foal movement/ kicking?? what to expect? [Archive]

Ducky314

Mar. 2, 2009, 11:19 PM

1st time nervous breeder here!...

When is it typical to start being able to see the baby move inside mama? My mare is now @ 277 days and so far the baby has been quiet. I only get to see her 1-2x/ wk :( but I asked her groom and he said he hasn't really seen much either at this point. Should I be worried? As a side note, she is the quietest most easy going horse I've ever been around. Perhaps baby is taking after mama and just being quiet and laid back?

Cindy's Warmbloods

Mar. 2, 2009, 11:23 PM

I think it really depends on the mare/foal. I have had foals that I have only ever felt kick once or twice and some that I can see bouncing around 10 feet away. Not sure if it has related to personality once they come out but I know some do kick a lot more than others.

Ducky314

Mar. 2, 2009, 11:29 PM

thanks! that makes me feel better! i was starting to worry that i "should" be seeing something at this point.

amdfarm

Mar. 2, 2009, 11:30 PM

Well not all foals are as active as Tidy Rabbit's mare's. :)

Usually by around the 7th month, but it depends on how she is carrying it. As the fetus grows (most in the last few months) it's easier to see/feel movement as they're running out of room in there and trying to get into position for foaling. They're laying on their backs for the majority of the pregnancy and then flip over to get into foaling position.

I can usually get them to kick and move about by pushing in the flank area in front of the stifle and waiting for a response on my hand. Do that a couple of times on both sides and see what happens. Sometime you mistake movement for breathing or vice versa. You will learn to tell the difference though and I usually don't give up until I really feel them. :winkgrin: My mares are patient and used to it.

If you're not positive that she's still in foal, it wouldn't hurt to have the vet come check her.

Congrats and good luck!!

FLIPPED HER HALO

Mar. 2, 2009, 11:33 PM

I was a first timer last year too. My mare was a maiden and she was confused and a bit agitated too when my colt would move in there. There wre times as he got bigger when I would put my head to the side of her belly and say, "HEELLLOOOO in there!" He'd kick me back! It was hilarilous. When he was born I snuggled with him and said the same thing and I could see the recognition in him and his head would fly around to look at me. It was awesome!

There were times I poked at her to irritate him to move and sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't.

How exciting for you to be awaiting your special prize! I miss that! But I have a bond with my guy that is so much deeper than anything I've had with any of my other horses. It's amazing!

Ducky314

Mar. 2, 2009, 11:35 PM

thanks amdfarm! that's a great idea, i will try it. she has been checked by the vet as recently as friday and he said she looks/ is doing great (knock on wood!) it was only my own curiosity about movement, and then seeing tidy rabbit's mare, that had me nervous!

flipped- that is so cute! i will have to give that a try :) yes, i am verrrryyyyyyy excited :) :) if i get anything even 1/2 as nice as mom (or dad!) i will be thrilled. she is definitely my horse of a lifetime. i miss riding/ showing her terribly but am SOOOO excited to see her baby!

amdfarm

Mar. 2, 2009, 11:56 PM

Oh good. You're welcome. Keep us posted and let us know if the baby kicks back or not. Waking them generally makes them mad. :)

Signature

Mar. 3, 2009, 08:15 AM

We've had mares I've never seen the baby move, and then some that go nutso and bounce around like mad! :)

I've also had the voice recognition many times. I talk to the mares' bellies quite a bit so I think when they come out they are not at all afraid of the familiar sound, it seems to help! :)

awm

Mar. 3, 2009, 11:36 AM

If you can the mare as she's getting a big drink of water, sometimes the foal will
move----
My Tbred mare had big movers in utero, the most active one would get hiccups that
you could easily feel!

CowgirlDressage

Mar. 3, 2009, 11:49 AM

My mare is so sick of me talking to and feeling her foal, lol. I love resting my hand against her flank while she's eating and just talking to the foal with my face gently leaning against her.

The foal will move against my cheek and hand. I love that! I've been able to see it and feel it really well since early December, but I hear from others that it definitely depends on the mare, where she carries, etc., and the foal. Mine will be 340 days April 13th.

Keep in mind that starting in the 9th month the foal is putting on around 1/2 to 1 pound of weight a day on average. 60% of the birth weight is gained the last 90 days. Some get more active and some a bit less depending on the room they have in there.

ise@ssl

Mar. 3, 2009, 11:58 AM

It really does vary from mare to mare and foal to foal. Some you never notice anything - others - those foals are very active. We do find that the best time to watch for movement is after the mare drinks water - especially if the water is cold. The foal sometimes feels that change in temp and gets active.

BBowen

Mar. 3, 2009, 01:01 PM

When my filly was in mom, early on, the movement felt like just flutters. As she grew, there were times she felt like she was turning cartwheels. I too would talk to my mare's belly and referred to the baby as Thumper and I swear, I think she responded to Thumper right after she was born (maybe it was my imagination).

It always seemed that I would certainly feel her move when mom was eating. I would put my hand on her belly in front of my mare's udder. That was a good spot to feel movement.

