Update, for those who are interested

Very exciting!

I know its not bagging up as such, but the teats look a different shape, and the wax...would be interesting to hear what that is if anyone knows? (Ive not witnessed any pregnant mares before!)

Any ideas?
 
gg1986 said:
Very exciting!

I know its not bagging up as such, but the teats look a different shape, and the wax...would be interesting to hear what that is if anyone knows? (Ive not witnessed any pregnant mares before!)

Any ideas?
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Still no foalie guys.

I thought they looked slightly more fleshy not quite so shrivelled, but only minimally. But can a horse wax up without bagging up, thats the question? I really thought that didn't happen. If not what could it be? I'm going to try and get my hands in there later :eek: :eek: could just be some dust and nastiness and we are all getting excited over nothing! They were still the same this morning, again no change, but she did seem a bit tucked up, although she did used to be tucked up every morning I turned her out in the past so not phased by this.

Does anyone know if a horse can wax up without bagging up?
 
queenbee said:
Does anyone have any suggestions re: feed, weight etc I don't want her to get too 'ribby'
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Have a chat with one of the feed companies' nutritionalists over the phone :)

queenbee said:
It will be 343 days on sunday although I heard that the fertilised egg can float for up to 2 weeks before it attaches...
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Horses do really weird things with their conceptus, and that'll all be taken into account in the day count I think. The bundle of cells that will become the foetus/foal bounces around for a bit, gets stuck and puts out some sucker-type things, then the mare's immune system says sod that and breaks them off, bounces around for a bit more before finally, quite a long time after fertilisation, decides to settle down and form a placenta :D

just another bit of trivia from theuselessknowledgebank.co.uk! ;)

queenbee said:
Still no foalie guys.

I thought they looked slightly more fleshy not quite so shrivelled, but only minimally. But can a horse wax up without bagging up, thats the question? I really thought that didn't happen. If not what could it be? I'm going to try and get my hands in there later :eek: :eek: could just be some dust and nastiness and we are all getting excited over nothing! They were still the same this morning, again no change, but she did seem a bit tucked up, although she did used to be tucked up every morning I turned her out in the past so not phased by this.

Does anyone know if a horse can wax up without bagging up?
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I think she looks waxed up, and that I've seen quite a few mares waxed up but not very bagged up. Has Kerilli posted on here at all? I think her pictures of her mare's udder when she was expecting (and ended up being quite a wait!) were very similar. If you are friends with her on facebook have a mooch at her photos of Katy.

I've only just come across this thread and will be following it eagerly now!
 
Naturally said:
Have a chat with one of the feed companies' nutritionalists over the phone :)



Horses do really weird things with their conceptus, and that'll all be taken into account in the day count I think. The bundle of cells that will become the foetus/foal bounces around for a bit, gets stuck and puts out some sucker-type things, then the mare's immune system says sod that and breaks them off, bounces around for a bit more before finally, quite a long time after fertilisation, decides to settle down and form a placenta :D

just another bit of trivia from theuselessknowledgebank.co.uk! ;)



I think she looks waxed up, and that I've seen quite a few mares waxed up but not very bagged up. Has Kerilli posted on here at all? I think her pictures of her mare's udder when she was expecting (and ended up being quite a wait!) were very similar. If you are friends with her on facebook have a mooch at her photos of Katy.

I've only just come across this thread and will be following it eagerly now!
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oooh thank you, that's useful to know. Was telling myself it couldn't be wax but interesting that people are thinking it is. Bless her, she never lies down but YO caught her flat out last night, don't think she was comfy though, she was shuffling around a bit and got back up then slept standing up, head hanging over the door switching her resting foot :D:D tired bunny :D:D

Will PM Kerilli and ask what her name is on FB or if she could post a pic on here for comparison.

Have 10 days off after today so I am going to be like a mother hen and ben is going to do some work... ;)
 
Queenbee , horses can wax up without a bag
Then they either bag up the day before or even when foal hits the ground
To me it does look like wax and means foaling is imminent
Try adding coco to feed some people said it old wifes time
but it worked for my mare also have some replacement milk in first aid box incase she doesn't
Develope any milk at all
 
P.s do take in consideration that waxing can happen weeks before , it's still not a good indication
What for other signs to
 
FWIW, my mares (I used to run a studfarm, kept between 18 - 22 broodmares) often "cleaned" the day before they foaled, that is, most pooped like mad just before foaling.
 
