# Mare at 341 days with confusing udders



## lv2kyshowtrot (Jun 30, 2010)

this helped me with my old horse's pregnancy;

I also have other links if this doesn't help.

Normal signs of behaviour prior to and including foaling in mares - Breeding and equine reproduction information and articles - Horsetalk


----------



## Indyhorse (Dec 3, 2009)

Haha my mare put me through the wringer with her last foal. She was bagged and had yellow fluid at 300 days. She didn't foal until day 360.

The milk will turn a creamy white and be VERY thick and sticky - almost like the consistency of warm honey. The udder will be very full, and the teats will fill all the way in. In my mares case, her udder would always be softer in the morning, and very full at night (she was stalled at night and pastured during the day). It wasn't until the final week that her udder stayed tight and full around the clock.

As I always mention on these threads, last time around I had the best luck with testing the milk, it gave me the clearest indication of anything...and since her pregnancy drug on so long it was good to have at least one reliable indicator at the end!


----------



## opal06 (Jul 4, 2010)

My mares udders is hard 24/7 she lives out and im planning on foaling her out as she had her last one out and i just feel it more natural for them. I have a stable ready for her if she needs it once the foal decides to show itself. Her udders have been tight for 2 weeks, not gone down or up but i dont think they can get any bigger bless her.

How quickly did your mares milk change?


----------



## Indyhorse (Dec 3, 2009)

opal06 said:


> My mares udders is hard 24/7 she lives out and im planning on foaling her out as she had her last one out and i just feel it more natural for them. I have a stable ready for her if she needs it once the foal decides to show itself. Her udders have been tight for 2 weeks, not gone down or up but i dont think they can get any bigger bless her.
> 
> How quickly did your mares milk change?


When I was doing the milk testing, it started a slow rise in Calcium/fall in pH about 20-30 days prior, but less than 24 hours before she delivered, milk changed rapidly overnight - Calcuim jumped from around 3-400 up to 1000 ppm, and the pH bottomed out at 6.2 from 7.0 the night before. It was a definite, noticeable change.


----------



## opal06 (Jul 4, 2010)

*Hopefully uploaded some pic*

What do you think?


----------



## Indyhorse (Dec 3, 2009)

Oh my god she's enormous *lol*

She sure looks very, very close! I'd be keeping up the several-times-a-night checks on her at this point - remember most horses foal in the late evening/very early am hours!


----------



## opal06 (Jul 4, 2010)

Indyhorse said:


> When I was doing the milk testing, it started a slow rise in Calcium/fall in pH about 20-30 days prior, but less than 24 hours before she delivered, milk changed rapidly overnight - Calcuim jumped from around 3-400 up to 1000 ppm, and the pH bottomed out at 6.2 from 7.0 the night before. It was a definite, noticeable change.


I have uploaded some pic's, if u could take a look and let me no what you think that would be great.


----------



## Indyhorse (Dec 3, 2009)

opal06 said:


> I have uploaded some pic's, if u could take a look and let me no what you think that would be great.



I just did, see above ^^


----------



## opal06 (Jul 4, 2010)

Indyhorse said:


> Oh my god she's enormous *lol*
> 
> She sure looks very, very close! I'd be keeping up the several-times-a-night checks on her at this point - remember most horses foal in the late evening/very early am hours!


I have been doing regular night checks but sometime you get dis-heartened with all the checks and sleepless night, its nice to have a second opinion sometime. What do you think of her udder size? Sorry for all the questions


----------



## Indyhorse (Dec 3, 2009)

Trust me, I know all about the sleepless nights - Freyja, my mare, showed signs very, very early, and I had months, literally months, of sleepless nights. You can read about my experience, as well as seeing progress pictures all the way up until 2 hours before she foaled around page 18 or so, on this thread here:

http://www.horseforum.com/horse-breeding/foaling-qs-46465/


----------



## PonderosaMiniatures (Oct 2, 2009)

Once you see wax, and then dripping be prepared...should go within 24 hours....she is a huge girl, almost "v" belly tooo)


----------



## opal06 (Jul 4, 2010)

Indyhorse said:


> Trust me, I know all about the sleepless nights - Freyja, my mare, showed signs very, very early, and I had months, literally months, of sleepless nights. You can read about my experience, as well as seeing progress pictures all the way up until 2 hours before she foaled around page 18 or so, on this thread here:
> 
> http://www.horseforum.com/horse-breeding/foaling-qs-46465/


I was lucky with my mare last year when she foaled as i said in my first post she foal on day 326 and when i got up there at 8pm she had waxed up and by 7am the next morning I had a perfect little filly, only one sleepless night, so she is making up for it this time lol. 

All the sleepless nights will be worth it though in the end


----------



## opal06 (Jul 4, 2010)

PonderosaMiniatures said:


> Once you see wax, and then dripping be prepared...should go within 24 hours....she is a huge girl, almost "v" belly tooo)


Is the "v" belly a good sign?


----------



## dee (Jul 30, 2009)

Dancer kept us guessing for two weeks! Her udder would get huge, then subside. The day before she foaled, her milk was still pretty clear and sticky - only slightly cloudy. We figured it would be another week or so. Then the storms rolled in Monday morning and Rain arrived with them!


----------



## Hunter65 (Aug 19, 2009)

dee said:


> Dancer kept us guessing for two weeks! Her udder would get huge, then subside. The day before she foaled, her milk was still pretty clear and sticky - only slightly cloudy. We figured it would be another week or so. Then the storms rolled in Monday morning and Rain arrived with them!



I was going to ask if there are any storms in the forecast. They seem to like to make their appearances in the middle of a good storm.


----------



## opal06 (Jul 4, 2010)

im hoping that's what my mare will do instead of dragging on and on. Did her milk change once she had had the foal? We have had nothing but dry weather here for weeks, so maybe she is waiting for a storm. 

Your horse is gorgeous on the picture, is it a grulla?


----------



## opal06 (Jul 4, 2010)

Hunter65 said:


> I was going to ask if there are any storms in the forecast. They seem to like to make their appearances in the middle of a good storm.


I just checked forcast no storms on the forecast but there is heavy rain forecasted for a hour or so from 7pm, but whether we get it is another thing. we have had no rain in uk for months its been so dry (well any decent rain anyway)


----------



## PonderosaMiniatures (Oct 2, 2009)

"v" belly a great sign.....











She foaled hours later...

she had a great drip, but dint catch it in time...











dont mean to hi jack, just wanted to show ya,,,and share


----------



## opal06 (Jul 4, 2010)

no it good u put pictures on as it is good to compare, how many days did she go?


----------