This will be so exciting for you. Good luck to you, your mare and the coming foal.

Amoroso

Mar. 3, 2009, 01:34 PM

Our KWPN foal last year was very active in his dam around the 9 month - finish window. He was likely the most active foal we've ever had! I've seen and felt little kicks and movement earlier than that, but as mentioned, it depends heavily on the mare. This year, same mare as our last KWPN foal, and so far nothing.

vtdobes

Mar. 3, 2009, 03:57 PM

It does depend on the foal. Between the last two foals my mare had; the filly was smaller at birth so I did not feel her until around 9months along but the colt was much bigger (full sibs!) and he was felt AND seen earlier on. This one she's carrying now is 8 1/2 months along and I've been able to feel baby moving for 2 months now. I can tell HE is already a little devil :)

Morning & night I check her and feel baby cartwheeling around in there while mama is eating her warm beet pulp mix. I used to lay my head on mama but she is shedding SO much now that I try not to get covered now. I feel about 6 inches in front of her udder also.

Ducky314

Mar. 3, 2009, 08:07 PM

Well not all foals are as active as Tidy Rabbit's mare's. :)

I can usually get them to kick and move about by pushing in the flank area in front of the stifle and waiting for a response on my hand. Do that a couple of times on both sides and see what happens. Sometime you mistake movement for breathing or vice versa. You will learn to tell the difference though and I usually don't give up until I really feel them. :winkgrin: My mares are patient and used to it.

Congrats and good luck!!

amdfarm- how much pressure does one apply in such a push? i'm nervous about doing it wrong!

SuperEventer

Mar. 3, 2009, 08:26 PM

I went and laid my hands on my preggie mare tonight. Sooo awesome! The baby was kicking away. She's due in about a month and a half. I'm so excited. It's my first foal!

andylover

Mar. 3, 2009, 08:33 PM

just remember, as my vet always said, mares dont read the book.. and just when you think you have it figured out, the game rules change. good luck and a wish for a happy and healty baby for you..

goodmorning

Mar. 3, 2009, 09:35 PM

I was out grooming my mare today (shes shedding big time) -- well, I was using a curry mit very softly on her belly, and when I let my hand linger - pow!! The little one let it rip -- mom was none too thrilled -- she looked back at me, ears slightly pinned, telling me she's much rather shed at her own pace ;) I moved to her other side, and sure enough, if I let my hand linger firmly - Wam! This little one may come out kicking..moms just about 9 months alomg...foals been increasingly active in the past 3 weeks....not sure how much wider she can get :eek: I wouldn't be surprised if the activity slowed.

graystonefarm

Mar. 4, 2009, 07:55 AM

I can see my foal kicking 10 feet away whenever he/she hears my voice. I've never had one quite this active before. One more month to go!

EquusMagnificus

Mar. 4, 2009, 08:08 AM

Mine is running laps like Tiddy Rabbit's mare's! :eek:

The poor momma is very experienced though and she takes it very very well. :yes: She is also quite wide, she is a career broodmare and has a perfect silhouette for the job!

YankeeLawyer

Mar. 4, 2009, 12:49 PM

This may be a dumb question but has anyone noticed a correlation between how active the foal is in utero and their character after birth? One of my mares is really big (she is due in April but has been pretty big for a couple of months, now) and her foal is really active. You can actually see it kicking. I am convinced she is giving me a big colt, but we will see!

My other mare's baby is active, but not as tough a kicker - it is more like flutters when you touch her. She is due this week.

copper bay farm

Mar. 4, 2009, 01:13 PM

My pony mare last year had an extremely active baby in utero - at some points it looked like there was a bouncing basketball in there! She delivered a nice-sized colt who has already outgrown her at 11 months old (she was 13h, he is now already 13.2, no idea who pappa was, she was a rescue).

This year my EMC Hanoverian mare is now at 308 days and the baby has been active since the first flutters around 7 mos. The movement is usually not as obvious as the pony mare, but active enough that you can see it rather than have to feel it. One day it looked like she was getting punched repeatedly from the inside just in front of her hip :eek: and the other day I actually got my hand knocked away while I was sliding it down to feel her udder :eek::eek:. Poor girl gave me a look after that one. I can usually feel the baby move or squirm a bit by just placing my hand on her flank at feeding time. She has so far been taking her maiden pregnancy much better than the pony mare who was convinced (and convinced us) she was ready to drop and give birth for weeks. We'll have to wait just a bit to see if this one ends up to be a filly or colt. Ironically the colt from the pony mare is extremely laid back and has been the easiest foal I have ever handled.

amdfarm

Mar. 4, 2009, 04:49 PM

amdfarm- how much pressure does one apply in such a push? i'm nervous about doing it wrong!

You can apply quite a bit depending on how tolerant the mare is. I typically do a little bounce type action w/ my hand open and then wait. Don't worry, there's no wrong way to torture a pregnant mare and some may only tolerate so much poking and prodding. :)

Hocus Focus

Mar. 4, 2009, 05:32 PM

I have heard it said if you want to see the foal kick, give the mare a good drink of cold water. I guess they must feel a slight chill or temp change and it causes them to react. That is just a "rumor has it" heresay. Not sure if it is true, but you might like to give it a try and see.

