# Mare Due and Still no Foal...Geez I am going insane!



## Indyhorse (Dec 3, 2009)

Velvetgrace said:


> I have an AQHA Buckskin mare that is bred to my AQHA Chestnut Stallion. The mare was bred on April 11 and 12, 2009. She was set to be due on or around March 19, 2010. And still no baby as of April 5...
> 
> I figured between extreme weather changes and moon phases, she would have popped by now. On March 19 & 20, we had a snow storm roll by, on March 23, we had some sever weather pass, and on March 30 we had a full moon.
> 
> ...



Gosh I feel your pain!! My mare was due March 17th, she ended up going 360 days and just foaled last night. When it gets this far out you just want to pull your hair out. I don't have any advise to offer, but I know what you are feeling!


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## DustyDiamond (Mar 18, 2010)

well i hope you get a baby soon


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## Velvetgrace (Aug 17, 2008)

First two photos were taken about 3 weeks ago (March 16). Next 3 photos were taken yesterday (April 4). Udder photos First one was taken yesterday, the last one was taken today.


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## lilkitty90 (Nov 11, 2009)

well she is a very pretty girl. and i'm not to good as my mare foaled a month after i expected she would. but she will have it when she is ready. as she is maiden i would definitely do some nightly checks. thats what i did. all mares are different and she will foal when she feels she is ready. as long as she doesn't go over 380 days i wouldn't worry TOO much.

my schedule was
graining & check at *6am*
mom would check around *12pm*
graining and check at *6pm*
nightly check and bring more water at 11pm
and again at *1-3am*

i end up catching her foal at 8pm


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## Velvetgrace (Aug 17, 2008)

Well, today is April 8th and I am still waiting. I have been checking her every day at the same time. Today I checked her and got her up close now. I checked her udder and got a small squirt of clear liquid. Does this mean that she is going to go tonight????????? No actual milk yet. 

Temps are dropping to near 38 degrees.


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## TheCowgirlRanda (Mar 31, 2010)

Normally they will have white milk the day they are going to foal, but I dont know much about foaling. Sorry, I hope she goes soon.


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## Indyhorse (Dec 3, 2009)

Velvetgrace said:


> Well, today is April 8th and I am still waiting. I have been checking her every day at the same time. Today I checked her and got her up close now. I checked her udder and got a small squirt of clear liquid. Does this mean that she is going to go tonight????????? No actual milk yet.
> 
> Temps are dropping to near 38 degrees.


No.  Possible, but not something to stress over. My mare had a "mostly" full udder, more than the pics of your girl, and yellow fluid in her udder from January 28th, she just finally foaled on April 5th.

Your mare also doesn't look relaxed around her tailhead yet, usually an indication the baby will be in the next two weeks, but not always, again it wasn't with my mare, she was relaxed for months! The best indication, in my mares case, was the milk tests. Worth doing, in my opinion. My mare made the jump from 220 Calcium to 1000 calcium 24 hrs before she foaled, and her milk, though it had gone from the yellow clear stuff to white and thin/runny about a month before, turned very thick and syrupy, and almost blue tinged. I have a lot of pictures I posted while waiting for my mare to foal on the thread http://www.horseforum.com/horse-breeding/foaling-qs-46465/ If you click through to the last few pages, I have pictures of her udder/vulva posted 24 and 2 hours before she foaled. 

That being said, it's always better to be prepared, so still keep checking her! Good luck!


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## FGRanch (Feb 9, 2008)

I know how you feel, my mares we always late. 

BTW I was due to have my human baby on April 5th and I am still waiting...lol


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## Velvetgrace (Aug 17, 2008)

Sigh... Getting Closer? She has fluid filled in the udder. You can bearly squeeze the teets and they will squirt clear yellish liquid.

Pictures taken in the last 24 hours.


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## TrueColours (Apr 25, 2009)

She is adorably cute and VERY rotund isnt she?!

Have you tested her milk? That will usually pinpoint it for you to within a day of her foaling. Dont bother wasting money on the "Special Foaling Kit" ones either - all you need is distilled water from your drug store (about 1.50 for 1 gallon and that will last you for 10 years!) and pool or spa test strips that measure ph and calcium. Its very very accurate and will allow you to sleep if the mare isnt close on those 2 readings

Do you need some toothpicks to keep your eyes pried open?! :lol:


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## Velvetgrace (Aug 17, 2008)

I have never tried those. I don't even have a clue has to how to read them or use them. Could you give me some pointers? Could someone get the strips from a drug store or walmart?


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## Indyhorse (Dec 3, 2009)

Foalingsigns

This website gives you a step by step on using the standard HTH pool test kit you can get at walmart. (You'll need to scroll down to find the testing info).