Mares are pretty sneaky, they can foal without wax or bagging up - I think they TRY to catch us out. I have experience of foaling my own mares (9 to date) and am not far from you if you need a hand at all. Please remember the 'normal' gestation is anything between 320 and 370 days, good luck x
 
ischa said:
Queenbee , horses can wax up without a bag
Then they either bag up the day before or even when foal hits the ground
To me it does look like wax and means foaling is imminent
Try adding coco to feed some people said it old wifes time
but it worked for my mare also have some replacement milk in first aid box incase she doesn't
Develope any milk at all
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Ischa, I am a dippy cow, sorry, I saw your other posts but missed this! Yes I remember hearing something about cocoa, it rings a bell, thank you for that and good to have it confirmed that they can wax before they bag up. A bit of googling and a trip to tesco in way to the yard I think :D
 
Am i the only one thinking that if the mare has not been intentionally covered and you have noticed all of the mentioned changes, it would be wise to have her swabbed? What on earth could you be dealing with if she is not in foal (that would be my concern).

Sorry to dampen excitement somewhat - I hope its good news for you and out pops a beautiful coloured baby.
 
Been lurking following this thread for a while, just wanted to say all the best of luck Queenbee, if its not a foaly in there I'll be very surprised! Please keep updating and ignore the bashers, your mare looks like shes in great health :)
 
crellow4 said:
Mares are pretty sneaky, they can foal without wax or bagging up - I think they TRY to catch us out. I have experience of foaling my own mares (9 to date) and am not far from you if you need a hand at all. Please remember the 'normal' gestation is anything between 320 and 370 days, good luck x
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Crellow thank you that means a lot :)

I feel pretty lucky, what with the vet a stones throw away, and YO's hubby and my OH being a farmer, If things go wrong during the foaling (if there is one) we can be on the ball there and then. I have done so much reading lately about what is bad and what is good, it is scary but really good to know what you are looking for, if she is in foal and something does go wrong I will know what to look for. I become a bit obsessive over things, when I get hooked on a subject I just read, Honestly I read a book about making Port and Sherry and the history of the drinks, cover to cover and found it really interesting (I can be an information freak). But back to my point, oh yeah, ALL THE THINGS THAT CAN GO WRONG, :eek: however I have stashed that away so I don't think about it, but I know that I will recognise signs if something is up and it will trigger a memory in my brain. I have a list of all the checks that I would need to do, if and when there is a foal, all the telephone numbers. I feel pretty cool about the whole thing now, but I actually think that if this had been a planned pregnancy I would be a bag of nerves, questioning my sanity and why did I chose to put my mare in foal, and what if x,y,z happens. Strangely enought I think it is the simple fact that this was not a conscious decision in the first place is helping me to completely relax about it and enjoy it for what it is. But an offer like that means a lot, I really appreciate it :D Thank you :D


*group hug everyone* I am getting a bit soppy :D
 
Winklepoker said:
Am i the only one thinking that if the mare has not been intentionally covered and you have noticed all of the mentioned changes, it would be wise to have her swabbed? What on earth could you be dealing with if she is not in foal (that would be my concern).

Sorry to dampen excitement somewhat - I hope its good news for you and out pops a beautiful coloured baby.
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WP, Ebony was given the clear for breeding, she was swobbed scanned and given a course of antibiotics (think thats what I stuck her with) when I was going to AI her. Since then she has never been near a boy other than Ben the only others have been over the fence. Ben was with his mum for the first 6 months of his life then came straight to me, There were a couple of mares in the field with us until he was 7 months, other than that he has only been in a field with ebony. I think it can be said this ismost likely not the result of an infection. In addition ebony has a shiney coat, good appetite, good gum colour and shiney eyes, she is alert in the mornings and bounces into her field then has a good trot and canter down to her favourite corner. I am not unduly worried that she is 'ill' for whatever reason, neither is the vet that I have been confering with, who has not seen her but has been swamped with pictures, and knows my mare of old. But it was a fair observation to make :)
 