Karma

Mar. 4, 2009, 09:53 PM

Our little expectant foal has been a very active one. I have felt kicking since about 7mos. However the height of kicking was around 9months. One day as I took off her blankets the little bugger went wild- I swore he was trying to run away from the inside out!

amdfarm

Mar. 4, 2009, 11:35 PM

YankeeLawyer

Mar. 4, 2009, 11:59 PM

I've found the water thing to hold true also.

Yankee... I'll have to see what correlation transpires this year. But, in previous years the active in utero foals seem to be pretty laid back for the most part after birth. They probably wore themselves out. :) And then I've had the non active ones tear around like crazy. They also seem to be more independent for the most part. Lastly, the less active ones are more people friendly (pocket pony dog types) from the get go. Regardless of imprinting, as I try to do w/ all of them.

Along w/ mare torture I also enjoy foal torture. :winkgrin:

Happy foaling all.

Actually, that is pretty funny because the above description matches the personalities of the respective moms. My mare with the super active foal is the most laid back, mellow horse you could ever meet. Totally bombproof and if she could get you to carry her to the paddock each morning, she would. The other mare, carrying the quieter foal, is a social butterfly and loves to play and run around, a bit of a spitfire, but not in a bad way.

graystonefarm

Mar. 5, 2009, 08:20 AM

Actually, that is pretty funny because the above description matches the personalities of the respective moms. My mare with the super active foal is the most laid back, mellow horse you could ever meet. Totally bombproof and if she could get you to carry her to the paddock each morning, she would. The other mare, carrying the quieter foal, is a social butterfly and loves to play and run around, a bit of a spitfire, but not in a bad way.

My mare with the extremely active foal is totally bombproof. :yes:

Karma

Mar. 5, 2009, 08:31 PM

Very interesting. My mare with the very active little foal inside is also very quiet and was just started under saddle this year at 7 years old! She's been great.

I am ready to meet this little one (whom I think is a colt) as soon as he/she is ready to come out. Picking up the milk testing strips this weekend.

graystonefarm

Mar. 5, 2009, 09:01 PM

Karma, good luck with foaling! If you frequently talk to the in-utero foal, he/she will remember your voice and perhaps end up in your lap to snuggle!

amdfarm

Mar. 6, 2009, 03:22 AM

That is funny Yankee, graystone and karma. Have to see if my observations hold true once they're born. Most of my mares are very laid back and rather ho hum types, but I do have two that can get quite playful. Their (latter two) foals have been quiet in utero also. Interesting.

graystone, I do talk to them in utero, but it's more of a request for a certain color, pattern or gender and to be born in a timely manner (ie time of day and nice weather preferrably... hehe.) If they're in there longer than I think they should be, then my talkings to isn't usually very nice and sweet. I'm so bad.

Good luck karma.

Ducky314

Mar. 6, 2009, 04:18 PM

You can apply quite a bit depending on how tolerant the mare is. I typically do a little bounce type action w/ my hand open and then wait. Don't worry, there's no wrong way to torture a pregnant mare and some may only tolerate so much poking and prodding. :)

thanks! i will give that a try this wknd. luckily my mare is extremely laid back and will tolerate most anything so hopefully she will humor me with this...

as for the activity level of the foal in correlation to mom's tempermant... i'm not sure that holds true with my girl. she is hands down the most easy going laid back horse i've ever been around. now granted, i unfortunately only get to see her 1-2 days/ wk so for all i know the foal could be active when i'm not there, but from what i gather it has been pretty quiet thus far. interesting, i'll be curious to see what comes of poking mama this wknd :) :)

amdfarm

Mar. 6, 2009, 07:11 PM

Welcome. Be sure to report back.

I tortured one my prego mares today (she's also extremely laid back) and doing the baby check, I believe I either got head butted or elbow butted. It was a large area of movement, not like a foot or something. I had this huge smile on my face and kept talkin' to the punkin (they're all called punkin for awhile after they're born) and I kept getting bonked back. Mare just turned to look at me and wondered why I wasn't paying direct attention to her and not just her tummy. So after I was done messing w/ the baby and to make her happy, she got her head hugs (which she LOVES) and talked sweet to. She's such a good girl.

Ducky314

Mar. 8, 2009, 05:17 PM

It kicked!! It kicked!!!

I was grooming Mama earlier and when I bent down to curry underneath her belly I put my face against her side. I started talking to the belly and also pushed on it a little bit and wouldn't you know the baby kicked my cheek!! I immediately called her groom over and we both saw the baby kick about 4 more times. Mom was totally unphased! It was SOOO cool. Thanks for the suggestion amdfarm it definitely worked.

Ducky314

Mar. 10, 2009, 11:04 PM

well i think i woke the beast!! :) :)

after seeing the baby kick for the 1st time on sunday, the barn manager saw it on monday too! poor mama, so much for her quiet baby! (fortunately she doesn't seem phased when the little one uses her belly as a punching bag)