Pregnant Mare Weight Gain

Question
Thank you so much!
She has had a worming program and pnemabort etc....her feed is not changed and she was a hard keeper for a while because she showed estrus for hte first trimester...i have had her ultrasounded 3 times and still 1 baby!
I heard alot of people have them checked at 9 or 10 months? Would you reccommend this and why?

I am hoping she is just gaining weight from teh baby....she does not look fat, looks like she is pregant..... I dont' know how she coudl be fat, she gets 2 grass, 1 aflafla AM and 1 grass, 2 aflalfa PM and then about 1 1/2 lb of grain a day.....

Thanks again!
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Followup To

Question -
i have a mare that is 202 days or about 7 months pregnant today....
I have been keeping a journal on her for future reference and have been recording her weight....
It has been a HUGE increase in the past week...

10/06 1050 lbs

10/10 1081 lbs

10/13 1115 lbs

So....that is like 30 lbs every 3 days! I was curious if anyone else has ever kept track of their mares... I know between month 6 and month 8 the foal goes from teh size of a beagle to the size of small lamb (german shepard)...and am assuming that the weight gain is due to her growing foal???
She is a maiden mare and is already showing....
Is she getting fat, or is this just due to the growing foal?

Also, I heard maiden mares tend to foal early? HOw early is it usually? I know the earliest she coudl foal for hte foal to not be premature is 326, which puts me at February 14th....do they go this early?

THANKS!
Thea

Answer -
Mares gain 70% of their weight in foal during the 2nd trimester. It is strange, but they gain weight and they actually may eat less. Make sure you are following a prescribed worming program evry 6 - 8 weeks. Also have a vet check her as she is nearing the early foal dates. She sould have been ultrasounded as well to make sure twins are not a possibility. Most twins never survive. The key to maintaining a healthy mare while pregnant is to continue daily routines. Do not change feeds, hay, exercise programs, etc. Changes in routines can cause absorption or loss of the foal. Some horses go early and some are late. Our mares never give birth when humans are present. We watch the nipples and when they start waxing up or leaking, birth is usually in 24 - 48 hours. All we have to do is stay with them for a night or two, go inside to take a 15 minute break, and a foal is there when we return. It is funny that way. Best of luck. Also, it is a good idea to have a vet involved in the process, at least for the first one, especially since this is the mare's firstborn.
Brian McElroy

Answer
I have them checked because sometimes the vet can see abnormalities, check heart rates, etc. Also, he will probably have to cut her vagina to ease the birth near the end. If she was stitched, they can cut the stitches also. It is good also to ask the vet for a good supply of minerals and vitamins. Because you are actually feeding two now, it takes a little more maintenance. After the baby is born, my vet had me switch to Purina Strategy. It was specifically designed for nursing mares, but be careful to ease her ont it. I took over a month of mixing the old grain and the new grain. I found that if you feed good hay like you are, it takes less strategy to maintain the weight. I switched all my mares andstallions to Strategy, and they are easier keepers now than before. It takes a ong time to stabilize Arabs. And never feed Coastal hay. They collic every time. So I actually saved oney on my feed bills. Let me know how it goes.