Possible BOGOF

[Bangagin]

I bought a lovely Irish cob mare 2 months ago, who is changing shape quite dramatically and many think she could be in foal (friends, farrier, saddle fitter, etc). I bought her from a dealer, but they had only had her a few weeks straight over from Ireland. She's due her second vaccination on 1st August, and I'd love some advice please on the best way to get a possible pregnancy confirmed before I speak to the vet about it. I am guessing a scan is the best way, but probably the most expensive? (Don't want to sound tight, but in the last two months she's had everything possible done/checked and a new saddle so it's been an expensive time!)

I'm an experienced horse owner, but am a little bit terrified (but also very excited) at the thought of my mare giving birth! Eeek!!

 

[tda]

I would ring your vet and ask for the most cost effective way forward. If she is quite far on then possibly a manual exam.
Our vets have a portable scanner, and sometimes they have done a scan on free yard visit day, if the scanner is available

 

[Gloi]

Any mare that has been through dealers or auction should be presumed pregnant until proved otherwise.
Hope it all works out well for you.

 

[ihatework]

Yup terrifying and exciting!
I’d probably just get the vet to do a quick manual (hand up bum then they feel downwards onto uterus), at this time of the year/seadon and if you think the mare is showing the foal would be easily felt.

 

[AmyMay]

Yup terrifying and exciting!
I’d probably just get the vet to do a quick manual (hand up bum then they feel downwards onto uterus), at this time of the year/seadon and if you think the mare is showing the foal would be easily felt.

This.

Let us know the outcome.

 

[Ratface]

I bought a young mare off persons of a travelling nature, who appeared to be settled. She rode out nicely, was good in traffic and was good to handle. I bought her for a reasonable price and got her home. She was a calm hack, jumped small fences, and was good to catch and do.
The owner of the farm where I kept her was an early riser. It was Summer. He went out at 4am to check his stock and the horses. He looked over into my mare's box and saw a small coloured foal, plus afterbirth. At 7am, phoned me and told me that we had "an additional resident".
I kept the little colt and her mother until the foal was a yearling. Then sold both, the colt to another person on the yard and the mare to someone who wanted a quiet hack. The colt sadly died, through the ignorance of the owner, who had been asked to leave by the yard owner. The colt's owner had turned him out in a field full of ragwort and sycamore trees. He was found dead one morning. The mare went to a family home, where she lived until she was twenty-five, eventually being pts due to the effects of a severe colic episode.

 

[TheMule]

I bought a lovely Irish cob mare 2 months ago, who is changing shape quite dramatically and many think she could be in foal (friends, farrier, saddle fitter, etc). I bought her from a dealer, but they had only had her a few weeks straight over from Ireland. She's due her second vaccination on 1st August, and I'd love some advice please on the best way to get a possible pregnancy confirmed before I speak to the vet about it. I am guessing a scan is the best way, but probably the most expensive? (Don't want to sound tight, but in the last two months she's had everything possible done/checked and a new saddle so it's been an expensive time!)

I'm an experienced horse owner, but am a little bit terrified (but also very excited) at the thought of my mare giving birth! Eeek!!

Has she developed any udder? That will be a good indication of likely time scale if she is pregnant. But vet is a good first step, and preferably sooner that August 1st so you can get prepared asap

 

[I'm Dun]

You need to post photos so we can all decide if we think she is up the duff or not before the vet comes. Its one of the traditions of BOGOFF threads!

 

[Bangagin]

Thanks everyone. No sign of any udder - I don't think she's very far gone. It's just the shape of her now compared to when she arrived! I'll try to sort out some photos - hold on!

 

[Bangagin]

First time posting photos so bear with me. Hopefully I have done this right! The first one in the headcollar is her ad. Probably taken April time. I have crudely written dates on other photos so you can compare her change of shape over 8 weeks.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

Oh dearie me! I am putting my money on a BOGOF looking at the most recent couple of pics! Can't wait to see what the vet thinks.

Edited to add isn't she lovely!

 

[GypsGal1718]

Lucky you! I would scan just to be safe in case there are any problems that may not be detected on manual exam. Good luck for the way forward

 

[Lauraback]

Looks like baby onboard from me too but I’m no expert in this area, good luck and keen to hear your vet’s verdict!

 

[Bangagin]

Oh boy! I've waited several years to find the right horse, and now it looks as though our ridden partnership will be on hold for a while! I am definitely going to get her scanned as I want to be sure of timescales. Any guesses on how far gone she might be?

 

[tda]

That's looking positive
10 months......

