i am confused

Question
My friend has a mare who is very much pregnant... and the horse is getting baby's first milk. the foal is gonna be mine, and i want to be there when she has it, i have no idea when she is gonna have it. so please help me!!  thank you, stephaney.

Answer
Hi Stephaney,

If the mare's udder is beginning to fill, then you're getting closer.  But some mares' udders will begin to fill 8 weeks prior to foaling.

If by saying "the horse is getting baby's first milk" you mean that she has actual white milk, then she will foal any time now.

The best indicator we have to predict impending foaling is the change in the fluid in the udder.  The fluid will go from being a thin, clear, watery-type fluid to yellow, thick and sticky and then finally to what will look like diluted skim milk and then actual white milk.  But I should caution you, not every mare's milk will turn white before she foals, sometimes it doesn't turn white until right after the foal is born.  But if you're consistent on checking the milk every day, you'll notice when something changes, even if very slightly.

Another way to tell when foaling is close is to watch for her udder to get very big and very firm and it will stay that way all day.  The mare's manure can also turn cowpie like and she will go to the bathroom often.  Some mares won't be too interested in their food the day of foaling either.

Being that this is your friend's mare and I'm sure you're not with her all the time, it's going to be hard for you to notice these subtle changes.  But if your friend knows what to look for and she is really watching her mare, she should be able to alert you to when she believes the mare is getting close.  Then it will be up to you to camp out in your friend's barn if you want to be there when she foals.

I hope that helped some and that you're able to be there when the foal is born.

Sandy