# My mares stomach was moving, help.



## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

yes. she could be pregnant, most definitely.. if you can seem something moving, then the foal might be pretty far along. how long ago was she with a 1 to 2 year old stud?


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## myhorseisthebest (Dec 4, 2013)

Over 5 months, NO! She can't be pregnant!
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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

why not? what makes you think she cannot?

and how long was she with this stud? Have you seen her have a heat lately? it's spring, so if she weren't pregnant, she'd be having them.


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## EponaLynn (Jul 16, 2013)

myhorseisthebest said:


> Over 5 months, NO! She can't be pregnant!
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


If your horse was with a stud, why would you think she couldn't be pregnant ~ surely you know about the bird and the bees?


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## myhorseisthebest (Dec 4, 2013)

I'm say she can't be because I don't want her to be. I have ZERO knowledge on this stuff! I pray to God she isn't! I have no idea when she was in heat last I literally bought her a week ago. I'm freaking out you guys! I hope she isn't pregnant!
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## TrailTraveler (Jan 4, 2014)

Did you have a pre-purchase exam before you bought her? That should have detected a fetal heartbeat. 

If you didn't have a PPE, you should call your vet.


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## EponaLynn (Jul 16, 2013)

I would have her checked by a vet right away so if she is, you can do whatever's necessary nutritionally etc.. 

If you only got her last week you have no way of knowing when she was with a stud.

Good luck to you.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Call a vet and do the right thing.


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

_Call a vet and do the right thing.

_And what exactly would that be? On a baby that large and kicking?

I love feeling the foal kick. I've only had one mare foal (she also was bought with an unexpected bun in the oven) and one of the greatest joys of the whole thing was sitting out there in the evening after I fed my mare dinner and feeling the foal kick. 

Training the foal was hell. I kind of liked it when he was safely tucked inside his mom. :lol:


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

it's just best if she KNOW , yes or no. that will help her deal with reality. I think it is likely too late to abort baby, rihgt? so, onward. OP, you'll feel better when you know for sure. let us know, ok? 


and you didn't do anything wrong. but, her former care situation might have been naive, no?


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## myhorseisthebest (Dec 4, 2013)

Ok I talked to my parents and they don't think she is pregnant because the stud was 14hands tops and she is almost 17 hands, do you think he could still of got her?
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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

Yes. Could definitely have still happened. You should really get a vet out to confirm and if she is, find out how far along she is.


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## Shropshirerosie (Jan 24, 2012)

Yes he could.


Only a vet can give you the answer, and if this horse is new to you, you and she will benefit from a full veterinary work-up and examination anyway.


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## Lunavi (Jun 5, 2012)

I have to echo everyone else. The best thing at this point would be to get a vet involved. You need to know exactly what's going on, talk to your parents, explain they can pay the vet now ( for the check ) or pay the vet later ( if she is pregnant and develops complications, foals unexpectedly and you are not prepared, etc ).

It is completely possible that a 14hh stud impregnated a 17hh mare. My gelding's sire was barely over 14hh and his dam was 16hh+.


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## myhorseisthebest (Dec 4, 2013)

My parents won't understand, trust me, I'll try my hardest but I highly doubt they'll understand.
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## myhorseisthebest (Dec 4, 2013)

Also, she doesn't seem big to me, she is actually skinny and we're fattening her up. Any thoughts on that? I'll post photos when I can.

Thanks for taking time to help me!
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## TurkishVan (Feb 11, 2013)

myhorseisthebest said:


> Ok I talked to my parents and they don't think she is pregnant because the stud was 14hands tops and she is almost 17 hands, do you think he could still of got her?
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Oh yeah, it's possible. We used to own a Shetland/Quarter cross mare. We always joked that if the Shetland was the sire, then the mare was either down hill, or he had a stepladder!


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## myhorseisthebest (Dec 4, 2013)

I'm going to try and call my friend who's bred horses and ask for her help.
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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

trailhorserider said:


> _Call a vet and do the right thing.
> 
> _And what exactly would that be? On a baby that large and kicking?
> 
> ...


