# Can I know if my mare had a foal before?



## manca (Feb 23, 2011)

Is there anything that could tell me if my mare had a foal before I got her?


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Your vet should be able to tell as there are internal signs, but unless you're willing to fork over the money for a nonessential vet call, I don't see the point.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

What she said... 

If your horse is registered you can pull her produce records. (is that the ride word? Produce?)

I pulled my mares (it cost me $3.00) - she's had 5 babies...


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## Juna (Apr 4, 2010)

Her progeny records. Yep, check those first if she is registered. 

If she isn't, well....one of the only ways I know of is if you have a vet out to vaginally palpate your mare to see if her hymen tissue has been broken. But that would only tell you if she has been bred or not. Would not tell you for sure she has delivered a foal. I'm not sure if a vet has other ways of knowing.


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

I was able to call the registry when I bought my mare (a Missouri Fox Trotter) and they told me for free, over the phone, that she had 7 registered babies. 

But I suspected before I even called that she must have had a bunch of foals because her teets are really large and droopy! But I don't know how many foals it takes before the teets start to droop, lol! :lol:


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## BarrelRacingCowgirl (Mar 23, 2011)

farmpony84 said:


> What she said...
> 
> If your horse is registered you can pull her produce records. (is that the ride word? Produce?)
> 
> I pulled my mares (it cost me $3.00) - she's had 5 babies...


Doesnt this only work, though, if the babies where registered as well because I have a mare that I know had a previous foal before me owning her and I cant find the foal anywhere.


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## PintoTess (Aug 18, 2010)

Sometimes you can Tell just by looking at a mare if she has foaled or not. Broodmares will most of the time have a large droopy belly even if they are not in foal and what trailhorserider said about her mare


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## manca (Feb 23, 2011)

> Your vet should be able to tell as there are internal signs, but unless you're willing to fork over the money for a nonessential vet call, I don't see the point.


I'm just curious. I'll probably never breed her, but I would be happy if she had a foal in the past. 



> If your horse is registered you can pull her produce records.


She is registered, but she was bought from Germany. We've send all the papers to Slovenian horse organization (or whateever is it called) so that I'm her official owner, but I don't know which one should I call? Germany or Slovenia? 

Her previous owner told me my mare had a foal when she was 5, but it somehow doesn't make sense, because she should be in training then (or already competing; and the prev. owner is known about making lies to get something she wants). She told me everything was alright with the foal but didn't know the name. And I was told that because previous owner wants my mare's foal in next few years. Since Candy is already 14 and I even don't know if she already had a foal and what would happen with the foal the previous owner wants, I'm not buying it. No way, I won't breed her. 
I don't have place, money or time for another horse and I don't want to sell the foal. But I would like to have similiar horse when my mare won't be rideable anymore. That's why I'm interested if maybe her foal exist.


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## manca (Feb 23, 2011)

> But I suspected before I even called that she must have had a bunch of foals because her teets are really large and droopy!


She has little larger teets than other mares I know that didn't have foals, but I'm not sure if that is because of a foal. 



> Broodmares will most of the time have a large droopy belly even if they are not in foal


Nope, she doesn't have a large belly. Even if she had a foal before it was probably just once.


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## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

That's a tough one. Even if she is registered, she may have had un-registerable foals. Outward signs like other posters have said, larger teats, the belly I wouldn't go with because with proper conditioning before, during & after pregnancy those belly muscles tuck back up. I have a mare who has had 9 foals and she is as fit and trim as she was before the first one & her teats are only minimally larger on the flip side I also have a mare who has only had one and her teats look like she's nursed a dozen...

If she doesn't have foals on the books, I would consider trying to contact all previous owners and inquire about it. You never know what you will find out that way. Even if it's no foals, you might find out other interesting/beneficial things about your mare


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## manca (Feb 23, 2011)

Thanks 
I will contact all previous owners someday, when I'll really needed it. Now I'm just curious. And I'll have to master my german until then


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## Sarahandlola (Dec 16, 2010)

My mare has had foals before. I was told. But it is easy to tell with her very large teat. I thought she was pregnant they are so big XD


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## manca (Feb 23, 2011)

MHFoundation Quarters, you gave me a brilliant idea  I'm going to contact all the owners (and I'm the fifth) through e-mail (if I'll be able to find it), if not I'll send them a letter (I have their adresses written in mares passport). I'm so excited!
I just hope they won't think I'm a weirdo or something like that


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## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

Cool! Let us know what you discover! I doubt they will think you are a weirdo, although most of us horse people are! :wink: I've had people contact us about foals we raised lots of times. I always think that they are smart buyers


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