# False Pregnancy or late term Pregnancy.. Vet not an option



## sara0000 (Mar 9, 2012)

My mare is 390 days pregnant. Or she has been faking it this whole time. The reasons I feel she could be faking it is only because she does not look too large. I live in a very rural part of Honduras and I have not had any luck getting a vet to come out. I have had some so called agricultural engineers give me there advice that comes to: "horses have babies at 11 months and she doesn't have a big belly so she isn't pregnant". I don't know how old she is exactly around 20-24ish. I have owned her for 15 years. She has had 3 or maybe 4 foals before I owned her. She has also never missed a heat, it has been something that everybody around her has always commented on. How "hot" she is, all my other mares are on her cycle and she has very visible heats. She has not come into heat since she was covered. She has also gained weight, not a lot, she has bagged up, but is not yet producing milk. Last Sunday, we thought it was happening. She laid down after pawing around like mad, was breathing hard and grunting and moaning, Her belly was moving around like crazy and her vulva opened to about 1 inch, and is still today very slack and wrinkly. Anyway after a couple hours of acting like she was going to have the baby, she stood up and went to sleep. She has been acting a little colicky since then, and I have noticed if possible that she looks even less pregnant in the belly. Before you could could argue she was pregnant especially on her left side. Now both sides are even. I am debating whether to lube up and check anally if I can feel anything, or if there is absolutely no risk, besides myself having a heart attack, in waiting longer. Advice, similar circumstance?


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## sara0000 (Mar 9, 2012)

Here she is at her most pregnant looking, at around 11 months.


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## SunnyDraco (Dec 8, 2011)

In this case, you are probably stuck with waiting for feet to come out or the mare deciding that she is done faking it. Make sure you are ready for a baby incase she does have one. Clean straw or a clean grassy pasture is ideal. Do you have any pictures of her current looks? Good luck and I hope everything turns out well


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## CCH (Jan 23, 2011)

Not an ideal situation  Do you know for sure the days she was exposed? That would help to determine that she is in fact at 390 days.

I would not advise doing a rectal exam yourself. 1st if you don't know exactly what you are feeling for it won't do any good. 2nd you can injure her if it is done incorrectly.

Do you have any experienced cattlemen that preg check their own cows? One of them might be able to do a rectal for you.


Side note - your profile photo is fabulous.


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## Sunny (Mar 26, 2010)

Subbing!

That is a tricky situation. Anxious to see what others say!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## sara0000 (Mar 9, 2012)

I am very certain about her breeding days, Feb 3-12th 2011. 

After Sunday she seems to have gotten smaller in the belly. If that even makes sense. I just ran out and took this picture. I keep her out of her stall until just before dark, I have also been making her trot around. I have no idea if that is good or bad. I am just trying to get things moving, if there is anything to move.


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## sara0000 (Mar 9, 2012)

Another thing to mention is.... I also bred my welsh pony 2 weeks after this mare. She hasn't gotten too large in the belly either, and has also missed all her heats. This is her first breeding, and I wasn't too certain if she was pregnant because of her small size as well. Today I ask a doctor friend with a stethoscope to see if he could hear heartbeats. He didn't on either mare, but on the grey welsh, he said he heard movement that wasn't gas stomach noise etc. He said he would say the grey was pregnant... she is at 12 months and barely has a bump. I also have my barn at 1800m above sea level. I have a strange idea that since it takes longer to bake bread here, maybe it takes longer to make the baby horse? Or maybe since they are together/same diet/same climate/same vitamins (Farnam Mare plus) they are both faking it together.


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## Poco1220 (Apr 6, 2010)

Subbing
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

Some mares simply don't show their pregnancy until they drop. She could be one such mare. What were her other pregnancies like?


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## sara0000 (Mar 9, 2012)

I know nothing about her other pregnancies except they were all little bay fillies. I think the only way to know for sure without just waiting is having somebody with some experience check rectally. I see that she really doesn't look really pregnant. And at this point I would be happy just knowing I don't have to worry. I am thinking tomorrow about finding somebody experienced with cattle to check. Are there serious risks with this? From my day spent online becoming an expert she could be next to death or be totally fine.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## GhostwindAppaloosa (Jun 3, 2011)

fescue hay toxicity? 


what are you feeding?


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## GhostwindAppaloosa (Jun 3, 2011)

also they will look less pregnant as they get close. the foal is moved into delivery position.


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## Kansas Spice Girl (Dec 6, 2011)

Any news? I realize its only been a day but..... wishful thinking? Did you find anyone to recital check yet?


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## sara0000 (Mar 9, 2012)

GhostwindAppaloosa said:


> fescue hay toxicity?
> 
> 
> what are you feeding?