And you still hopefully have the right horse, you'll just have a wait a little longer

 

[meleeka]

I'm saying yes too! How exciting

 

[I'm Dun]

definitely looks like a baby belly to me, they don't tend to get the pointed shape from grass, I'd guess a month to go

 

[tinselbobs]

No advice, I just wanted to say she’s very pretty and very clean!

 

[twiggy2]

I vote in foal, due 23rd August, coloured filly

 

[Bangagin]

OMG!!!! That soon?!? Should I stop riding her? I'm terrified as I was reading about foaling the other day and it seems like so many things can go wrong. And the advice was to have a foaling kit on hand with about a million things in it.

I'm not sure my paddock is particularly foal friendly either - I'm on a very ramshackle DIY yard with shelters instead of stables, rickety post and rail fencing, and most of the paddock has electric fencing. Having a huge panic here at work at my desk in front of my laptop.

No advice, I just wanted to say she’s very pretty and very clean!

Thank you - I'm very smitten with her! (However I think the camera has hidden a lot of the dirt! She lives out 24/7 and is forever rolling.)

 

[ElleSkywalkingintheair]

Looks fairly far along if she is in foal, probably a month away. Can you take some boob pictures and keep an eye on them for changes? Definitely get a vet out to confirm.

Is there anywhere with secure fencing on your yard you could move her too? Electric isn't ideal for a very young foal, if possible stud fencing, or post and rail would be best. A small well fenced pen with a shelter bedded down with straw would be ideal if you don't have access to stables.

She is absolutely beautiful and sure you will have just the sweetest foal from her my vote is little coloured colt

 

[Bangagin]

Looks fairly far along if she is in foal, probably a month away. Can you take some boob pictures and keep an eye on them for changes? Definitely get a vet out to confirm.

Is there anywhere with secure fencing on your yard you could move her too? Electric isn't ideal for a very young foal, if possible stud fencing, or post and rail would be best. A small well fenced pen with a shelter bedded down with straw would be ideal if you don't have access to stables.

She is absolutely beautiful and sure you will have just the sweetest foal from her my vote is little coloured colt

Oh yes I'm a bit obsessed with her boobs at the moment and inspect them daily! LOL! (I sound like a weirdo.)

Hmmm. There is one small paddock which has post and rail and a shelter, but it's away from all the other horses (she wouldn't even be able to see them) and I don't want to stress her as she's settled so well where she is. I wonder if I could set up something safe and temporary in my paddock?

 

[ElleSkywalkingintheair]

Oh yes I'm a bit obsessed with her boobs at the moment and inspect them daily! LOL! (I sound like a weirdo.)

Hmmm. There is one small paddock which has post and rail and a shelter, but it's away from all the other horses (she wouldn't even be able to see them) and I don't want to stress her as she's settled so well where she is. I wonder if I could set up something safe and temporary in my paddock?

When foaly is here she probably won't mind too much about being out of sight of other horses, but fashioning something safe and temporary where she is settled is also a great idea.

We love boob pictures here so post away

 

[Bangagin]

If anyone has any recommendations on making an enclosure that is safe and secure and not too expensive as a temporary measure then please advise! I was thinking some sort of plastic mesh attached to tall electric fence posts but now in my head that might not be safe in case foal gets tangled up or caught underneath.

 

[tda]

If mum is used to electric, then she will show the foal the fence when it's up and moving
She can foal outside too, don't stress about having her indoors.
Is she in a field with others?

 

[nagblagger]

I don't want to put a damper on things but I think you need the vet sooner to check, i had similar, my mare put weight on and i wanted to know whether it was due to foal, or just fat due to the good grass, so would change my management of her. Feed restricting and exercise increasing. If she's not in foal, which to my untrained eye she looks like she is, she will need her weight watching closely.

Like you, my mare is out 24hrs a day and had no problems, even with her donkey field mates watching, remember, although there could be complications, mares in the wild do it naturally, just remove obvious risks.

If you do have a bogof mandatory threads to start are;
Guess the birthday
Name the foal.
Will be watching for updates, i love a bogof.

 

[nagblagger]

Similar photos to you to compare. and yes she was!

When i got her and 2 months later

 

[Spotherisk]

Who had the most recent HHO bogof, was it @Caol Ila mare Hermosa?

 

[Lauraback]

Who had the most recent HHO bogof, was it @Caol Ila mare Hermosa?

I think so and think she only had about a week to prepare for foal arrival

 

[AmyMay]

Oh boy! I've waited several years to find the right horse, and now it looks as though our ridden partnership will be on hold for a while! I am definitely going to get her scanned as I want to be sure of timescales. Any guesses on how far gone she might be?

You need to get your vet to examine her.