in foal do you think?

This thread is a prime example of what I really dislike about HHO somtimes. Come lynching mentality.

***** happens. The OP did not put her mare in foal knowing she could not afford the scan. As OP has already stated, she would not have put her in foal if she had looked into her chrystal ball and forseen her change in circumstances.

Why does everyone feel the need to constantly repeat what others have said previously, and be downright rude? Manners are free. :mad:

To the OP - I hope that all goes well with your mare, and I hope that your circumstances change soon :)
 
OP, its just a thought but when my mare was scanned not in foal, I actually advertised in 'horses wanted' for an in foal broodmare (and got offered a cracker). The deal was to be I would loan the mare for the winter, pay the stud fee and keep the foal as the owner of the mare had changed circumstance. As it happened, the deal did not go ahead as I got cold feet (thought wrongly owner was something she was not) and my mare was in foal anyway despite the 30 day scan:D:D:D.

However, could work for you perhaps????? That way somebody who could afford the foaling/foal (god knows neither is cheap) could take over and you would get your mare back. There is lots to consider - you can't just leave her to get on with it in a mixed field for example as the others will harm the foal etc etc etc.

Just a thought.....
 
this is one of our eventer mares in foal about the same stage of the OP's at just over 5 months. she was covered at the end of may and has been scanned and confirmed in foal. She's a maiden tb so perhaps its slightly different depending on breed but the OP's mare does look to have a bigger belly!

goodluck OP!!

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ps. forgive the out of focus pix!!
 
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Snoozinsusan said:
You're not the only one to not get mares scanned, it's not always accurate anyway. I'll probably get shot down in flames now as well! :rolleyes:
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I'm not shooting you down but I genuinely cannot understand this comment that has been made by you and a few other people on this thread? I've been breeding a long time and have never ever been in the situation where I do not know if a mare is in foal or not by at least 18 days post-breeding. If nothing shows clearly at 14 days then you rescan at 16 days. If nothing shows at 16 days then the chances are slim that your mare is pregnant so you rescan again at 18 days to see if the mare is coming back into heat. If she is coming back into heat then you know she isn't pregnant. There is nothing complicated or non-accurate about it so I'm very confused why people on this forum keep saying these things :confused: You're either using totally incompetent repro vets or you perhaps need to question your scanning routine schedule. There is NO reason in the world why you should not know whether your mare caught or not.
 
thanks for the supportive comments of alot of people, i know that people have the right to voice an opinion, just as i have the right to explain my situation.

just to update, my friend is waiting for the exact same licence to work as mine, and his came through this morning, so mine shouldnt be far behind, as we sent off for it within a week of each other, which means my financial situation will improve massively as soon as it does. she will be scanned within the next two weeks, i know its a bit late to test for twins but the best i can do in the situation im in :)
 
Threads like this make me mad! Yes, circumstances change, but when we sent Dolly to stud, it was well planned and budgeted for. Even if our circumstances had changed, I can't beleive that within 3 weeks of her being covered, all our savings would have been gone and we'd have been unable to afford a scan? Dolly twinned, one was successfully pinched, and then sadly the remaining foal was a stillborn filly at full term. I then had a £2000 vets bill as poor Dolly was hospitalised afterwards.

I hope to god nothing bad happens to your mare.
 
Spring Feather said:
I'm not shooting you down but I genuinely cannot understand this comment that has been made by you and a few other people on this thread? I've been breeding a long time and have never ever been in the situation where I do not know if a mare is in foal or not by at least 18 days post-breeding. If nothing shows clearly at 14 days then you rescan at 16 days. If nothing shows at 16 days then the chances are slim that your mare is pregnant so you rescan again at 18 days to see if the mare is coming back into heat. If she is coming back into heat then you know she isn't pregnant. There is nothing complicated or non-accurate about it so I'm very confused why people on this forum keep saying these things :confused: You're either using totally incompetent repro vets or you perhaps need to question your scanning routine schedule. There is NO reason in the world why you should not know whether your mare caught or not.
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This, exactly. I'm not a breeding person, but I am familiar with diagnostic imaging and the likelihood of erroneous results in such cases. Although mistakes can be made, we're talking about a very small minority of cases.

Oh well, here's hoping the mare isn't in foal. The "before" picture worries me, but regardless, I hope she is healthy and happy without foal.
 
new foal mum said:
Phone around several vets to get the best price for your scan when you can afford it, the price difference is tremendous I had prices vary from £95.00 to £250
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EEEEKKKK!!

On the odd occasion I've had to have the vet out JUST to scan one mare it's been a maximum of £60 - £30 visit and £30 scan! When he has 7 or 8 to do, plus a few other jobs, it has been as little as £18 including share of visit fee!!

And I've NEVER had an owner refuse at least a 14-16 day scan - if they wanted to take mare home before a scan - then they pay the stud fee up front!

Just out of interest what's the likelihood of twinning? Is there any figures out there? I thought it was mainly Arabs and highly bred horses that twinned.
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The highest twinning rates tend to be in Thoroughbreds and Draft horses. Probably a couple of reasons - TBs have been scanned for much longer than most other breeds, so more fillies who started as twins survive to breed themselves (and twinning IS a hereditary trait.) And Draft horses are much bigger/roomier so when THEY twin the foals are more likely to survive (to breed themselves!)

