# mare question...



## QHDragon (Mar 6, 2009)

My mare is about 100-200 pounds underweight, but is gaining it back quickly with lots of grain and hay. My concern is that her vagina is tipped back and her anus is sunken in as well. As she gains weight will these go back to the normal position, or because of her age (17) and the possibility that she has had a couple babies, will these remain tipped and sunken? Right now I am cleaning the area every day because when she poops and pees it gets the area just covered in poop and urine. I am also really paranoid about infection of her uterus, while it looks fine now, I am guessing it is only a matter of time because of these conditions. 

On another note, she was turned out with a stud for three months (thank god its a high quality stud, but dumb owners). She does not look pregnant to me (another rescue on the farm was turned out with her son and looks about ready to pop any day now, once again stupid owners), but what do some experts think? She could be anywhere from one month to three months along. I am really hoping that the fact that she is tipped would make it harder for her to get bred and will be working in my favor.




















Not the most flattering pictures of her.


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## Fancy Girl Haflinger (Jan 7, 2009)

have you called the vet about her and expressed your concerns?


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

I honestly have no idea what it could be beyond possibly _not_ being in season.
Mares will slow or cease ovulation during the winter months. That may be what she is going through. I'm more concerned about her manure, is it runny? Is that the reason she is getting it all over herself? My girls are usually fairly clean back there unless they are having diarrhea.


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## QHDragon (Mar 6, 2009)

Nope, it's not runny, but her anus is sunken in and her v-jay-jay is tipped back towards it so when she poops it kinda just falls out over that area, if that makes sense. I can try to get pictures of it. 

I have to wait on the vet until my next paycheck. Stupid bills.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

You can't tell visually if a mare is pregnant when she is only 1-3 months along. As far as the rear plumbing goes she has gone 17 years with it and not had any problems and actually had 3 foals so she is probably fine. From the pictures I would say she is not much under wieght. Most horses are too fat. Just because you can see her ribs a little doesn't mean she is too thin.


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

I honestly don't think its anything to worry about.


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## AlmagroN (Jul 19, 2009)

i knew i had seen that in my equine vet book before. but at the moment i cant find the book (hope my dogs didnt eat it, it was expencive!!! :shock: ) anywho- i wanted to be exact on this, so i looked it up. this is what i thought, but i wanted to have wording and everything right lol

*"The conformation of the mare's vulva is frequently overlooked by producers. Desirable vulva conformation is characterized by a vulva vertical to the pelvic floor, parallel with the anus and the lips meet to form a seal. Undesirable conformation is a vulva lying more horizontal with the pelvic floor, or having a "tipped inward" appearance. The anus will appear sunken and in a position predisposing the mare to collecting fecal material in her vagina. *

*Additionally, poor conformation of the vulva predisposes mares to **wind sucking** (pneumovagina) and urine pooling. This undesirable vulva conformation can be due to genetics, aging, and/or poor body condition. Regardless of the cause, poor vulva anatomy is an important component of subfertility in mares due to the ease in which the mare's tract can become contaminated and infected. "*


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

She wouldnt look pregnant at 3 months.


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## AlmagroN (Jul 19, 2009)

farmpony84 said:


> She wouldnt look pregnant at 3 months.


yeah, its too hard to tell if i mare is pregnant until they are farther along. for example, here is my broodmare at a little over 4 months... does she LOOK pregnant? not really. maybe a little.. but to me ... she just looks like a healthy mare!












i think it would be very worthwile for you to have a vet come out and check her. they can palpate the mare and see if shes pregnant. or do a sonogram. palpation is cheaper though, and its best to know if shes pregnant now, to avoid complication later!


