Maiden mares and feeding foals

[Magicmadge]

My maiden mare is due early June and has recently been very uptight and moody. She is now reluctant to let me touch her udder, as soon as i try to go there the tail goes and she fly kicks and spins round. I hope once she has foaled and the mother instinct hopefully kicks in she will be ok. However, thinking ahead and thinking the worst, what is the best way to deal with her if she is reluctant to let the foal feed? Anybody else had this and what was the outcome? Hopefully worrying for nothing

 

[toffeesmarty]

I went through the same as this February last year. My mare was a maiden and foaled in June. She was very unhappy for two months and then by May showed no more sensitivity. Relax all will be fine!

 

[CrazyMare]

Mine hated her udder being touched before (despite trying to desensitise her) and still hates it now, but let her foal feed with no problems.

 

[imafluffybunny]

My maiden mare last year hated being touched around her back end, she would threaten to kick even before she was in foal.
She was reluctant to let the foal feed the day she was born, we had to sedate her and milk her, once we were happy the foal had had enough milk we left them to it and thankfully they worked it out.
It took her about 8 hours to start letting the foal suckle unaided and she never looked back, Now the foal has been weaned she is happy to let me touch her all over, she obviously had a fear that the foal took away.
Your mare is probably just feeling maternal and protective, try not too worry, do you have a good equine vet as they will probably seen it all before.

 

[TangoCurly]

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Your mare is probably just feeling maternal and protective,

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Also, when women are pregnant they can have very sensitive and sore 'udders' so it may well be that your mare is suffering from that too!

 

[AmyMay]

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she fly kicks and spins round

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I'd quite possibly be tying her up several times a day and making her allow me to touch her. If she's like that now what will she do when foal comes along????

 

[whitewood]

I had a maiden mare who was very touchy round the udders. She was hell bent on not letting the foal drink - but it was as simple as picking up her foot so she couldn't run away and someone guiding the foal. As soon as the pressure was off the very full udder, she was fine and has always been with subsequent foals.

 

[supagran]

My mare foaled last year, was fine with us touching her udder etc before foaling, but wouldn't let the foal near her when foal was born, the only way we could get him to feed was to have her fairly heavily sedated and two of us literally wedge her in a corner then foalie could get in to feed. Things got a bit better after a couple of days and she would let him feed if we held her head. When we let them out in paddock at 2 days old she went for him and he fell, she came down on top of him. Anyway initially the vet didn't think the foals leg was broken, but 3 days later Xrays confirmed it was a bad break and foalie was PTS. Moral here - don't let them out until you are absolutely sure mare is happy with foal. GOOD LUCK - make sure your vet knows the mare might be a problem and is happy to sedate her if necessary.