Wow, I just realized I had some replies here. I have actually looked into this, from what I can tell Fescue grass is very common so she probably has had access to it during the pregnancy. The hay we get here is from a grass called estrella, plus I have read that fescue grass seeds, estrella doesn't, and I don't have any grass in the pasture the last year that have grown tall and had seeds. I don't know if this rules out the possibility. Because of her size, if there is a foal in there I don't think it is growing too large. Can fescue hay cause an abortion? If she had one would I be able to tell for sure? 

I have been giving her Farnam mare plus since a couple months before she was bred, can vitamins for pregnant mares cause a mare to have a false pregnancy?


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## Super Nova (Apr 27, 2010)

Well in the first picture the mare looks pregnant...I see a belly and what looks like the butt muscle all softened as they look sunken.......in the second picture no belly, and no sunken butt muscles.

Super Nova


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## sara0000 (Mar 9, 2012)

I didn't take another picture today, but as of 10 min ago she was standing in her stall looking uncomfortable. While I was riding, she was lying down/ standing up and pawing. I have shavings in her stall, my only real option that or putting all hay in there... and since she has been tricking me out, that would have been a lot of wasted hay. Anyway she has pawed all the shavings to the back of her stall and she looks miserable. She is still eating/drinking/pooping. even though she sort of lost the pregnant look it is hard for me to deny her behavior since she has always been so consistent, I could count on my one hand the times I have caught her lying down in 15yrs. My reasoning is that if she was faking, she would probably have stopped by now and if she is a great faker all I can do is wait. Also if she lost the baby I would have seen something. If it is in there it is getting ready to come out and there is nothing I can really do about it. I read on the internet that a healthy baby was born after 440 days. So I am holding hope everything is fine. And that she isn't going to try and break that record.


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## sara0000 (Mar 9, 2012)

*Honey last Sunday... playing a trick on me*

This is a picture my brother took last Sunday at around midnight, I really thought she was going to have the baby then. From my human doctor consultations... they told me sometimes people have a fake labor a week or two before they really go into labor as the baby goes into position. This is what I hope happened. I also think, if she was having a false pregnancy after that last Sunday she would have stopped.


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## Big Black Crow (Feb 29, 2012)

Sorry but I don't think she looks bred. The last photo she shows a very round hind end and at the end of term the butt will look saggy and the tail head will be prominent. 

I also wouldn't put much stock in "hearing the baby move". The baby is so surrounded by muscle an fluid there is no way to hear a heart beat or movement.


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## Rydinhye (Mar 11, 2012)

that mare certainly looks extremely healthy ,,, your care for her is spot on ,,,, as to a baby ??? i have my doubts maybe you had a false pregnancy ,,, after her episode Sunday night maybe she has in her mind had it,,,, bet she comes in heat very soon now


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## Kansas Spice Girl (Dec 6, 2011)

Big Black Crow said:


> Sorry but I don't think she looks bred. The last photo she shows a very round hind end and at the end of term the butt will look saggy and the tail head will be prominent.
> 
> I also wouldn't put much stock in "hearing the baby move". The baby is so surrounded by muscle an fluid there is no way to hear a heart beat or movement.


Not true. I have 2 show mares and one is prone to colic when stressed so I have become accustomed to frequently listening to her gut sounds. While I have my stethoscope out I always check my other mare too. She is now 10 months pregnant and I can clearly tell the difference between her normal guts sounds... and the thumping of the baby. Your right you cannot hear the babies heartbeat though.


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## GhostwindAppaloosa (Jun 3, 2011)

any udder development? sagging in her vulva?


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## sara0000 (Mar 9, 2012)

Yes to both, her udders have dropped and I can cup everything in my hand and all the loose skin and udder fills my hand. Although she isn't producing milk, I can squeeze out a drop of clear fluid. She has the big lump in front of the the udder as well. Here they call it the umbilical, the gland or whatever that stretches down her belly to her udders it is distended and hard. After last Sunday her vulva is loose and saggy a lot more than normal. When she is lying down it opens about an inch. When she is standing up it is sunken back and wrinkly. If this is a false pregnancy, does anybody know when she will stop, or if I should be trying to do something. I could arrange to have a stallion brought out to see if anything happens, He is a little guy I bred my welsh too and was very sweet, didn't kick/bite. Would that be a dangerous Idea?


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## GhostwindAppaloosa (Jun 3, 2011)

i wouldnt bring the stallion in. bred mares can still show heat and allow to be bred.. which can sometimes result in an aborted foal. allt he things you mention sound like she is close (within two weeks. Just keep an eye on her


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## hflmusicislife (Dec 15, 2010)

Subbing.
This certainly is an interesting situation, I'm really curious.


