Thoughts please...Could she be pregnant?

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suzyjs85

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So long story short, I took this 14 year old TB mare on as a companion for my mare at the beginning of March, the people I got her from told me she had been rescued in December from a field where she was underweight (I have seen a picture of her then and she was very skinny even for a TB and her feet when she came to me were awful), un-rugged and running with something else (no idea what) which apparently was sold for a decent amount of money while this one was neglected. She has had at least one foal so I'm not sure if this was her son or something else. In the last few months she has absolutely ballooned in size, she has visible veins on her belly, and looks almost like she's swallowed a cardboard box from behind! Her udders/teats seem to be much lower (almost dangly) in comparison to my other mare (who also had a foal a few years ago however from what I have been able to find out the foal didn't survive) She is on a regular worming program and has been counted so I know it's not worms, but I guess it could be a grass belly, although I can't think of a time since I've owned her that she has been noticeably in season which is another concern...I've got the vet coming out at the beginning of next week to check her over but wondered what other peoples thought's were? I have no experience when it comes to breeding horses at all and had no intention of adding a baby to my collection but if that's the case then I have no problem with that, my main concern is if she could be pregnant she has had no sort of additional care/feed whatsoever...

This was her in the first two weeks of coming to me...

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=27641&d=1434986714

This is her now...4 months on

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=27642&d=1434986724

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=27643&d=1434986731

I know no-one but a vet can tell me which is why I've got them coming next week but I would just like some other thoughts. I do have some more photos including from behind that show better than the side on which I will upload later on...

Thanks for taking the time to read, please no negative comments, I will do everything I can right by this mare, and she has a home for life with me. I am not a novice horse owner but just have no idea when it comes to this sort of thing!
 
I've never bred and have ltd stud experience but she doesn't look pregnant shaped to me, She looks quite evenly round to me when we had an accidental foal from a rescue companion she went very egg shaped so weighter towards her back end
 
Hard to tell from the photos but I would say that she probably isn't in foal. With a first time mare they often don't get much bigger until very close to their due date but once they have had a foal they do seem to be bigger much earlier.

However if she had been running with a colt until December she could have been covered very late in the year so not be due for a number of months. If her companion wasn't a colt/stallion then you shouldn't have anything to worry about.
 
Thanks, that's what I'm hoping...that she is just making up for the time she wasn't fed! ;P I'll put some better pictures up later...everyone at the yard has just got me a little paranoid I think! lol
 
Thank you, I don't know what she was running with and have been unable to find out which is a bit of a worry, I'm keeping my fingers crossed it was another mare! She had her first foal in 2011 from the research I have done, then she disappears off the grid until these people rescued her at the end of 2014
 
Hmmm, I would say no as well, though like the other poster has said she could have been covered late.

I wouldn't worry at all that she has had no extra feed etc, they often don't need anything more - fingers crossed for next week.

She is gorgeous :)
 
Hmm very true, will have to see what next week brings :/ thank you she is a very pretty girlie and an absolute sweetheart with it, very cuddly! I'm hoping to send her for retraining (she was a racer prior to being a broodmare) the end of the summer as she doesn't seem all that keen on just being a companion...a baby would definatley throw a spanner in the works on that one lol!
 
These posts drive me mad. How can anyone tell from a photo unless they are very heavy in foal. It's all just speculation.

Get a vet.
 
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