How, um, LARGE are your preggo mares?

[lilypondlane]

One of mine is ginormous, the other just rounding out a bit. They were bred within two days of each other and are 6 months along. The huge one is 17 yrs old, her fifth foal, last one born in 2007, big frame, longish back. The other is 12 yrs old, second foal, last one born in 2001, big bodied, but refined. Both are about 16 h., older one is full Trak, younger one is half Trak/half TB. Is it just the difference in number of previous pregnancies? An indication of how big the foal might be? The big one is definitely (according to vets) having a colt, but I didn't have the other one checked for sex because SO didn't require it and I was trying to save $$$'s. Now wishing I had, but name picked out is unisex, so whatever it is, it is and I'll be thrilled as long as it's healthy and mare does OK.
Her first foal was born dysmature, but developed normally and has no problems as an adult (other than your usual chestnut mare issues). :)

[CowgirlDressage]

My TB mare is 14 yrs. young, is 7 months along, and it's her 4th. She is pretty big right now, and very well rounded. I love just watching her as you can see the foal kicking and causing fluttery movements & big pokes. Not that Anna enjoys that, ha!

[alliekat]

My mare is just at 6 months and is HUGE!!! She lost her foal last year with less than 3 weeks to go. She is already bigger now than she was last year.
Edit to add that she is a 6 year old Tb bred to Escapade.

[alliekat]

This was taken a month ago when she was 5 months along
http://www1.snapfish.com/slideshow/AlbumID=249464051/PictureID=6302561671/a=98790260_98790260/t_=98790260
http://www1.snapfish.com/slideshow/AlbumID=249464051/PictureID=6302572347/a=98790260_98790260/t_=98790260

[lilypondlane]

alliekat, how heartbreaking to lose a foal in the home stretch. I hope this time will go better for you and your mare. I lost my mare and her foal, a big, beautiful colt, at full term my very first time breeding and as much as I love this business, I still worry about all that can go wrong. I loved that mare so much, losing her was one of the most painful things I've ever been through. She would have been 23 this year.

My younger mare developed placentitis late in her first pregnancy which probably led to the early foaling. I had always thought the filly was premature, even though she was born at 321 days, and only recently learned about "dysmature" foals.


CowgirlDressage, I also love to put my hand on their bellies and feel the baby move about. My older mare "tolerates" it but keeps a close eye on me as if to say, "keep your cotton-pickin' hands off my baby". The younger mare is a bit of a touch-me-not lately.

[Bravestrom]

my mare seems huge - she is only 7 months - her second foal and I have to put the straps on her blanket straight across instead of crossing them over.

Her first foal is a 2007 colt - he is now 16.3hh and a really big boy.

She is bred to Donavan ES who is 17.1hh - so we are anticipating another big baby from her.

She was such a great mom and is so happy as a prego. Doesn't seem to have any issues carrying the weight and her teats are already starting to fill up.

But last year before she had the foal we had to open both sides of the dutch doors to let her in and out so I imagine she still has a way to go.

[VirginiaBred]

My mare is also at 7 months and HUGE! Due April 20th to Just The Best. I need to post pictures as my daughter & I stood there with our mouths open this morning, looking at her.............gulp.

[turningpointequine]

This was my mare at 5 months. I'll have to take a current pic since she's 7 months now and umm, bigger. :) This will be her 2nd foal.

http://img372.imageshack.us/img372/3316/0919081510anj4.jpg

http://img372.imageshack.us/img372/1491/0919081510uv5.jpg

My mom and I are taking bets as to whether or not the baby will inherit momma's nose. LOL

[Stacie]

I have a big girl, 16.3H+ and she HUGE, I mean HUGE babies. If you didn't know her, you wouldn't think she was pregnant. This is her 4th foal, and she tucks them up under her hips. She gets this "preggo bulge" between her last ribs and her iliac crest, but you have to know where to look.
When she gets about 9.5 months she starts to look biggish but never round. At 10.5 she's huge, but again, not round. Just a lot of Momma.

