My mare has milk, but no Foal

[Purdie]

I was grooming my mare at the weekend and I notice she was dripping. I looked up there, and milk was coming out. She let me actually milk her (she seemed to quite enjoy it). It was a yellowy colour. She has no foal, and there is no way she could be in foal as there isn't a stallion for miles around. Has anyone come across this before? Is it normal, or should I call the vet. She seems absolutely fine in herself, but has gone ever so slightly lame (which I noticed last week). we put the lameness down to playing in the field. no swelling, heat or soreness that I could find what so ever, so just resting her as per a conversation with my vet over the phone. He said if she doesn't get any better or gets worse then he'll come and look, but I was wondering if the 2 could be connected, as as the milk is disappearing she seems to be coming sound????

Any ideas welcome.

 

[Madam_max]

My mare does this every year. It's nothing to worry about. But I wouldn't milk her.

 

[Purdie]

Does she go lame as well madam_max?

 

[Madam_max]

No, I doubt that's related

 

[fatpiggy]

My mare frequently secretes fluid from at least one teat, at any time of the year. Sometimes it is watery, sometimes more obviously milky. It is true that if you handle the udder alot it is possible to make mares produce milk - unfortunately my mare's itchy spot IS her udder!

 

[EquestrianFairy]

are you 100% sure shes not in foal?

This happened with me and she ruddy popped one out!

 

[Keltic]

My mare is 28 an this hapens every year and has for the last 9 years!! 1st yr i panic call vet etc all tests done etc all ok. Now i just let her get on with it, just keep an eye on her teats and if she gets lots of flies etc around pop some summer fly cream on them.

 

[Elle123]

its the clover. I had it with my mare, and there was a chance she could have been in foal as hadn't had her long, but he did an internal and said it was a false pregnancy. but u could like milk her. obviously i didn't keep doing it. the clover has a form of oestrogen (sp) in which sets off there hormones. gave me heart failer. really though she was eating for 2!!! so she wasn't pregnant she was just podgy and hormonal! mabye they need some chocolate!
Luv Elle
x

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

My mare did this a few weeks ago - my experienced YO thinks it was a hormonal thing coz it started a few days after she was moved to a schooling yard for mouthing and backing. She thinks the mare might remember being taken to the stallion. The thing you have to watch is that it doesn't develop into mastitis. Without a foal to suckle, the udder and teats can get blocked, infected and very sore and swollen. Untreated mastitis can kill so take it seriously. It's worth bearing in mind that high calorie levels can encourage a mare to lactate so you can help a mare that suddenly starts producing milk by moving her to poor pasture/cutting her feed. Also, unless the mare has mastitis and needs to be milked to get the pus out, the more you milk her the more she'll produce milk!