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## countryryder (Jan 27, 2012)

Hmm,this is certainly an interesting situation! I would give it another week or so,keeping a close eye on her of course, and see what happens..


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## Rydinhye (Mar 11, 2012)

hi there i know this mare, Sara and i are friends i actually helped ship the horses with Sara from my place here in BC to Honduras 5 yrs ago , and i was just in Honduras with Sara 2 mths ago thinking that Honey was going to foal ! With no vets available out there it is a very difficult situation,i certainly had my doubts when i was there that neither Honey or Perla were in fact pregnant,, especially as the due dates were supposed to be at the time we were there ,,,they both had little bellies ,,, Honey actually did look more pregnant then than she does now !!! i was so sure that Sara was way out of whack with her breeding dates, but sadly not ,,,, knowing this mare i really do feel that the Sunday night she was down in her stall, was in fact Honey's false birth with a tad of colic,, i asked Sara to go up to the barn and take a picture of Honey a week later and send it to me,,,and that is the last picture that is posted ,, she certainly looks like a normal Honey to me, and knowing how profound to put it politely Honeys heat cycles are !!!!! as in being the sleaze of any Barn she may be at !!!!!,,, i really do feel that she had a false pregnancy ,, i did send the last picture to my vet who also said no way is that mare 11 or 12 mths preggers !!!! but having said all this,,, I AM NOT A VET and don't profess to be one,,, i just hope that Honey remains Happy and healthy as she is the love of Sara's life , and her dream always was to let her have a foal ,,, but Honey's well being has and always will be the priority ,,, the have covered a lot of ground together,, I love you Sara and i am proud of what you do out there with those horses and children, and extremely proud to be able to say you are one of my Students and great friend of mine .


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## Kansas Spice Girl (Dec 6, 2011)

Rydinhye said:


> hi there i know this mare, Sara and i are friends i actually helped ship the horses with Sara from my place here in BC to Honduras 5 yrs ago , and i was just in Honduras with Sara 2 mths ago thinking that Honey was going to foal ! With no vets available out there it is a very difficult situation,i certainly had my doubts when i was there that neither Honey or Perla were in fact pregnant,, especially as the due dates were supposed to be at the time we were there ,,,they both had little bellies ,,, Honey actually did look more pregnant then than she does now !!! i was so sure that Sara was way out of whack with her breeding dates, but sadly not ,,,, knowing this mare i really do feel that the Sunday night she was down in her stall, was in fact Honey's false birth with a tad of colic,, i asked Sara to go up to the barn and take a picture of Honey a week later and send it to me,,,and that is the last picture that is posted ,, she certainly looks like a normal Honey to me, and knowing how profound to put it politely Honeys heat cycles are !!!!! as in being the sleaze of any Barn she may be at !!!!!,,, i really do feel that she had a false pregnancy ,, i did send the last picture to my vet who also said no way is that mare 11 or 12 mths preggers !!!! but having said all this,,, I AM NOT A VET and don't profess to be one,,, i just hope that Honey remains Happy and healthy as she is the love of Sara's life , and her dream always was to let her have a foal ,,, but Honey's well being has and always will be the priority ,,, the have covered a lot of ground together,, I love you Sara and i am proud of what you do out there with those horses and children, and extremely proud to be able to say you are one of my Students and great friend of mine .


This made me smile! Horses are most certainly a gift... Its amazing the power they have that not only brings people together, but also just brightens your day. I have met some brilliant people through my horses. Many of them life long friends!


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## Rydinhye (Mar 11, 2012)

always glad to make someone smile


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## sara0000 (Mar 9, 2012)

Angie, we were supposed to continue pretending we didn't know each other so we could comment on what great horsewomen we must be, and with such great knowledge.... now we are busted! Anyway... we are going to organize somebody to do a rectal check, it is really hard for me to say she isn't pregnant yet. Especially what are the chances of both her and Perla being little fakers. Is there any information about Mare supplements causing false pregnancies? I took a bunch of photos of her today... If this is a false pregnancy when will she stop carrying on?


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## Rydinhye (Mar 11, 2012)

oooooooooops


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## cmarie (Dec 19, 2011)

The picture of her udders it does not look like she is near foaling, sometimes when mare come into heat their teats will swell alittle. I really don't think from the pictures either of your mares took when they were bred.


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## Rydinhye (Mar 11, 2012)

new to this program help how do you become a room member is that what it is called !!!! ?


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## wetrain17 (May 25, 2011)

interested to see how this plays out, subing


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## Misty'sGirl (Oct 22, 2007)

Subbing, very interesting


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## ZethaChance (Dec 28, 2011)

Subbing. Very curious!