[Dune]

I am SO glad to see this thread. I have a maiden that is just 5 months along and looks really pregnant already, I was started to get concerned...but I guess she's in good company! :yes:

[dressagetraks]

Here is my mare yesterday - ignore the mud, please. They live out, and grooming this week has been nearly impossible.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk8/dressagetraks/MuddyFreedom.jpg

I specifically set up this picture and took it to get a good, long, analytical, not moving look. IF she is pregnant, she would be 5 1/2 months. The vet on day 17 said no foal, in spite of dead perfect timing on the breeding - she was ovulating right as we inseminated with fresh. So I said tough luck, and right after that, life got even more complicated, and I never got her rebred or rechecked. But I swear she acts pregnant, and she is sure starting to look pregnant to me. What do you all think? Foal on board?

Will get her checked again, but I have to get past Christmas musical and concert season first to be able to fit the vet in.

[krfarms]

Like Stacie I have a 16-3 hand mare who throws huge foals. And she adds size to ANY stallion. She never really looks that big--but last year I mesured her before she foaled and she was 10 feet yes 120" around the middle!!!! My 15-2 hand mare is 7 months along and she is huge--It will interesting to put the sting on her next spring!!

[tempichange]

HUGE.

This was her in August:
http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=88066725&albumID=2411562&imageID=37406808

She's bigger now. Waddles when she trots;)

[patch work farm]

I have one mare due in April, she is bigger than usual at this point and her last two were big boys (I bred to her to a smaller stallion, hoping for smaller??). My other mare is so compact that it is no surprise she looks big already, despite being a maiden-she is due in June.

Prodomus, I certainly don't want to set off any alarms, but you mentioned your mare's teats were filling up at 7 months along? If it were my mare I would be calling my vet just to make sure there wasn't an issue(possible plastentis)-this might be absolutely normal for your mare but typically it can indicate a problem. Again, I don't want to scare anyone but I get concerned when this happens with any of mine. I have lost one 3 months out and one 8 weeks out so I am paranoid!

[unbridledoaks]

We have two due next year. The older mare, who has had 3 foals looks huge! She is due in May. I think this is the largest I have ever seen her. The madian mare is small, she so doesn't look prego and she is due in June. Though, she does have a large mid-section, so it is hiding, I swear! LOL!!

[ThreeDays]

My TB mare hides them well!

At 5-6mo mark you wouldn't think she was expecting at all. She doesn't show much of anything until the last 2-3 months.

Never quite figured it out - her conformation wouldn't tell you to expect it.

[Sunnydays]

I have a 3 yo (4 in 2009) who is due end of February - and nothing to be seen! I'd be panicking, except that I've previously had a maiden mare who hardly looked pregnant until the last month. Another mare, 7+ months along, is looking pregnant (but not huge), and my others (just 5-51/2 months along) do not look pregnant. These 3 have all had foals before and should start to show by 7-8 months. All wild as hares and fit as fiddles.

[amdfarm]

My group ranges from 14.3 to 17hh and they all have that look. Combination of winter hay bellies (round bales 24/7) and baby bellies. All of them have foaled before. A couple of them are quite rotund and the rest just a little bit. They'd be in the 5 months along range give or take a month depending on which mare was ready first (pasture bred.) Then again my stallion looks pregnant, too. :D

[classicsporthorses]

Ladies and Gents, my now just retired TB broodie may beat them all. When Ms. Tango is pregnant and people see her they can't believe a mare can get THAT big.

I do have photos but can't post. Suffice it to say, that near the end of each of the pregnancies she has had with us She has measured well over 100 inches around her belly. Her all time high is 109 inches. That my dears is basically the same girth as a pregnant black Rhino! When she would walk in the stall her belly would scrape the sides of the door-our doors are 4 feet wide.

She is 16.2 and a tank of a mare. Her foals have been well over 10 hands and over 100 pounds when born.

I have a 15.1h Dutch mare who is pregnant with her third and I swear 48 hours after she was bred this year she went "boing" and that belly reappeared. She gave us a gorgeous colt in 08 so we can't wait to see what she gives us in 09.

[ThreeDays]

classicsporthorses -

That crazy! Would like to see pics of that!

My mare who doesn't 'show' much till the bitter end does get that 'pregnancy' look to her about 7-10 days after she's bred. We usually know before the first ultrasound that she's in foal.

She suddenly over night gets 'dapples' in her color and then very back part of her belly (by her flank) drops just a hair - I guess the muscles relax. Then that's all you'll see for months.