Doing the right thing is calling a vet to preg test a mare possibly in foal. If she is indeed in foal, then giving her the vaccines and prenatal care immediately so the foal will have the best start in life. Or not, just pretend the horse is not pregnant and hope for the best.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I don't think the OP in any way shape or form said she was going to pretend the horse was not pregnant. it's just a misunderstanding on the meaning of "do the right thing", and whether or not that was implying that one should attempt to abort a fetus that is possibly this big.


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## KigerQueen (Jun 16, 2013)

Its possible. I think there is a member on here with a saddle bred mini cross. Take a deep breath. And have a serious talk with your parents. Tell them the mare needs checked over by the vet regardless and because she was out with a stud (regardless of age) there is a possibility of her being pregnant, even if she is skinny. If she is not pregnant then you can sleep well and found out what did make her stomach move like that.


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## squirrelfood (Mar 29, 2014)

Relax people. At 5 months or even 7, you aren't going to see anything moving and kind of bouncing. Either your timeline is way wrong, or you have some other problem.


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## myhorseisthebest (Dec 4, 2013)

KigerQueen said:


> Its possible. I think there is a member on here with a saddle bred mini cross. Take a deep breath. And have a serious talk with your parents. Tell them the mare needs checked over by the vet regardless and because she was out with a stud (regardless of age) there is a possibility of her being pregnant, even if she is skinny. If she is not pregnant then you can sleep well and found out what did make her stomach move like that.


I'll try again, but I told them last night and they just laughed at me and told me it wasn't possible because the stud was a pony. They would probably just tell me she's fine, she isn't pregnant and to stop worrying and forget her stomach ever moved. But I can't do that! 

I am going to watch her like a hawk and if I see it happen again I am going to try and try to get my parents to do something.
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## myhorseisthebest (Dec 4, 2013)

I have pictures of her on her little profile thing in my horses but my phone won't let me give you guys the link, and my phone won't allow me to post pictures. 
But I was just on Facebook and I saw a rescue horse that's 7 months pregnant and skinnier than India. I will try to get my stupid phone to post pictures but I can't promise it will.
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## KigerQueen (Jun 16, 2013)

Well look at it this way. Focus on getting her healthy. Enjoy her and love on her and dont worry about it. If your parents wont do anything about it then don't stress yourself out about it, she ether is in foal or not, and is she is you will find out eventually. If she is healthy the foal (IF there is one) has a good chance. 

I had the same scare with my mare when i bought her. She shared a flimsy fence with a arabian stallion (he was beautiful and lived with a gelding so at least he had a good temperament). I had nightmares about the stud finally getting to her. And the comments about turning a stud loose in the pasture did not help ( a lot of charros in my area have a thing about breeding horses for no reason other than to just do it). Well its been 3 years since i moved her and no foal.

So just enjoy her and don't think about it. as i said stressing about it now is not going to get anything done and just make you sick (stress is not good for you M'Kay).


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## myhorseisthebest (Dec 4, 2013)

Thanks for your kind words! Unfortunately I can't not stress, but I'll try to keep my head on straight. 

Her behavior is not grumpy, but one day she wants to be with me in her stall and love on me and the next day she walks away from me not wanting to socialize.
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## KigerQueen (Jun 16, 2013)

^ thats just normally mareish for you XD! I think certain places are getting unusually cool weather when my mare loves on me. Its the aliens i swear! They have a clone they leave in her place when the abduct her. The clone is sweet and obedient and a perfect all round horse. Then im sad when they bring my mare back because she is a nut and not happy with me for not missing her XD!


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Myhorseisthebest, you might show your parents parts of this thread. That might help to convince them.

I have a Belgian mare that is about 17.2 hands tall, which is a fair bit bigger than your girl.









At her previous home, she was pastured with a quarter horse stud that was barely 14 hands tall because the owner thought "He's too short, he couldn't possibly breed something as tall as her." A couple months after I brought her home, this is what ended up in my pasture (I knew she was preggers when I got her though)



So, yes, your mare could _absolutely _be bred. She desperately needs to see a vet, like, yesterday. It is much better to know for certain, that way you can prepare for the foal if she is pregnant. Pregnant mares need special vaccinations and some need special food, especially if she is underweight. Also, in the event that something goes wrong during the pregnancy/birth, or afterward with her or the foal, it's better if your vet knows you and is familiar with the horse rather than trying to make an emergency decision based on very limited knowledge of the situation/horse.

