In foal mare in season???

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jumpergirl

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My mare who was inseminated in May is showing signs of being in season. She is huge and it's not from the grass! Yesterday I turned a gelding out in the next door field and she started squealing, bucking around and she was secreting a lot of fluid. She didnt appear to be winking and there seemed to be a lot more fluid than a normal "in season" mare would show. Can anyone tell me what this may be and whether it is normal? Is it possible for her to be in season and still in foal as some humans do?

Thanks in advance
 
Some mares do display this kind of behaviour when in foal - its not that they are actually 'in season' but can be a form of more submissive behaviour. If you are at all worried get your vet to pop a hand in and check she is still in foal.
 
They can abort at any stage of pregnancy - 'absorbing' does not happen (see Andypandy's breeding myths pinned thread). Your vet can check at any stage if she is still in foal - most mares are routinely checked in October anyway for stud terms, when was her last scan?
 
I have a mare who appears to be in season for the duration of her pregnant, even the Quarantine Staion in USA swore she was not pregnant. She was.

As said previously, sometimes it is submissive behaviour.
 
Personal preference really (and dependant on your stud terms) but I get everything scanned in October - firstly so you can get any free returns if on Oct terms and also so you know that you definately have an in foal mare to feed all winter.

I am sure she is fine but it would be wise to do it for your peace of mind - we had something that came to us to foal down this year, we got concerned when it didn't start getting a bag at all even by its due date. So we advised the owners we should check the mare, and she wasn't in foal!
 
I'd have her palpated if she was mine, just to put your mind at rest. My mare did this at 5 month and was found to be empty shortly after. I was absolutely devastated but glad I knew one way or another. She went back to the same stallion the next year on the free-return and went on to produce me my (present) humongous filly. I was happy in the end!

Hopfully your mare and foalie will be just fine; especially if yours is as large as a house
smile.gif


Fingers crossed for you that you get a lovely baby next spring!

xx
 
Personally I would remove her from the proximity of the gelding.

I would not describe her behaviour as submissive but more defensive towards a male horse.
The fluid she was expelling was more than likely urine, expelled by her tantrum towards the gelding.

In-foal mares kept in close proximity to geldings can sometimes reabsorb due to the presence of a "male" and as she is obviously reacting to one then I would split them up.
 
I'd ask your vet and have her checked. Its common with some mares but not others, It'll be good to put your mind at rest, and then you'll know for any future pregnancies
Our two girls dont like the geldings close when in foal,they will talk from a distance but there not intrested in contact. But my vet has a broodie, who has regular seasons throughout her pregnancies, with no problems at all
 
AP did a good answer to this in his sticky. Also - i wouldnt worry too much to be honest - I had a broody that lived with two geldings and at one point, a stallion, throughout her pregnancies and was fine - but if you're worried, let the vet check her out.

Q. Having a mare around a stallion will cause her to go into estrus

A. This myth stems from the fact that mares show signs of being in season when they are presented with the required stimulus (i.e. a stallion). Some mares cycle silently, and will only show any sign of being in estrus when a stallion is nearby. Stallion presence does NOT cause estrus.
 
My mare went through her whole pregnancy without me knowing she was in foal. Stallion on our yard escaped in to her field, Jumped fences and spent the night with her and her foal at foot. So I had her injected to abort as she already had foal at foot and thought it would be too much for her. But would you believe it 3 weeks before her due date she started bagging up and 4 weeks later I had another dun filly, live and healthy.

She went through who pregnancy having seasons. So I wouldn't be worried! But saying that how far gone is your mare? It might be worth getting vet to do a ultrasound scan or blood test to make sure she is still in foal, as she may have reabsorbed it.

Gemma
 
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