Re: Expecting a Foal

["Arikara Appaloosas" <arikaras@iafrica.com>]

Hi Simone,
A mare can have an udder up to three weeks before birth,ask me for the last
month one of my Anglo Arabs mares has been walking(barely she so huge) with
a enormous udder,she still has not foaled so just be patient but it varies
from one mare to the next,so she could foal anytime,look to see if the mare
is waxing up(white at the end of her teats)that is normally a sure
sign,also if she is agitated,weeing and poohing often,is also a sign.This
mare I am talking about does this to me every year always the last one to
foal she looks as if she is about to explode she is sooo huge.So grin and
bear it ,she could foal tommorow or in ten days time,is this a first
foal?Does she have another mare for a companian?My mares foal out in there
paddocks,always with another mare in attendance(its hot where we are)I find
its better to leave them to get on with it the natural way,I try not to
interfere unless it is really neccesary.
have had no problems so far(touch wood)Do let us all know what she
has.Another sign is what we call the softenning of the bones,the external
symtom is the sinking of the muscles and sinews on either side of the
tail,this begins about a fortnight before foaling and reaching their lowest
point in the last 24 hours beforehand.The sinking is sometimes so
pronounced that you can lay your fist in the groove.Shortly before foaling
the mare develops a hollow flank this is caused by the shifting of the
foetus upwards and backwardson its way to the birth passage.As the hour of
birth aproaches the lips of the vulva swell out and there is a slimmy
discharge,the lips of the vulva were level with the cheeks of the
hindquarters.
Well I hope this is of some help.
Regards
kathy
http//196.7.177.40/aht/
----------
> From: HOMER L JORDON <SCHUMAFAN@prodigy.net>
> To: ridecamp@endurance.net
> Subject: Expecting a Foal
> Date: 23 March 1998 07:39
> 
> Hello,
> my name is Simone and my Quarterhorse mare Foxy is expecting her first
foal
> end of April. Yesterday I noticed that she started to get an udder. How
> much longer will it be until the foal arrives after the udder has started
> forming? How often should I check on her? She is on a pasture about a
> quarter of a mile from our house.
> 
> Simone Jordon
>