Is my mare ready to foal?

Question

her last breeding date was September 22, 07' she has been slightly bagging up for about 3 months but in the last 3 days she has been getting fuller, but not as full as I thought they should get. I thought that she would appear engorged. This is her 3rd foal so I wasnt sure if that made a difference of how her udder filled or not.

Her belly looks like she has dropped and in her flanks she looks like she is starved, is that normal?

I have moved her to a private stall and paddock but she isnt to keen on being away from her buddies, but I know its best for her and the foal.

Answer 1

When her bag starts waxing, foaling is a matter of hours away. Between 24 and 48 hours. Waxing is when there looks like little drops of wax on her nipples. When she goes into labor, she will likely turn her head to look at her sides, and walk a lot. I loved having my foals, it is so exciting. Best of luck to you. I would love to know when the foal is born.

Answer 2

If she looks starved bec her topline she probably is, horses eat twice as much in the last 3 months of pregnancy and NEED supplementation! hope your doing this.. if so then it might be from stress from separation, can she at least see them!? She can be by them as long as the foal cant get in with them you know, like under a fence.  Some mares dont show any sign all the way up till birth. Some will even retain their foals for months if they have a reason like stress or the weather!! you can not have her completely away from other horses.

Answer 3

The way you describe her with her dropped belly and the "starved" looking flanks - that's normal,she is pretty closed to give birth, the foal has actually dropped and taking birth position which makes her look starved. The first answer is right, watch from now on for the wax, just don't touch the nipples, the wax is there as a seal to keep the milk from running out to early, and the foal would lose the colostrum which is only present in the milk for the "first meal". You can keep her in the paddock where she has other horses next to her, and still her privacy.

Good Luck, and enjoy the foal!

Answer 4

it actually isn't necessarily best for her and the foal. if she goes into labor but you take her away from her "buddies" or herd she'll stress out and it could kill the foal. i was going out every few hours at a friend's house/farm to check on a mare that was due the next week (but the owner and i knew how unpredictable births are and she was paranoid) and she actually started going into labor one time that we were both out there with her and we started walking her up to the stall away from the other horses and she stressed out and delayed the birth almost a full week. i know a thoroughbred breeder and we asked about letting her give birth outside and she said that it was perfectly fine to leave her out there. i mean, really... horses didn't get pulled away to a warm stall with straw or w/e in the wild. they still don't. they give birth right there outside on the grass and dirt. sure, not all foals make it. they don't all make it when born in a stall either though. i wouldn't stress it, let her be out there with her herd and keep an eye on her. she may have given birth to her other 2 foals in pasture, you don't know until you ask whoever breed her those last 2 times. i know how exciting it is though, and i hope the best for them both. :D