Mare developing an Udder

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zigzag

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My daughter's loan pony is developing an udder ... and looks decidedly fatter :p , We had her in November after losing her pony, and she had suddenly been sent back to the owner from her previous loan home (which is how we managed to get her)

My sixth sense and common sense is telling me she is in foal .... ( will ring the vet tomorrow to come out) But what I am wondering ( and hoping!) does anyone know if a mare can develop an udder for another reason? The only mares I have known to produce udders have always had a foal ...

Really don't want to send the mare back, daughter would break her heart. :(
 
My mare has developed and udder too. my vet suggested that grass can also make them come up..........that's what I am hoping is the problem with mine :)
 
Search the forum think there was a post about increased risk of mastitis due to flies and also changes in mares due to grass. On other hand could be a little foaly on its way!
 
Probably clutching at straws here, but has the pony been stabled for long periods/box rested? They can develop ventral oedema in this hot weather after long periods of inactivity, this presents as swelling along the bottom of the abdomen and udder.
 
How old is the pony?

Over the years I have seen several develop udders and the most common reasons are
Fly Bites
Overweight
Cushings - these ones actually produce milk

The vet can do a quick manual check for you
 
If she's fat it could just be fat. I had a heifer last year and she had a massive udder and everyone was convinced she was in calf however I got her scanned and she was not. It was a very convincing udder however and fat horses are they same.
 
Just wondered ... Why did the previous loaners "suddenly" send her back ...?

.... I've got a naturally suspicious mind ....!!
 
My tb mare developed a large udder and was waxing up, then started producing milk, which would drip from her udder it was so full. She had also put on weight and I got her at a similar time of year to you. I was convinced she was pregnant and called the vet, but she wasn't in foal.

Her field was full of clover and the vets theory was that the phytoestrogens in the clover had caused it. Also made her get fatter as clover is high energy. It went away when she was put on a field with much less clover.
 
LadyGascoyne said:
Apparently, eating clover can cause mares to produce milk. My friends mare had this reaction.
Click to expand...

I'd go with this, too. I've been having issues with my mare's behaviour since the mild winter and then the field was limed for buttercups. I did notice her udders getting bigger and out her on hormonise (agnus castus). She's significantly better, now. I then remembered the link between clover and phytoestrogens. My EMS pony has also been struggling and I'm muzzling them both for 12 hours a day - unheard of at this time of year as the restricted turnout has normally slowed in growth, but their paddock is full of 'kin red and white clover!
 
Fat_Pony said:
My tb mare developed a large udder and was waxing up, then started producing milk, which would drip from her udder it was so full. She had also put on weight and I got her at a similar time of year to you. I was convinced she was pregnant and called the vet, but she wasn't in foal.

Her field was full of clover and the vets theory was that the phytoestrogens in the clover had caused it. Also made her get fatter as clover is high energy. It went away when she was put on a field with much less clover.
Click to expand...

That is really interesting as a few years ago a stallion broke in with my mares but we had them both injected to ensure there were no foals but 11 months later one of them developed an udder and waxed but no foal. Now I have a miniature mare that got out last August whilst I was away and got into a neighbours field that had a herd of Welsh Sec a's one of which was a stallion. Luckily she was caught before anything happened apparently but she too has started to bag up and has put on weight. I am hoping this is caused by clover and not because the neighbour perhaps didn't realise how long the mare was in with the herd.
 
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