trailer Vision) so I am hoping to get it fitted asap but the range is only 100m so I would need to stay at the yard so I am hoping that I can watch her late at night by just driving near to the yard without her hearing.

There has been a lot of foal movement in the past few days actually. Usually it only moves at night, but in the past few days it has been doing a lot of movement in the day time too!
 
A freinds mare foaled 3 months early. I am NOT joking. It took alot of hard work but the foal is still alive and now she is 4 months old (one month really).

PM me if you want photos
 
3 weeks early is enough , a high percentage wouldnt survive before this.
I have seen some born earlier and survive but it is the exception as they dont tend to have hair and the skin is very papery.
 
Jazz1 - she is lovely and no where near as big as Hannah is now. It just shows that she should be going out more than she is at the moment, but her field will be ready this weekend so she will be going out every day from then on.
 
We had one that was over a month early, it made the front of racing post a few years ago and another similar when i was in the states. they are quite viable but sadly the legs last thing to grow in utereo so both were a bit stumpy and found it difficult initially to get on suck as couldnt reach. but both well bred fillies and both still alive as broodmares now.
 
Becki if your mare has been in alot it is possible that your mare is accumulating odema under her belly which is making her look excessivley(sp) big.
The techincal name for it is ventral odema if you want to google it.
Does it leave an imprint when you press your finger into it.
It is usually due to mammery activity which is quite usual to see from 6 wks to foaling although too much is undesirable.
Although for this reason we try and keep ours out as much as possible in the day.
 
Her stomach is absolutely rock solid... and you can see the foal moving around an awful lot now whereas a week ago it was quite inactive. She has definitely got some swelling in front of her udders, but that has gone down a little as she has been out for half a day today.

She is starting to lose weight from her bottom and her shoulders, although from what I have read this is quite normal at this stage as the foal is taking a lot out of the mare, is that right? She is being fed quite a bit now: alfa a, topspec feed balancer, yeasacc... I cannot really risk changing her feed as she gets colic very easily (especially on a lot of mixes etc) and she is looking in fantastic condition up close when she is not wet. She is very shiny and healthy, her hooves are better than they have ever been, and her mane and tail are in great condition too!
 
Have looked at the pictures and she looks just fine.
It just looks like she is carrying low.
We had two foal together last year one looked like yours, the other hardly looked in foal both foals born the same birthweight they just carried them differantly.
 
Thanks... this is my first and the only other horses I have had any experience with in foal were maiden mares, whereas we believe Hannah had a foal before she was imported from Ireland at 4 years old. It's nice having people on here that have a lot more experience.
 
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