Maiden mare

[Louisa&Chilly]

This is my maiden mare, she’s 317 days today so I understand she’s quite early but is this the V belly?!
no signs of waxing or anything yet but the bag is coming. She’s very quiet, doesn’t and hasn’t seemed at all restless just quiet but has been itching her tail a bit.
Ive started to monitor her over night, am I just panicking and can go back to bed or do we think it could be imminent?

 

[TheMule]

She looks normal for this stage- I don’t think the foal is imminent, the bag is the best indicator. Do you have pH testing strips? They’re the most reliable way of knowing how close you are IMO

 

[Louisa&Chilly]

ok thank you, no I don’t have any of those strips? I’m not sure where I’d get them?

 

[TheMule]

You want something like this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/393415413205?hash=item5b9962cdd5:g:lToAAOSwAC1g-mbP

Just get a drop of milk out and dab onto the pH strip, you're looking for a fall in pH to below 6.8 which will indicate foaling is imminent

 

[Louisa&Chilly]

ok great! Thank you! This was this morning, on the right, is this the start of wax? Or just fluid leaking?

 

[Asha]

That does look like wax . It’s hard with maidens as some do wax up very early and others not until last minute or even not at all .
i tend to get a bit excited when the bag doesn’t go down after turnout and the teats fill and point outwards .
the V shape can come and go as foal changes position.
as she’s a maiden I’d certainly be keeping a close eye on her . Good luck and keep us posted

 

[Louisa&Chilly]

agh that’s exciting! Her bag goes down slightly after turnout but it’s bigger each day. So il keep an eye out for it to be staying the same! She’s been bagging up for4 weeks now so a while.

I’ve never seen her show signs of discomfort, no pacing, pawing or being restless.
can this be the case? Or am I likely to certainly see that over days on the run up to labour? Suggesting she probably still has time to go
I know they’re all different!
Il keep a close eye!

 

[milliepops]

My maiden looked her usual chilled self throughout, right up until she sweated up going into labour. she waxed up the day before she foaled and dripped milk on the day. as TM mentioned the ph strips were spot on for her. it was both our first times so i went to 20 min checks as soon as the ph started falling as everyone warned that she might not do any typical signs!

 

[Louisa&Chilly]

she is almost getting more child by the day and eating SO much. She is normally a nutter with no appetite so this is throwing me!
yes I’ve ordered some of those!
I’m also watching her on cameras around the clock so very little sleep for me, but wondering if I’ve peaked too soon!
we are both maidens, so really don’t want to miss it and want to have help on hand if I can

 

[TheMule]

I don’t think that’s true wax. The udder is looking good, but I wouldn’t be thinking she's imminent. The pH strips will greatly improve your sleep, I promise!

 

[Errin Paddywack]

One of mine never let me know when she was about to foal. One year I was checking 2 hourly and she was standing quietly eating hay, 2 hours later foal had arrived, was up dry and had had his first drink. The other mare I had at the time liked to have company so I saw and assisted with nearly everyone of hers. She used to wait for me before getting down to it. There won't any ph strips back then, wish there had been would have saved me a lot of lost sleep.

 

[Blanche]

My friend lived in a flat over the foaling box so could hear any noise and the entrance for the flat was right by some windows for the foaling box. For this particular maiden she was getting up hourly as she was due but no signs it was imminent. On an early morning check the mare was eating hay and seemed fine so she took her dogs out for a pee break. Walked past the windows and mare stood eating hay. Went upstairs and made a hot drink and twenty minutes later went to check again before trying to sleep for an hour. Mare was eating hay and had a filly by her side having a drink. She was obviously waiting for my friend to be out of the way. Maidens are sneaking little things.

 

[Louisa&Chilly]

thank you, they’ve arrived today, going to test later!!

 

[Louisa&Chilly]

My friend lived in a flat over the foaling box so could hear any noise and the entrance for the flat was right by some windows for the foaling box. For this particular maiden she was getting up hourly as she was due but no signs it was imminent. On an early morning check the mare was eating hay and seemed fine so she took her dogs out for a pee break. Walked past the windows and mare stood eating hay. Went upstairs and made a hot drink and twenty minutes later went to check again before trying to sleep for an hour. Mare was eating hay and had a filly by her side having a drink. She was obviously waiting for my friend to be out of the way. Maidens are sneaking little things.

I feel mine is going to be exactly the same! I’m keeping an eye on her on cameras, I’m too scared to stop watching!!