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## sara0000 (Mar 9, 2012)

I found an equine vet that will travel. He is coming out on Thursday or Wednesday night if he can make it. No ultrasound machine though. She is still acting the part.... no change. Perla the grey has teats /bag (whatever the term) hard and full, no milk but clear fluid and she is one angry little thing if you try to touch her there - before she was a sweetheart. If she is pregnant this would be her first. Also, it will break my heart if Honey isn't pregnant because I think she might be faking it because she wanted a baby so bad. When she lies down she stares at herself. I wonder what she is thinking. Should I go through this again if it turns out she isn't preggers?


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## CLaPorte432 (Jan 3, 2012)

Well, my 2 cents is that both mares are indeed pregnant. It seems odd that BOTH mares would be acting this way at the same time. But, then again, I've never personally bred a mare so I don't know. Just my opinion. 

I'm glad that you've found a vet that is going to come soon so you can know for sure! It'll definitely ease your mind. 

If it turns out both mares aren't pregnant, as long as they are healthy and your able to properly care for the foals, I don't think there is any reason why would couldn't re-breed. Talk to the vet though.


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## countryryder (Jan 27, 2012)

Glad to hear you found a vet who will come out.
Keep us posted!


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## Rydinhye (Mar 11, 2012)

Fingers crossed Sara ,,, as long as they are both healthy and well that is the most important thing so happy you have found a vet to check them over, very worrying without professional advice and expertise,,, let me know xx


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## Rydinhye (Mar 11, 2012)

if i am wrong i will be the first to "Eat Crow" in other words be happy for you , be wrong and say i am sorry, i sooooooooooo hope you got your dates screwed up


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## cmarie (Dec 19, 2011)

If not pregnant Honey could be colicky.


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## Kansas Spice Girl (Dec 6, 2011)

Uterine Inertia
Uterine Inertia is sneaky and not easily recognizable. The mares water bag does in fact rupture and she takes on the form of a foaling mare. Soon however, the weak intermittent contractions cease and the mare may even resume eating and walking around as though all were normal. This situation can be lethal as the foals lifeline could or could not be functional. This is the moment that a well advised horseman* (vet)* will meticulously scrub and slide a cupped hand inside the mare, determined an aligned foal, and then give a tug on one foot. This Small gesture can in fact prompt that mare to resume rhythmic contractions. *(unless contractions ceased before the foal made it far enough into the birth canal to grasp) *
There are those rare cases however when a mare needs more than a simple tug to start contractions. Some mares make you do it all alone, giving little or no help and with no contractions. These foals must be manually pulled out, *(or be induced with medication to restart contractions BY A VET)* ever so gently, into the world,

I saw this article in Blessed are the Broodmare and thought of your mare. I was curious so I called my vet for a little more info. What is in parentheses and bold is just what I added from what my vet told me. Your mares episode where you thought she was going into labor just seems very peculiar. Its unlikely this is what happened but my vet said after experiencing uterine inertia the mare can show little to no discomfort. If the foals umbilical cord isn't compromised it can stay this way for a little while, but is more susceptible to illness. The mare may seem uncomfortable, or colicky, and even show other signs of labor. It is a matter of time before it is fatal to both the mare and foal. I'm not trying to freak you out or anything, Just trying to share some info, that I found quite interesting. I had never heard of this before.


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## sara0000 (Mar 9, 2012)

Both Mares were having false pregnancies because of a corpus letum, or something I have to search online better. I had a heck of a time getting a vet out to see them, and ended up trailering both mares to the city. They are both okay and are going to get the treatment to break apart this fake bean baby and hopefully come into heat again asap so we can try again and go through all this anticipation and stress again. I am leaving Honey in the barn with the stud where there is a vet with a ultrasound. I am not taking her home until she shows a baby is in there!!! My trainer cried over this more than me, I just feel relieved to know what is going on, He feels devastated since he spent the last year talking to the babies that weren't there. I just have to admire how sneaky they both were getting a year off, and the best stalls and all that extra food.


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## countryryder (Jan 27, 2012)

Ah,major bummer!All that waiting for nothing.. I can't believe both of them had the same issue,that's so weird. I sincerely hope that this time all goes as it should!


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## Rydinhye (Mar 11, 2012)

aww Sara , sorry ,,, but glad they are healthy,, plz tell Santiago i am sorry ,,,, but next time you will have access to an ultra sound, to be sure they take ,, snowing like boo--- here grrrrrrrr i rode yesterday was all pumped thinking spring is here but nooooooooooo,,,, talk soon xxx 
Ang


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## Rydinhye (Mar 11, 2012)

Trust Honey to have a marble loose in there !!!!


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