QB the mare that produces little wax does however have a bag like a jersey cow for two months before. (Incidentally she is also called Queen Bee!!) This year we had no wax whatsoever, so she was turned out as usual through the day at 9.30am, I went to work where we have no phone signal (Wanlock head highest village in Scotland) and came down at 12 noon to an abundance of phone messages. The crafty old witch had waited until she was turned out in the company of the stallion and our other mare, and started grazing. She stood and stretched her head up as far as it would go as I watched her. I thought what a strange thing to do! Once everyone had disappeared she promptly lay down and spat out a colt (black very nice so can forgive her all bar one other have been fillies), this was witnessed by a neighbour who zipped up to my friends house up the road. My friend had just got in, put a dippy egg on for her granddaughter and they had just sat down when neighbour arrived at door. In all from putting out in paddock was 20 minutes!!She has never been known to foal during the day and has always been a quick worker but this one took the biscuit (or the dippy egg which child never got!!) Stallion and other mare went back to grazing!
We have another mare who was due to foal around 7th June who still hasnt foaled!! She is still in foal, vet put his hand in and said probably another two months. Now what we THINK has happened there is that the mare (who ran with stallion all winter) slipped the foal around December and was covered again quietly!! She also shows little sign. Her first foal was dropped on concrete. She was in a 60 x60 shed with her buddy and all bar 3 ft at the gate had deep straw but obviously thought concrete was a preferable place.
Yes another sign of imminent foaling (in any normal birth) is the passing of droppings which get smaller and fewer the closer to birth it gets.:D
 
frozzy said:
QB the mare that produces little wax does however have a bag like a jersey cow for two months before. (Incidentally she is also called Queen Bee!!) This year we had no wax whatsoever, so she was turned out as usual through the day at 9.30am, I went to work where we have no phone signal (Wanlock head highest village in Scotland) and came down at 12 noon to an abundance of phone messages. The crafty old witch had waited until she was turned out in the company of the stallion and our other mare, and started grazing. She stood and stretched her head up as far as it would go as I watched her. I thought what a strange thing to do! Once everyone had disappeared she promptly lay down and spat out a colt (black very nice so can forgive her all bar one other have been fillies), this was witnessed by a neighbour who zipped up to my friends house up the road. My friend had just got in, put a dippy egg on for her granddaughter and they had just sat down when neighbour arrived at door. In all from putting out in paddock was 20 minutes!!She has never been known to foal during the day and has always been a quick worker but this one took the biscuit (or the dippy egg which child never got!!) Stallion and other mare went back to grazing!
We have another mare who was due to foal around 7th June who still hasnt foaled!! She is still in foal, vet put his hand in and said probably another two months. Now what we THINK has happened there is that the mare (who ran with stallion all winter) slipped the foal around December and was covered again quietly!! She also shows little sign. Her first foal was dropped on concrete. She was in a 60 x60 shed with her buddy and all bar 3 ft at the gate had deep straw but obviously thought concrete was a preferable place.
Yes another sign of imminent foaling (in any normal birth) is the passing of droppings which get smaller and fewer the closer to birth it gets.:D
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Bleeding Hell frozzy, its all fun and games at your yard LOL:D With regards to ebony, I generally look the other way when she poos, she has always come in and pooed solid then it has turned to sloppy cow pat the longer she is in :D having said that she is more poo like nowadays with only a couple of sloppy ones all night :D but no real noticable change in size and frequency...

*whispers 'I don't think my QB is normal'*
 
She doesn't look like she'll be ready to foal in 24/48 hours to me I'm afraid. She looks weeks away going by the photo of her belly shape, of course the shape could change in a matter of days being that Ebony seems an odd one ;). Did you feel the stuff coming out of her teats? Is it crystallised waxing stuck to them or liquid? I don't use wax as a reliable guide to when they'll foal as mares can wax up weeks before foaling; belly shape, vulva slackening and bag/teat size are better. Once these other signs are in place then I milk test and the readings are what I use to better pinpoint foaling times.

A couple of things: Embryos take till around Day 17 to attach, that's normal and it still means it's Day 17 of the pregnancy :)

Sterile string?? What are your plans for that?
 
Spring Feather said:
She doesn't look like she'll be ready to foal in 24/48 hours to me I'm afraid. She looks weeks away going by the photo of her belly shape, of course the shape could change in a matter of days being that Ebony seems an odd one ;). Did you feel the stuff coming out of her teats? Is it crystallised waxing stuck to them or liquid? I don't use wax as a reliable guide to when they'll foal as mares can wax up weeks before foaling; belly shape, vulva slackening and bag/teat size are better. Once these other signs are in place then I milk test and the readings are what I use to better pinpoint foaling times.