 

[Equestrian Poet]

Maiden mares are difficult to predict having foaled out many. The first thing to remember is that a maiden has no experience in her situation and prefers not to have onlookers interrupting until she goes into labor and only then to check all is going well and that the foal is in the correct position once she goes down prior to this time watch from a distance and occasionally check her for sweating. It's quite likely she will get up on your entry. If two feet are showing is a good time to slide your hand over the feet to feel the position of the head that should be in line with the feet allow her to lay down without interruption. When she begins to push you may want to give a hand extracting the foal but only when she pushes remember she has no understanding of the procedure but her natural instincts will eventually kick in for want of a better word. The first nursing can also be a challenge be sure to wash the udder with warm water and avoid a kick or two. Hope this helps?

 

[Ahrena]

How is she doing?
I feel we are in the same boat only my maiden is at day 351!

 

[TheMule]

How is she doing?
I feel we are in the same boat only my maiden is at day 351!

?
You must be exhausted!!

 

[Louisa&Chilly]

How is she doing?
I feel we are in the same boat only my maiden is at day 351!

Very restless last night but tonight I think our mucus plug is coming out?!

 

[Louisa&Chilly]

Maiden mares are difficult to predict having foaled out many. The first thing to remember is that a maiden has no experience in her situation and prefers not to have onlookers interrupting until she goes into labor and only then to check all is going well and that the foal is in the correct position once she goes down prior to this time watch from a distance and occasionally check her for sweating. It's quite likely she will get up on your entry. If two feet are showing is a good time to slide your hand over the feet to feel the position of the head that should be in line with the feet allow her to lay down without interruption. When she begins to push you may want to give a hand extracting the foal but only when she pushes remember she has no understanding of the procedure but her natural instincts will eventually kick in for want of a better word. The first nursing can also be a challenge be sure to wash the udder with warm water and avoid a kick or two. Hope this helps?

thank you! It really does! We have a camera up and I’ve taken up camp in my lorry outside the barn so I can watch her through my window without getting too involved if I don’t need to!
However is this the mucus plug starting to come out tonight?

 

[Equestrian Poet]

thank you! It really does! We have a camera up and I’ve taken up camp in my lorry outside the barn so I can watch her through my window without getting too involved if I don’t need to!
However is this the mucus plug starting to come out tonight?

Not heard it described as such. Just wrap the tail and wait it out!

 

[Ahrena]

?
You must be exhausted!!

I’m dying ? she’s been bagged up for weeks and as she’s maiden we weren’t sure how much she’d wax so we’ve been doing night checks since 330 days when she started to look likely. Her PH is down to 6.5 now so now doing hourly ??

I’m not experienced enough to judge re the mucus plug but it looks like it to me!

 

[Louisa&Chilly]

I’m dying ? she’s been bagged up for weeks and as she’s maiden we weren’t sure how much she’d wax so we’ve been doing night checks since 330 days when she started to look likely. Her PH is down to 6.5 now so now doing hourly ??

I’m not experienced enough to judge re the mucus plug but it looks like it to me!

oh god I bet you are, I hope she gives you a baby soon just so you can get some sleep!

oh heck, it’s starting to become real!?

 

[Louisa&Chilly]

Not heard it described as such. Just wrap the tail and wait it out!

Oh crickey, do we think it could be soon if we’re wrapping tails?!

 

[TheMule]

I’m dying ? she’s been bagged up for weeks and as she’s maiden we weren’t sure how much she’d wax so we’ve been doing night checks since 330 days when she started to look likely. Her PH is down to 6.5 now so now doing hourly ??

I’m not experienced enough to judge re the mucus plug but it looks like it to me!

Have you got a camera on her? It is the most stressful and exhausting thing, but so worth it!

 

[Ahrena]

Have you got a camera on her? It is the most stressful and exhausting thing, but so worth it!

Yeah, thankfully, so I can check from the warmth of my bed. I’m sure it will be worth it but come out damn it ??

 

[Equestrian Poet]

Oh crickey, do we think it could be soon if we’re wrapping tails?!

You have a maiden mare that is unpredictable. Check her udder is not hard.

 

[Louisa&Chilly]

You have a maiden mare that is unpredictable. Check her udder is not hard.

I am watching her around the clock as I know they can be unpredictable,
The bag is hard, I believed that to be normal for the time being?

 

[Errin Paddywack]

It should be firm not rock solid.

 

[Louisa&Chilly]

It should be firm not rock solid.

Ok yes they’re firm but not solid!

 

[Equestrian Poet]

Hope all is going well?