I have a maiden mare who was hand bred last may 15th.Her due date would be april 23rd.She has a loose wiggly tail(liganents)her backend is elongated,we see the foal moving,but she has no bag.We have some frozen colostrum just in case.she will be 10 days over on thursday....any suggestions?What do they do with mares who don't foal?She is not appearing to be stressed at all but I sure am!:0 :)

-- teri (mrs_smurf2000@yahoo.ca), April 29, 2001

Answers

Teri, I have one mare that is constantly overdue by 2 weeks. She gets huge! Her colts are usually bigger than the others too. I used to worry about her but now I just let her go-she has never been in distress. Keep watching for her bag to grow and it won't be long before she foals. Anywhere from a few hours to three or four days. Hope this helps!!

-- cowgirlone (cowgirlone47@hotmail.com), April 29, 2001.

Teri Is this mare eating fescue grass or hay if so remove the fescue at once. Put her on a top quality hay like orchad grass hay or Alfalfa hay ,also a top quality grain formulated for brood mares 10 to 14 percent protein. You might supplement her with calf mana. Please let us know more. Good Luck JAY in NC

-- jay vance (jay.l.vance@worldnet.att.net), April 29, 2001.

I have been watching for the fescue in pasture ,none so far .She is on alfalfa hay,17% alfalfa pellets during the winter only,oats,bran and vitamins.I went to a horsey site today and saw lots that seemed to connect fescue with the overdue and no bag thingy,but she is on the same hay as my neighbours 6 broodmares ( and she is related to some of them)and all has been well with them.My amish friends say bran mash and don't worry she could go 12 months....I'll be a wreck....glad we only have one due!!!!!thank you for your advice

-- teri (mrs_smurf2000@yahoo.ca), April 29, 2001.

Yes, 11 months 11 days is the 'norm,' (always thought that was a funny word!) but how many human moms go exactly 9 months?!! Some mares will go 12 months. If you're sure of the breeding dates, and if the mare starts going past 12 months, then it's time to call the vet. Chances are, tho, that mama nature knows what she's doing! :^)

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), April 30, 2001.

Well, the loosening of the muscles around the tailhead are usually a good indication that things are progressing. Has the foal shifted yet? They are carried with their spine cross-wise to the mare's spine until about two weeks before delivery, at which time the foal rotates so that their spines align. Usually you can tell when this has happened, because of the change in the mare's shape.

I've seen a few mares go well beyond what one would expect with no ill effects. That the foal is moving is good. You may be able to 'help' things along with a little mild excercise, especially if she has been just loafing and not doing anything. Walk/jog on a lounge line for ten minutes or so. You're not trying to scare it out of her, just start systems moving. Any mare in good health should be able to stand this just fine, and at worst, you just gave her a little excercise. Some mares don't bag up until the night they foal, some won't have milk and you'll have to step in with the colostrum, others bag up weeks ahead and stream all the colostrum out. Ah, the fun of a new horse whose pattern you don't know yet!!

-- julie f. (rumplefrogskin@excite.com), April 30, 2001.

I've had one mare foal at 359 days and one at 353. And one foal with no bagging up (maiden mare). There were no complications with any of them. My mares are all over 10, and older mares do tend to gestate longer. As long as the mare looks healthy I wouldn't worry about it. Is May 15th the last breeding date? The day after the last day is the one you count from. So, today is 348 days. 343 is average, which doesn't at all mean anything is wrong. Based on experience your mare will pick the rainiest yuckiest weather to foal in so you get to slop around in the mud LOL

Also, if noone has told you, iodine the baby's umbilical cord ASAP after birth and at least one more time the first day. Email me if you want if you have any other questions.

-- Stacia in OK (oneclassycowgirl@aol.com), April 30, 2001.

My neighbor's older mare carried for over 12 months and delivered without complications. The foal came out with his hooves turned up so he was walking on the backs of them, but within a day or two the ligaments strengthened up and he's running around perfectly normal now. His spine was bent from being cramped, but that's staightened as well. He was smaller than others because they start dropping weight when they're in there overlong. So if you see these problems when she finally does foal, don't panick. They are not unusual in foals born 'late'.

-- Epona (crystalepona2000@yahoo.com), April 30, 2001.

A friend of mine who has raised horses for years in "fescue country" always adds a handful of Clovite and a cup of Calf Manna to the brood mare ration (twice a day grain) 6 to 8 weeks before their foaling date. Said an old horse breeder he knew told him to do that, that it would help with the milk and also some of the other related fescue problems. No matter how careful you are, some hay/pasture may end up with fescue ...

My vet recommends Domperidone for mares that are not bagging up on schedule and says that 3 to 5 days on it will take care of the problem if it's going to help. I've used it several times and it can work almost overnight it seems ... but it's expensive.

-- SFM in KY (timberln@hyperaction.net), April 30, 2001.

Teri You might have more fescue in the pasture than you think, try putting her in a dry lot and she should make milk in 48hours.

-- jay vance (jay.l.vance@worldnet.att.net), April 30, 2001.

My mare went nearly a full year with her first 2 foals, but the last 2 have been right on time. My mare bagges up several weeks in advance,but she milks like a holstein cow! Even with her first foal, and that makes predicting foaling dates difficult. I keep a close eye on her and have not missed one yet. She is due again in 6 weeks! I would be concerned about the lack of bag on your mare. You might want to contact your vet if it doesn't develope soon.

-- elle (eagle-quest@juno.com), May 01, 2001.

She foaled!!!!With a little help from me and mother nature!!The herbal handbook says three parts raspberry leaves and one part feverfew.I fed it to her at 10;30,the foal was born at 11;05.A colt ,and a very good size,thanks for your encouragement ,mother and baby are doing fine.

-- teri murphy (mrs_smurf2000@yahoo.ca), May 19, 2001.