It's not frequently that things go wrong, but it's not uncommon either and when things go wrong with a foaling....they go _really _wrong.

Also, if she is pregnant, then you need to start searching for a trainer who can help you train the foal correctly after it is born. If you were to decide to keep it, then you'd need help bringing it up properly to be a respectful member of the equine community. If you decided to sell the foal as a weanling/yearling, then being trained correctly to be obedient and respectful gives it a much better chance of ending up in a good home rather than unwanted by anyone other than the meat man at some auction.


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## myhorseisthebest (Dec 4, 2013)

I am going to see if my neighbor who's a vet has any experience with pregnant mares. I have a good friend who has had several foals and she would help me train it IF India I pregnant. 

Was the first picture of when you mare was pregnant?
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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

No, the first was taken a couple years after she foaled. When I got her there was no question she was preggers, she looked like a whale LOL.


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## myhorseisthebest (Dec 4, 2013)

Holy cow! She looks like she feels awkward.
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## myhorseisthebest (Dec 4, 2013)

Ok here's another question (I hope I'm not bothering you guys!) What else could cause her stomach to move like that if she isn't pregnant?
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## jimmyp (Sep 5, 2013)

Is her stomach twitching or rolling?

We had a 16mo old stallion breed one of our mares he was roughly 14.2 at the time and she was 16.2sh, this particular mare was a rather thin mare anyhow and really until she was about a week before she delivered she never looked the part. We knew she was pregnant so we just kept an eye on her and watched the calender. 

I will say that our local country vet will do an ultra sound on a horse for about $50....

Jim


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I'm just running on brainstorming ideas right now so these aren't certain to cause the movement you saw, but I would assume that some situation in her digestive tract could have caused the movement. Perhaps a large concentration of hay moving through her intestines? Worst case scenario, maybe an enterolith moving in her digestive tract?

Whatever caused it, it would be much better to get it checked out. That way if there is a problem, pregnancy or something else, you caught it early. If there's not a problem and she's not bred, then you can sleep much easier at night.


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## myhorseisthebest (Dec 4, 2013)

I was just out there and I was petting her and I had my hand on her belly and I felt something go up and down twice in a row and it happened a few more times.

When I touch her belly at first her skin flinches but she also was slightly abused so that might be why she was flinching. 

Thoughts? Thanks you all your help everyone!
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## myhorseisthebest (Dec 4, 2013)

Also is a 1 y-o stud old enough to get a mare pregnant? I can't remember of he was 1 or 2
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## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

Yes if testicles are descended he can impregnate a mare. 

As for stomach movements, you can feel some movements that aren't foals. I can go out and lay hands on my mares now and get a moving sensation through their abdomens, none are pregnant. 

Honestly though, your best bet if you can get your parents to go for it is to have her examined by a vet. If she is underweight anyways, she should probably also have her teeth checked to make sure she is getting the most out of her food. The vet can pregnancy check her at the same time. I would probably also have a fecal done to check to what exactly she needs to be wormed with.


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## myhorseisthebest (Dec 4, 2013)

Thanks! Do you have an estimate on how much a vet would cost?
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## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

It kind of depends on your area and is usually on a vet by vet basis. You could always call and asks for costs. They don't charge for that :lol:.


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## myhorseisthebest (Dec 4, 2013)

Good idea Thanks!
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## myhorseisthebest (Dec 4, 2013)

Is it safe to ride her?
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## equaeternal (May 8, 2014)

I understand your worry! Here are my thoughts gut movement in a horse is normal sometimes you can even see gut movement. I do however disagree that a short stud can not mate with a tall mare. I worked on a hack ranch and we had a stud pony get into our fields and many of the mares foaled that spring.


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## myhorseisthebest (Dec 4, 2013)

So wait you believe a pony can or can't breed with a tall mare? Sorry I'm confused.
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## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

That poster was agreeing that a short stud CAN breed with a taller mare. :wink:


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## myhorseisthebest (Dec 4, 2013)

Ok thanks! I was I little confused, not much sleep.
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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Based on the pictures, I'd say she'd be fine for very short/light rides IF your saddle fits her well in the condition she's in right now.