I used a kit provided by my vet for my mare, cost me near 100 bucks by the end. I wish I'd known! I think you can get all the supplies to do it this way from walmart for about 6 bucks


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## TrueColours (Apr 25, 2009)

After you collect the milk in a little clean cup here are the steps (and remember you dont need much milk - just a good 2 or 3 squirts will be more than enough)



> *Step #2:* *Observe*. First milk will be like water. You don't even have to waste a strip on this. next will look like Pee. Clear but yellow in color. This is often preceded by a very thick, sticky, clear stuff. Dunno what that is. Won't test, don't bother wasting a strip unless you are *reeeeealy* anxious. I know you're tempted since this is the first sign of 'change' and is sticky... o.k., go ahead, try it. I'm right.
> 
> Next will change to lemonade. That's when you start testing. Next will be lemonadey, but with tiny, tiny flecks of white. closer still... Final change will be to cloudy/grey/bluish. If you're brave, taste a drop or two. Early milk will be salty. When she gets close, it will be sweet, or to me, 'rich' like the taste of cream (which I don't think has so much a taste as a 'texture' or aftertaste.)
> Stickyness is worth noting too. Early, early stuff--the clear, thick goo is sticky, but later, when the milk dries on your fingers, if it's sticky and flakes like sugar water drying--you're closer.
> ...


Its virtually infallible (well - as infallible as ANYTHING can be around horses anyhow!)

Good luck - let us know how she tests!


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## Velvetgrace (Aug 17, 2008)

Well, I checked the mare this morning and found that she was giving the creamy skim milk. I purchased the spa test strips this afternoon, checked the milk and it was automatically changing to the lowest pH and highest hardness. I tested the milk at 6:30 this evening and at 8:15, I had a baby on the ground. 

Sorrel Stud cold with blaze face and three socks. I will post pictures in a couple of days.


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## CheyAut (Nov 26, 2008)

Congrats on your foal!  Can't wait to see the pics


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## Indyhorse (Dec 3, 2009)

Haha I should have mentioned that *lol* Murphy's law if you by the test strips you will only have to use one *g* I think the same thing happened to lilkitty.

Can't wait to see pictures of your new baby!!


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## TrueColours (Apr 25, 2009)

> Haha I should have mentioned that *lol* Murphy's law if you by the test strips you will only have to use one *g* I think the same thing happened to lilkitty.


I thought Murphy's Law said WHEN you went out to purchase them BEFOE you got home to test the milk the foal would be born!!! :lol:

Congrats on the new arrival - please do post pictures when you can ...


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## Velvetgrace (Aug 17, 2008)

Not sure if he has white on his legs or not. They are so light colored that I am not sure. The front right hoof and back right hoof look white compared to the sandy brown other two hooves.


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## lilkitty90 (Nov 11, 2009)

beautiful mare and colt! what a pretty boy! lol and yeah i bought my test strips and decided to stop at the pasture and test her on the way hoem from buying them at walmart i got there. and she was within minutes of giving birth. i ended up loosing them all going crazy trying to find the camera but ahh well lol didn't even get to use one of em! at least your boy is finally here! = )


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## Indyhorse (Dec 3, 2009)

Aww, what a beautiful baby! He's adorable! I think his legs are just light, I don't think he has socks - on the newborns the white is very clearly sparkling white, like his blaze. He's a doll!


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## danastark (Jul 17, 2008)

Awww, he's so cute. Amazing how they can get around so well so quickly!! Beautiful momma and baby!


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## FGRanch (Feb 9, 2008)

He's adorable! Momma looks pretty happy as well! 

Glad he finally arrived! I'm still waiting for my human baby...lol


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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

How exciting. Are you relieved now???? That baby could change colors. Never know. Have fun with him.


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## gamebird94 (Apr 13, 2010)

Awww! so cute


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

He is absolutely adorable. It is possible that he has socks, my baby was born about that color and I had to look really close to see if it was just his baby fuzz or white socks on his legs. I didn't know for sure what it looked like until he slicked off.

Here are his legs when he was a baby.


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## cmjs (Jun 28, 2012)

Velvetgrace said:


> First two photos were taken about 3 weeks ago (March 16). Next 3 photos were taken yesterday (April 4). Udder photos First one was taken yesterday, the last one was taken today.


My mare had her foal a month early, she too was a maiden mare. She had practically no udder until a few days before, we went away for the weekend and she held on until I was back! The day she had her filly she was spraying milk everywhere! Hope all went okay with your mare and foal in the end!


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## Kayella (Feb 11, 2012)

This thread is two years old?


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## lilkitty90 (Nov 11, 2009)

they probably just did a search and got caught up in it and commented, i've almost done it before and im not new to the forums haha, easy mistake to make


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