Double ovulation rates as high as 25% have been reported in Draft mares - although of course not ALL double ovulations result in twins. THAT probably depends on how far apart the ovulations are in relation to the timing of mating!

If my experience is anything to go by, twinning rates are also quite high in Irish Draughts (which of course aren't true drafts, but are pretty big!) I usually put around 12-14 pure-bred mares to the stallion, and have at least 3-4 mares who twin each year (obviously twins are reduced to a single!) It's almost always the same mares that twin - and of my home-bred mares who twin, they are all mares who started life as a twin!
 
genuine question here - no implied critisism whatsoever so please dont think thats the way im heading, im just always interested to hear different people's opinions and id like to ask the OP if you intended to keep your foal from your mare and if so what kind of job did you have in mind for it when you considered your choice of stallion?
 
lula said:
genuine question here - no implied critisism whatsoever so please dont think thats the way im heading, im just always interested to hear different people's opinions and id like to ask the OP if you intended to keep your foal from your mare and if so what kind of job did you have in mind for it when you considered your choice of stallion?
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wanted something 14.2 ish and chunky, preferably coloured, to do some showing with at chaps, nothing too spectacular, bit of an all rounder, hacking, local shows, etc, :)
 
JFTD said:
Although mistakes can be made, we're talking about a very small minority of cases.
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These oversights are purely temporary setbacks though. Sometimes the conceptus cannot be seen clearly at that particular time due to obstructions in the way (poop, cysts etc) so scanning again the following day or the day after gives a clearer view of what's going on. I mean, even if the mare is not pregnant the scan will show that the mare is coming back into heat so it honestly isn't rocket science and scanning IS conclusive so the mare owner will definitely not have a surprise foal popping out 11 months later.

dreamcometrue said:
No but could well have been as both my parents have twins.
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Humans very very rarely die from giving birth to twins. This is not the case for horses which is why responsible breeders scan at 14-16 days to make sure there is no twinning. If you do not scan and you "let nature takes its course" then you risk the life of not only the twin foals but also the life of the mare. If you'd be willing to risk the life of your mare for the sake of a less than a hundred quid scan then that's your call. I wouldn't.
 
classic_astra said:
i bred her last foal purely for jumping, but yes will probably do a bit of everything too, after all shes not guarenteed to want to jump!
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your last foal, was the stallion more of a tb/lightweight type than the sire you've used this time? he looks a nice quality sort from your sig.

You'll be keeping all 3 of them then.. You're going to need that well paid job! :D
 
lula said:
your last foal, was the stallion more of a tb/lightweight type than the sire you've used this time? he looks a nice quality sort from your sig.

You'll be keeping all 3 of them then.. You're going to need that well paid job! :D
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yeah the stallion of my filly in my sig is a warmblood.

luckily for me my rented field is paid for as a whole not per horses, so keeps costs down a little, plus i dont have stables so no expense there, they are all barefoot too, but yes the job will be better!
 
Spring Feather said:
These oversights are purely temporary setbacks though. Sometimes the conceptus cannot be seen clearly at that particular time due to obstructions in the way (poop, cysts etc) so scanning again the following day or the day after gives a clearer view of what's going on. I mean, even if the mare is not pregnant the scan will show that the mare is coming back into heat so it honestly isn't rocket science and scanning IS conclusive so the mare owner will definitely not have a surprise foal popping out 11 months later.
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Indeed. I was thinking more of persistent errors by the (very occasional) incompetent vet. Which can be avoided by using an equine repro specialist - as most responsible breeders do :D

But yes, there is no excuse not to know!
 
classic_astra said:
i bred her last foal purely for jumping, but yes will probably do a bit of everything too, after all shes not guarenteed to want to jump!
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Oh for goodness sake, you are now breeding back up ponies just in case the first one doesnt do the job. I have taken a lot of stick on this forum because I have disagreed with your ethics. I now know I was right in my first assumption. Also you have no stable! You have driven me mad.
 
lionman said:
Oh for goodness sake, you are now breeding back up ponies just in case the first one doesnt do the job. I have taken a lot of stick on this forum because I have disagreed with your ethics. I now know I was right in my first assumption. Also you have no stable! You have driven me mad.
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the reason im breeding for her isnt anyone else business but my own!!

and i have access to a stable in case of emergency!
 
now now :p mind your manners :D

if only you had her in the secret santa...


eta- my dream is to get tickets to The Jeremy Kyle show and to sit in the audience wearing one :D Oh for front row seats... :D
 
JFTD said:
Indeed. I was thinking more of persistent errors by the (very occasional) incompetent vet.
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I figured that was what you meant :) I only gave extra information for the benefit of those who may not have known as much or have never bred before and were just saying whatever they thought (albeit incorrectly) was the case. Your reason is the only reason I can think of for the people saying scans are not accurate because with a competent operator it's virtually impossible to NOT know one way or the other well before the mare is gone 30 days.
 
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