I second the suggestion of having her see a vet anyway to have her teeth checked, especially since you don't really know her age. Also, her coat looks a bit rough so she could likely use a good deworming and a fecal would tell you which dewormer would be most effective.

If you don't mind me asking, what are you feeding her?

I'll copy the pix for you from your barn so that everyone can see her. She looks like a real sweetie


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

waresbear said:


> Doing the right thing is calling a vet to preg test a mare possibly in foal. If she is indeed in foal, then giving her the vaccines and prenatal care immediately so the foal will have the best start in life. Or not, just pretend the horse is not pregnant and hope for the best.


Sorry, that was a misunderstanding on my part. I definitely agree with you. 

Your mare IS quite thin to be pregnant. She should have a lot more weight on her than that for a pregnancy. Maybe your more experienced horse friend could look at her and if she thinks your mare could be pregnant, can talk to your folks? If things are bouncing around in there, I'm inclined to think she is pregnant. Maybe a normal horse's belly moves around a little, but if things are rocking and rolling, that sounds like a foal. My foal looked like sudden kicking and also a bowling ball slowly moving around in her abdomen. The bowling ball thing was really weird, it was like she had an alien in there. :lol:


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## myhorseisthebest (Dec 4, 2013)

Thanks for putting the pictures on here! She is getting 4 flakes twice a day with about to cups of grain each feeding time, and she gets turned out to graze in green thick grass from about 12pm to feeding time (5pm).

Does she look pregnant to you? I am having my friend and her mom take a look at my mate next week and they will help me. 

Thanks!
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## myhorseisthebest (Dec 4, 2013)

Also, she has gained weight since I took these photos.
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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

squirrelfood said:


> Relax people. At 5 months or even 7, you aren't going to see anything moving and kind of bouncing. Either your timeline is way wrong, or you have some other problem.


she has supposedly had the horse 1 week. I doubt if she has an accurate history on when it was exposed


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

She does look thin to be pregnant (at least far enough along to feel the foal move) but stranger things have happened. Check out Endiku's thread (http://www.horseforum.com/horse-health/worms-galore-herd-10-oh-joy-380433/page3/#post5192922) Her friend inherited a herd of horses that were in with a stud. The vet checked all the mares, including the palomino mare who was declared open (not pregnant), was given a shot of lute (to abort any possible early pregnancy), and then gave birth to a healthy foal a few weeks later!


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## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

What kind of hay? What kind of grain? Hay and grain are meant to be fed by weight, just FYI.


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## myhorseisthebest (Dec 4, 2013)

Timothy hay, 5-6lbs (so about, 45lbs of Hays a day) a flake, Good Choice (I think that's what it is) senior feed.
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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

Stand the mare square and then look from behind, see if she is even in her belly shape or not. If it is not then she probably is pregnant.

Yes a small horse can get a larger mare pregnant especially of there is a slope on the field. 

A few years ago I watched a Shetland 2 year old covering a 15.3 mare, the owners said it was not possible but they were in a hilly fooled and I can assure you it was! 

Another time a Shetland mare escaped from her paddock, travelled, at night, over a mile, to where a TB stallion was turned out. No one thought it was possible because she was so small and he was 16.3 but she produced a cracking foal which grew to 14.2.

If she is far enough along for the foal to be kicking then the vet needs to do a manual exam as ultrasound is for early diagnostics.


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## wbwks (Apr 5, 2014)

The right thing would be doing the proper vaccinations, feeding the mare properly and being watchful for other foaling signs so that you can be ready when this foal is born. Post a thread with pictures on the breeding thread and read up on the other threads on that section, you will learn an awful lot!


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

I think this is a duplicate post


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## wbwks (Apr 5, 2014)

Oh, one more thing. I have a 16 hand molly mule and a GELDED mini mule, he is tiny! He tries his best to mount the molly - both are sterile (mule) but if the molly was in a ditch I can guarantee a breeding could happen. It is soooo funny to watch him with his attempts, but also angers me because he obviously has too much testosterone for a gelding. (he was gelded as a yearling and is just now a 2 year old).


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