A couple of things: Embryos take till around Day 17 to attach, that's normal and it still means it's Day 17 of the pregnancy :)

Sterile string?? What are your plans for that?
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Hi SF :D

Nope, she was a real tetch around her tummy last night, very agitated with it while eating so just took the pictures but I intend to 'get in there' later and cop a feel :D It seems to be hard, certainly didn;t see anything dripping, so I can assume it is crystalised wax or something cant I? Will have a proper investigate later though. Her vulva relaxes more in the evening, but then is tight when she goes out, so I don't know if this is probably more how she is normally. Thanks for clearing that up about the embryos, I must confess I thought it would add days on, but actually it makes sense that the count is still the same, the count is from fertilisation, not attachment of the embryo, me just being dippy.

Sterile string :D:D oh you are going to be proud of me, google and you can get some cracking good ideas and tips, for sterile string I have a sealed pot of dental floss :D:D:D

forgot to say, I agree, she doesn't look dropped enought to me yet.
 
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queenbee said:
It seems to be hard, certainly didn;t see anything dripping, so I can assume it is crystalised wax or something cant I?
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Yes that sounds like wax but don't use it as much of a sign for figuring out the foal date because it often isn't much of one except to let you know that she is getting closer.

Thanks for clearing that up about the embryos, I must confess I thought it would add days on, but actually it makes sense that the count is still the same, the count is from fertilisation, not attachment of the embryo, me just being dippy.
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It confuses lots of people, you're not alone :)

Sterile string :D:D oh you are going to be proud of me, google and you can get some cracking good ideas and tips, for sterile string I have a sealed pot of dental floss :D:D:D
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Oh golly now you have me wondering even more! :eek: Just so long as you aren't anticipating her having a caesarian or something quite as dramatic!
 
Spring Feather said:
Yes that sounds like wax but don't use it as much of a sign for figuring out the foal date because it often isn't much of one except to let you know that she is getting closer.


It confuses lots of people, you're not alone :)


Oh golly now you have me wondering even more! :eek: Just so long as you aren't anticipating her having a caesarian or something quite as dramatic!
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I was more confused about the fact that there was no bag, but wax, I really never thought that waxing could occur without bagging up, but to be honest, I really never thought about it.

With regards to the string, I decided to look up lots of information on foaling kits, some were pretty basic and I wanted to make sure that I wasn't missing anything, one great tip I found was that someone always kept some waxed dental floss for tying off the cord because it was a cheap way of ensuring it was sterile. I even got a brand new clean box to put it in. OH has got a sterile roll of proper cord to tie up the placenta for me although he said to just use bailing twine but I am now a bit OCD on the whole sterile thing, mum swiped some gloves from work (naughtly mummy, she is a Health Visitor) OH has some new sterile 'long gloves' for me from his batch for his cows. We are pretty well done on the kit. I haven't forked out on test strips but then, there is sod all to test :D

One thing I am umming and ahhing about is her tail, I am keeping it brushed and sprayed but I realise it is not 'clean' I don't want to fuss her by plaiting it, although she really doesn't seem to care at the moment, but on the other I do because I want it out of the way for her. She is constantly swishing it and I would not like her to not be able to do that (she likes to feel as un fussed as possibe) YO said just leave it as is, that there was no gunk on her mares tail when she foaled, but I want to provide the best birthing situation for the foal, will leaving the tail down and natural increase any risk of infection for a foal? My head is telling me that it will and to plait it.
 
I plait the top of my mares tails when they are really close to foaling but when I know they aren't going to in the next 24 hours. Once they hit the magical number for all guns blazing then I plait the bottom of their tails. I leave my mares tails down (I do not tie them up) and once everything is expelled and I've cleaned off their hind legs, that's when I let the tails flow freely again. Tails can get in a gunky mess if they're left loose and even plaited ones can need a shampoo the following day. Tails do get in the way when you need to go in to reposition the foal so I wouldn't leave a tail loose.

Every year my foaling kit gets smaller and smaller with all these useless items :o. A stainless steel bucket of iodine water is what I use to sterilise my hands, I find gloves are more trouble than they're worth. I never tie afterbirth up with rope or string anymore, it's much easier to tie it onto itself. I haven't ever cut an umbilical cord in any foaling. For any umbilical cords that are tough and don't snap off, I straddle my fingers firmly around the umbilicus, kneel on the umbilical cord further away from the foal and nudge the foal to move and that's always worked. I have everything I could possibly need for emergencies but I don't cart everything down to the stables every time I see a mare starting to foal.
 
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