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## QHDragon (Mar 6, 2009)

AlmagroN said:


> i knew i had seen that in my equine vet book before. but at the moment i cant find the book (hope my dogs didnt eat it, it was expencive!!! :shock: ) anywho- i wanted to be exact on this, so i looked it up. this is what i thought, but i wanted to have wording and everything right lol
> 
> *"The conformation of the mare's vulva is frequently overlooked by producers. Desirable vulva conformation is characterized by a vulva vertical to the pelvic floor, parallel with the anus and the lips meet to form a seal. Undesirable conformation is a vulva lying more horizontal with the pelvic floor, or having a "tipped inward" appearance. The anus will appear sunken and in a position predisposing the mare to collecting fecal material in her vagina. *
> 
> *Additionally, poor conformation of the vulva predisposes mares to **wind sucking** (pneumovagina) and urine pooling. This undesirable vulva conformation can be due to genetics, aging, and/or poor body condition. Regardless of the cause, poor vulva anatomy is an important component of subfertility in mares due to the ease in which the mare's tract can become contaminated and infected. "*


That sounds a lot like my mare. I hope that it is not a permanent conformation problem and will be rectified with weight. The urine pooling is what I am worried about. I was talking to my chiropractor who also breeds QHs, I was saying that she can't be bred she was in heat, or so I thought, but she mentioned that because of her vulva being tipped she might be urine pooling and peeing more often to try and get rid of the urine that back-washed into her vaginal canal. But like I said it does not appear infected.


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## QHDragon (Mar 6, 2009)

Almagron your mare is beautiful! I love that color. I didn't think she would be showing yet.


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

AlmagroN said:


> i knew i had seen that in my equine vet book before. but at the moment i cant find the book (hope my dogs didnt eat it, it was expencive!!! :shock: ) anywho- i wanted to be exact on this, so i looked it up. this is what i thought, but i wanted to have wording and everything right lol
> 
> *"The conformation of the mare's vulva is frequently overlooked by producers. Desirable vulva conformation is characterized by a vulva vertical to the pelvic floor, parallel with the anus and the lips meet to form a seal. Undesirable conformation is a vulva lying more horizontal with the pelvic floor, or having a "tipped inward" appearance. The anus will appear sunken and in a position predisposing the mare to collecting fecal material in her vagina. *
> 
> *Additionally, poor conformation of the vulva predisposes mares to **wind sucking** (pneumovagina) and urine pooling. This undesirable vulva conformation can be due to genetics, aging, and/or poor body condition. Regardless of the cause, poor vulva anatomy is an important component of subfertility in mares due to the ease in which the mare's tract can become contaminated and infected. "*


Thats interesting, thanks for looking that up. 
I wonder if once she gets in better condition it will change.


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## AlmagroN (Jul 19, 2009)

thanks. she was a great racehorse too.  

and i dont mind looking things up, never know what you will learn! a HUGE part of why i love this forum.

also what you need to know is that even if a mare is pregnant, she can still show signs of being in heat. especially if there are other horses around. with my mare, she gets like that if there is another mare around, and even worse if there is a gelding as well. she will squat and pee, flag her tail, and wink. my mare is about 6 months pregnant right now, and she does it all the time. just so you know not to rely on that as a determining factor if shes pregnant or not.


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## QHDragon (Mar 6, 2009)

Yeah I had heard about that from the chiropractor, which is why she mentioned that she may be peeing more because she is retaining the pee in her vaginal canal. I guess getting a vet out as soon as I can is the best way to clear the preggos question up.


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## Honeysuga (Sep 1, 2009)

Our arab cross Brandi(10yrs) had the same condition. She wasn't underweight or anything, but it just worried me for the same reason it worries you, infection and fecal and urine retention in the vagina. We called our vet out and she said it was due to her aging and having 5-6 babies (thats our best guess after speaking to a few of her former owners) throughout her lifetime. She checked in her vagina to see if there was any infection or retention going on, but Brandi got the all clear. Our vet told us that because the "lips" of her vulva were in proper working order (i.e. tight, healthy, and parallel) That they were doing their job and keeping waste out of her vagina... hope that helps


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## deineria (Mar 22, 2009)

My vet will not palpate that early. . . but you could have her ultrasounded, and it runs about $75 plus a call charge around here.


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