# How Close Is She



## Eastowest (Mar 26, 2009)

Hard to tell without knowing more about her and her condition/history/shaping-up habits. She obviously (to me) has had foals before.

If I had to guess I would say *at least* 30 days based on the udder photo. Going by her progress so far and figuring she has had a few babies, I would expect her udder to fill enough that the halves became seperated more (teats farther apart) and the teats to fill and become big and smooth and cone shaped. 

Just to compare-- here is an udder with full teats. This mare started making a bag at almost 60 days out, and it built very gradually with some expected fluctuations. This mare went a few more days after the below photo was taken before she waxed-- she waxed a bit one night, alot the next morning, started dripping milk that night, the next morning she foaled.









The croup photo definitely shows lack of muscle tone/condition-- but has she lost tone recently, or was she already thin/lacking muscle when you got her?

Vulva shot-- doesn't look particularly ready... however I know with a few of my mares, they can look slack enough that the foal is going to fall out, but the minute you try to photograph "under there" they pucker everything right up. :lol:

All that said, mares can bag up huge almost overnight-- and of course there is no rule that says that all mares will be fully bagged up before they foal-- some mares foal with almost nothing, and get a huge full udder in the 30 minutes it takes the foal to stand up and start looking for it.


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## TbLover (Jul 26, 2009)

Well i know she has had at least 1 foal before. not sure much about her past pregnancys or births other then she gave birth to a live foal and foaled easy and was a good mama. i asked about her past pregnancys but they could not give me much of a a answer because she was at a boarding facility and they were not there for the birth or any of that. She has some muscle tone back there and just got that droppy between 5-7 days. Her bag is filling up pretty quickly. i wish we knew her cover date it would make things a little easier (its always a guessing game but not this big of a guessing game lol) but like i said i have been testing her for calcium hardness for the past 3 days and its in the 40th % and getting closer to the 80th percent. I have a feeling with this one i might miss it. but i have the foaling kit in order and in the barn so hopefully i dont miss it.


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## TbLover (Jul 26, 2009)

*Another Udder Question*

I have another Udder Question. it has made a huge change. Both are equal size and a tad bit bigger then they were in the last pictures. They are also hard to the touch and sore. You are also able to express some fluids, It is Cloudy looking (no stringy or anything icky) On the 15th the fluid was Clear. Now its a thicker not so watery. 

Is this Normal?

Not sure when her cover dates were. 

Or so much about her past. 

Here are some pictures to show the changes (I have not taken any from today yet, i can if you would like to look at it) Starts from the oldest to most recent. oh and her bagging up hasnt really done the up down up down that i have heard so much about. Its just slowly filling up. By the way there is barely a crack left inbetween the udders now but there is still one.


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## TbLover (Jul 26, 2009)

They are starting to do the pointing inwards


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## Super Nova (Apr 27, 2010)

My guess would be in 4 to 6 weeks..........and I would be really pumping the food to her right now as she is on the thin side and will have trouble feeding her foal if she does not put on some weight. I would giver her all the hay she can eat with 50% of it being alfalfa......and at least 5 lbs of grain split into two meals.

Super Nova


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## TbLover (Jul 26, 2009)

yea i started bumping up her grain this morning and i will need to go buy some alfalfa as she is on a all you can eat grass hay diet but i can add some alfalfa to it. She is also on 24/7 turnout. Its doesnt help either that she had started her pregnancy at skin and bones so its been trying to get her to gain weight on top of giving enough to support her and her baby.


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## Super Nova (Apr 27, 2010)

Glad to hear she has all the food she can eat......good luck!

Super Nova


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## TbLover (Jul 26, 2009)

Super Nova said:


> Glad to hear she has all the food she can eat......good luck!
> 
> Super Nova


 
Thank You


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## Alaskadraft (May 28, 2009)

I usually go by 4 to 6 weeks to foal from the time they start to bag up..With my maiden mare TWinkie this year she started on April 18th and Foaled June 5th..323 days from the breeding date...I also go by when the nipples point outward, Waxing helps..Twinkie waxed for a few days then dripped for three days...

Here is the link for her during her pregnancy

the girls pregnancy pictures by alaskadraft - Photobucket

The sorrel mare turned out to be FAT..not pregnant...Palpating isn't always a 100% science...

Chris


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## TbLover (Jul 26, 2009)

*Update*

Here are more pictures of her. Were getting really close










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Yesterdays Calcium hardness test (today it was right on with 425 in color)


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

Lookin' close for sure! 

Is the milk actually white, or does the camera flash just make it look that way? I never did do the test strips on my mare, so I can't comment on that, but my girl foaled within two days of the milk turning really, really white. Like cow's milk white. So if you have really, really white milk, I would think she could go anytime. 

Can't wait to see baby photos! :mrgreen:


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## TbLover (Jul 26, 2009)

Its white. the funny part is i made the comment to my husband that it looked like cows milk. same color and consistancy tonight.


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## TbLover (Jul 26, 2009)

here is a picture of her milk Last night (no wax on teats)

Its really stormy here tonight to so knowing our luck tonight would be the night.


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## Ktibb (Mar 24, 2010)

Any Update???


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## ilovesonya (Oct 12, 2009)

She foaled the same day or day after these ppics were taken. there is another thread with pics on it. i think she had a filly.


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## TbLover (Jul 26, 2009)

yes she foaled same day at a little after 11pm. She has a buckskin tobiano filly named Rainy.


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