Huge Disappointment - She is Not in foal

[Ravenwood]

I can't believe how deflated and down I feel.

My mare was scanned today - 14 days after last covering, 20 days after the first - but nope, nothing to be seen.

My vet spent a long time making doubley sure and then he scanned everything to see if there were any abnormalities, cysts etc.

He said that the follicle on the left side was about 3cm which inidcates that she is about to come into season again - and yes, she would be due in 2/3 days if she hasn't taken

The vet suggested that she could be injected to make her ovulate which might be a good idea.

If I take her back again, I might leave her there for the 3 weeks this time and have her scanned at stud, rather than bring her home early.

Any advice, suggestions or thoughts very welcome.

 

[mojito]

Oh No sorry to hear that, thats exactly what I was dreading with my scan on Monday. I've no advice for you as I'm new to all this myself but hopefully it will happen the next time - don't give up!!

 

[Fahrenheit]

Sorry to hear that, better luck next time.

We routinely scan for ovulation (we routinely scan prior to covering as well) it works very well for us...

the vet scans the follicles, injects them into season if necessary, scans when comes into season and tells us which day to cover on, injects to ovulate, they have one covering, then he comes back to make sure they have ovulated (and see how many follicles they have ovulated! had 3 double ovulations last year and 3 lots of twins and 3 sucessful pinches) and gives any necessary after treatment, then scans for pregnancy 2 weeks later.

Last year we could only get Teddy easily on a Weds Night staying over to Thursday because he was being stabled a couple of counties away and thats the days that fitted into everyones schedules, so we paired the mares up and my vet timed injecting them in to perfection and they were covered either on the Weds Night or Thursday, all ovulated by Friday and all in foal first time... I think my vet is excellent

 

[magic104]

I have always left the mare (until 3yrs ago, when AI'd) at stud until scanned in-foal. In the past I have chosen stallions that were miles away & in those days AI was not really available. You are still early enough in the season to catch her, so fingers crossed for you both.

 

[TGM]

Sorry to hear she hasn't taken. Mind you, I was told my mare hadn't taken after the vet had scanned - we decided not to try again but nine months later we got a huge surprise in the shape of a foal!

 

[Ravenwood]

QR: Thank you for your replies.

I have read AP's sticky above which is very informative but I think everything has been covered.

Stupidly I had convinced myself she was in foal!

Will ring the stud tonight and have a chat with them - its never simple is it?!!

TGM - Numpty question from me - but did you not notice her not having any more seasons that year?

 

[TGM]

[ QUOTE ]
TGM - Numpty question from me - but did you not notice her not having any more seasons that year?

[/ QUOTE ] No, because she is the type not to show any signs of being in season unless she has contact with male horses, and at that time there were none nearby us at home. (Our next door neighbours now have stallions and colts, so it is blindingly obvious now when any of our mares are in season!

).

First clue we had that she was pregnant was the following spring when she seemed to have wintered remarkably well and was looking quite rotund. Then eventually her udder started to fill a little and the penny dropped - this was only about three weeks before the foal arrived though!

 

[AmyMay]

It is awful how deflated you feel.

We only got Amy in foal by leaving her at the stud. So personally I'd do that, and let them do all the work there for her.

The stud where Amy went worked very hard to get her in foal - and bless them, they did.

 

[Adina]

If she took on the last covering its possible (although not very likely) that the embryo was missed. You could scan again in 2 days before PG.
At the stud my mare was covered just once. She doesn't show in season much, although the stallion knew. She was scanned at 14 days - no foal. But she failed to come into season, so has just been scanned again at 27 days, prior to giving PG jab. AND she is IN FOAL. Did not see a heartbeat though so scanning on Monday.
My own Vets (very experienced stud vets) routinely scan at 16 days followed by a 2nd 2 days later if negative.
I'm now a very happy bunny and hope you have the same good luck.

 

[JanetGeorge]

[ QUOTE ]
If she took on the last covering its possible (although not very likely) that the embryo was missed. You could scan again in 2 days before PG.


[/ QUOTE ]

We've had a couple ovulate late this year and my very experienced and careful vet couldn't see a pregnancy at 14 days. With one it was further complicated by the mare showing a grade 1 oedema, suggesting she was coming back into season. But we NEVER PG mares on a negative 14 day scan. We tease, and tease - and if they don't come back into season we ask the vet to do a WTF scan (work it out!

)

Neither of these mares came back in so we scanned 7 days later and they had 18/19 day pregnancies.

 

[Ravenwood]

QR: Once again, thank you everyone for your experiences and advice.

I might just wait and see if she comes into season then (she is very obvious) and whip her off to stud (its not very far) but will chat to them this evening and take their advice.

 

[kibob]

Oh what a shame not surprised you feel deflated but at least it is still early enough to try again.

When I bred from my mare she stayed at stud until she was scanned in foal. However, my friend, whos mare travelled to stud with mine brought hers home to be scanned and she wasn't in foal (could have been a coincidence but this happened over a few coverings). I would leave her there next time.

Fingers crossed for next time