How long can mares go for? And some sad news.

Fools Motto

Fools Motto

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 June 2011
Messages
6,600
Visit site
I mean, seriously how long can they be pregnant for? I know the gestation length, but as the mares at work are continuing to hang on to their foalies, and in fact one mare 'seemingly going backwards' regarding bag size and disapearing wax, just thought I'd ask!!
340 days is 'the aim'.... but mare1 is now 363 days, and isn't showing anything promising, mare2 is now 353 days. mare3 is 'due' on sunday, mare4 soon after. Neither look like they will be on time!!!!!!
Maybe something is in the air down here, but the owner hasn't had anything quite like this years 'lateness' before!

Sadly, mare8 who was due to foal early may has lost her foal. Don't know the whys yet. Lovely mare, sad for her.
 
Gestation length is 320-360 days ON AVERAGE: 340 days is the average of the average. They can go over 12 months as yours is getting close to doing. I'm not sure what the longest is
 
SusieT said:
are they definitely preggers??!
Click to expand...

Yep, sure are. Huge bellies, some have a bag developing, two have had tiny amounts of wax, one has had milk stains on her legs.
Just seems so slow!

Only two of the boxes have cameras, and typically sure as eggs are eggs we'll need to be monitoring at least 5 in one go.....'scratch head situation'!!
 
Had a mare go over 5 weeks with her first foal(5 weeks from 340 days.I was demented at the end of it to be honest.The mares are not playing ball this year at all.We have 5 foals at work so far.All have been a few days either side of 11 months(they are very well fed being TB so are usually early as they have every nutritional need satisfied) but they are following no pattern at all.We have very detailed history of all mares,as in when they have started to bag up,if and when they waxed before foaling and we score the udder at foaling 4/4 being full to bursting but the multiparous mares are definately not sticking to any pattern they have had in previous years.
 
BallyshanHorses said:
Had a mare go over 5 weeks with her first foal(5 weeks from 340 days.I was demented at the end of it to be honest.The mares are not playing ball this year at all.We have 5 foals at work so far.All have been a few days either side of 11 months(they are very well fed being TB so are usually early as they have every nutritional need satisfied) but they are following no pattern at all.We have very detailed history of all mares,as in when they have started to bag up,if and when they waxed before foaling and we score the udder at foaling 4/4 being full to bursting but the multiparous mares are definately not sticking to any pattern they have had in previous years.
Click to expand...

Glad its not just us then!! (ours are TB's too).
 
mine went 6 weeks over. that was the longest ever, vet just said that as long as mare is ok, foal will come when ready. so alot of sleepless nights waiting on her, but all was ok in the end.
 
Next question is are they definitely due on the dates you think they are/ No later coverings it could be?
 
magic104 said:
It is the foals that start the process when they become distressed & release a chemical which starts the foaling process. The mare can delay things but not by much.
Click to expand...

I didn't know that. Very interesting.

Do you think it makes a difference if the foals are colts or fillies?
 
SusieT said:
Next question is are they definitely due on the dates you think they are/ No later coverings it could be?
Click to expand...

Well, technically I only go on what the owners tell me as I don't have any access to the covering certificates/documents. I have no reason to doubt it though. But I DO know that all the mares were at stud to warrant being due now (or a few weeks ago!)
 
Fools Motto said:
I didn't know that. Very interesting.

Do you think it makes a difference if the foals are colts or fillies?
Click to expand...

Only that the consensus is colts are generally carried for longer then fillies. I only recently learnt that it is the foal the kicks off foaling, though I knew mares could release a hormon that delayed foaling if she felt worried.
 
With my very overdue foal I was told thats why they can't induce foalings, like you can with people, as the foal doesn't signal its ready til its lungs and so on are set to go which is all done at the last minute.
 
BallyshanHorses said:
Had a mare go over 5 weeks with her first foal(5 weeks from 340 days.I was demented at the end of it to be honest.The mares are not playing ball this year at all.We have 5 foals at work so far.All have been a few days either side of 11 months(they are very well fed being TB so are usually early as they have every nutritional need satisfied) but they are following no pattern at all.We have very detailed history of all mares,as in when they have started to bag up,if and when they waxed before foaling and we score the udder at foaling 4/4 being full to bursting but the multiparous mares are definately not sticking to any pattern they have had in previous years.
Click to expand...

This too! 6 weeks over four years ago.
I still have nightmares.
 
We have one mare that ALWAYS foals at 12months plus! She was left empty last year, as her foalings were getting later and later and later. She's just (today) had her 16 day scan in-foal for 2013. We had one a couple of years ago, go 373 (or thereabouts, can't recall exactly, was over 370) days. As for them all coming on one night, don't joke - we had 7 the night before last! That puts us close to 50 on the ground now, with about 40 to go.
 
Our little 11.3hh mare that bred from years ago went up to 13 months vet kept visiting saying she was definately in foal she had a massive bag of milk showing all the signs but turned out to be a phantom pregnancy. She did only have the first scan though from memory
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top