My mare is only in foal for 12 weeks but I swear that she is "showing" already - am I dreaming this or could this be the case?
I have only bred a couple of times in the past and that was many years ago, so I cant really remember how long it took for the mare to actually look like she was in foal. This mare is a BIG ISH and although a bit fat is definately looking "low slung" . She was in work until she was served and very trim.
Also the stud farm said I should feed her extra feed seeing that she is a maiden mare or otherwise she could slip the foal?!?
It is unlikely that the mare is showing the foetus at this point is very very small, I expect she is just doing well on the grass, and getting grass belly.
I would have not thought 36km very far to travel to feed the horse, I travel 200km round trip 4 times a week to feed mine. I would also be a bit concerned on how you are going to manage the mare come foaling time, in 800acres with no supervision would not be the safest place for her.
Dont worry EA I certainly wont be leaving her unattended come foaling time.
It is strange that all the other horses in the paddocks just look fat, but she looks in foal!
I could pick that my old mare was in foal by 6 weeks. She was not fat but had a distinctive shape about her abdomen....very high and wide, like extra well-sprung ribs.
Mares are all different. Some never look pregnant at all yet can drop ridiculously large foals. One of my most reliable broodmares will start to look obviously pregnant by 3 months. It's not so much that they look fatter, but their shape changes.
As for pumping the feed into her, as long as she doesn't drop any condition, what she has been getting should be fine for now...it's not until the 3rd trimester that things really get going and she'll probably need extra - wouldn't hurt to start pumping up the feed a bit once it gets cold though. It's after they've foaled that they need the most feed. A lactating broodmare uses more energy than a racehorse in full work and need to be fed accordingly.
If you have *absolutely* no alternative, buy a large bale of lucerne for her every week or so. However, you would be better off sending her somewhere safe to foal down.
Incidentally, a bit of semi-useless trivia: In Australia, it is actually illegal to transport a mare in her 3rd trimester! Yeah, I know, everyone does it, and who's there to enforce it? But, it's a fact!
Thats an interesting bit of trivia about travelling mares late term... how on earth do you know that??? Just curious, I personally wouldn't do it unless absolutely essential but thats just me.
I haev seen something regarding standards for transport of horses. I think it was on a NRE or Primary Industry type web site. It had info regarding standards for care of agisted horses, any horses, transport etc. Animal welfare. If I can find it again I will post the info.
It was told to me by a friend who is an RSPCA officer. I had just brought my own two mares back from being A.I.'d 2 weeks before the first was due to foal (had agisted them there after insemination). I mentioned this to my fiend and she said "are you aware that....".
I was stunned! I think it was more of a "did you know this?...be aware of it" sort of thing, rather than her telling me off for it as I know she has also travelled horses in the 3rd Tri.
I think it may be a Federal law, but I really can't say anything more about it as it was from word of mouth, but being an RSPCA inspector (for 20+ yrs) I figured she would know what she was on about!
I would be interested to know that site too.