Oops...colts/riggs/mis-gelded?or phantom pregnancy?

[SaharaS]

Seriously not something i was planning and am hoping my mare is just mishapen & has wind....but despite her being 99% separate from my 2 colts, they got in with the others on two occasions that i am aware of AFTER they were cut.... I have noticed a few signs..and has been massively calm just as she is when in foal. I did not cover her (you know what i mean!) although there is nothing to say an accident hadn't happened whilst my occasional groom was in charge on any occasion...I am sure it would be impossible for her to have been covered thru a post & rail fence without the fence being broken...it could be a phantom pregnancy, which i am hoping, but just interested if anyone has had an 'accident' with a gelding that was infact a rigg...despite it never having happened in the past? How long after being cut - at the very longest- is it possible for the gelded colt to remain fertile-I was there when both the boys were gelded, although we have all heard of those who retained the capability. I was told by a vet around the time that some horses can remain fertile for about 6 months tho I took this with a pinch of salt...I still kept them appart tho on 2 occasions the colts jumped over the electrified post & rail (2 fields away)& in with the mares.. so its one of three things...phantom pregnancy, rigg or a very fertile gelding. My big gelding (bought as gelding) has been out with the mares since 2005 tho only last spring & ever since those two have been incredibly 'close' so that is the other possibility...I'm hoping for a phantom/wind...or it to have been simply ANYone but her son. Please note, before anyone blows me up for this, they were never allowed to mix on purpose....thoughts please? oh btw she's TB and falls pregnant VERY easily even when AI'd she spat more than half of it back out at the vet & still took first time despite him being really apologetic & saying would not charge to re AI her if she didn't take......

 

[ofcourseyoucan]

well the newly gelded colts could be responsible. have you blood tested the mare to find out if pregnant? shame on you to blame the occaisional groom!!!!! only a test will tell.

 

[SaharaS]

well the newly gelded colts could be responsible. have you blood tested the mare to find out if pregnant? shame on you to blame the occaisional groom!!!!! only a test will tell.

Vets still not rung back so am going to have to pace alot & chew my nails down to my elbows....must just add that I was NOT insinuating that my occasional groom got her pregnant... its just that from experience, not just this girl but with virtually every one I've tried, sometimes they don't always do things the way you would...or forget to do something and then when something happens they don't mention it and hope you won't know/notice? I was not being horrible, but forgetting to switch on the electric or hooking it onto wood...forgetting to pull a tape across a 'fence gate'...simple things that could be avoided...for example..one strand of fence around my goat hut was not pulled across and my colts got out of their paddock and demolished the goats chalet which was built against the post & rail & stock fence (opposite side of fence to horse field) but I had specifically asked and she had to pass thru but she admitted she thought it was a waste of time as would have to up hook it later to get the big horses in. long whine short, the colts had cuts all over their legs from the smashed up 'toy' and seriously lucky they didn't slice their legs open as they had got caught on the stock fence while digging the chalet down. the goats had to come in to the stables as they had been 'homeless' and cannot survive without shelter & it had been chucking down for most of the afternoon...that was the day the horses could have mixed, but I'll not know for a little while...as silly /nasty as it sounds, I mean no nastyness by saying she could have had an accident...but when you take the time to make things as easy as poss & then clearly explain it to them & write it down & they still don't do it.....you end up like me....slightly over cautious with trusting them to tell you if anything happened

 

[JollyTall]

It is good that you have picked up on the potential pregnancy. At a yard I worked on once (but before my time) one of the mares got pregnant accidentally when the stallion (only about 18 months at that time) got out of his pen and one of the girls didn't tell th YO. What was worse was they STILL didn't fess up when they were trying to get the mare in season (because they wanted her covered by the same stallion, ironically) by giving her an injection which could have also been fatal to the foal. Luckily she was fine!

 

[rhino]

There have been recorded cases of castrated males settling mares at 5 weeks post surgery, but none verified at over that!

What sort of timescale are you talking when the 'geldings' got in with your mare?

 

[SaharaS]

There have been recorded cases of castrated males settling mares at 5 weeks post surgery, but none verified at over that!

What sort of timescale are you talking when the 'geldings' got in with your mare?

one atleast was well over 5 weeks..been trying to figure it all out from scrawled diary but going through, there are several dates I was away over that period literally half a day at a time, but enough room for error....and numerous fence breakings & three known incidents I'd forgotten about till I read diary when the 'geldings' jumped out into the adjoining field.. tho no mares were in the field they got into....but I got there to see them jumping back in...and this is post & rail not just elec :-/ plus a day when we had contractors start earlier than agreed when everything was out and they removed the road side fence & old rails to put a new gate in WHILE the 4 big horses were in the field.....(i exploded!)so they were up in the adjoining field for half a day but thinking about the jumping, theres nothing to say the elec fence along the top rail would have deterred them...one was a new forest & the other bred to event...

Her pregnancy with him, she had full seasons the whole way through, bleeding etc and so no way she is a 'normal' text book mare! This morning in good light I checked her & she is showing clear discharge & winking, but no blood. The bump has shifted position slightly but lots of droppings in her box & she didn't take mint, fennel or fenugreek when offered, which she normally would if she had wind or cramps/needed to. So hard to say...the worrying bit is when she is NOT in foal, she will not be left alone even while others are led to & from the stable/field without hysterical calling....for the last month she just doesn't give a monkies and just waits with a gooey expression on her face.she also licked anything & everything in site when pregnant which she is doing now, including about 15 or 20 contented licks per mouthful of feed.... temperature was 37.9 last night so happy that is within normal healthy range for her, so again plus checking her eyes/gums the colour did not indicate any pain/stress......however..her teats have changed shape tho no bag..although last foal she gave birth in ten mins flat,stood up, no fuss or no signs, no bagging up literally till it arrived & was standing up tho the milk vein was visible,and vet had said unlikely to still be carrying despite scans...he's rising 4 now!she's a secretive one!