Horse pregnant and is about to deliver

Question
QUESTION: I have a mare and she has dropped dramatically.  Her milk veins are very protruded, but her udder was full and sagging. Now her veins are protruding so much that they are rubbing her back legs and she will hardly walk.  She is an older mare and I was wondering if that is why she is doing what she is or if it is something else.

ANSWER: Dear Rachel,

More information please!  Exactly how old is she?  Does she show any signs of an infection? Does she show any signs of a fever? You haven't provided enough information to for me to do much more than speculate but I'll speculate.  If she has had quite a few foals and is pretty long in the tooth, this may be normal.  If you aren't certain and you haven't had this mare when she foaled before, have your vet check her out.  Meanwhile, wash her udder with a clean cloth and warm  clean water.  Take a look at the exudate.  If fluid is milky and sticky rather than clear and thin, she's probably close. There is always a possibility of mastitis.  As I said, if you don't know this mare's pattern or if this is different from what you've seen her do in the past, get her checked by your vet.

Good luck.

Lynne Curtis Gudes
"Common sense isn't."

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: My mare is 10 and I am not sure what she has done with her other foals because I have not had her long and she was with foal when I bought her. But I am pretty sure she has had others. She does not show any signs of a fever. She eats and drinks well, but sometimes lies down to eat and I have not seen one do that before.  She also paws the ground and acts like she is dancing in her back feet.  I am just worried that something is wrong with her and the closest vet for large animals are about 200 miles away.  So any help would greatly be appreciated.

Thanks

Answer
Hi Rachel

Do you know how many weeks along she is in her pregnancy? Just how close is she to her due date? What does the fluid you can milk from her teats look like?  What is the texture like?  You said she is only 10.  That is not very old for a horse.  She is a fairly young mare and certainly not old. Nine is considered prime of life for a horse and their bones aren't even fully mature until six, so she is not an old horse.  She would be old if she were a Great Pyrenees, but as a horse, she's still a got years to go ;=)  I can understand why you would be concerned with a veterinarian so far away. I would suggest ordering a book, "The Complete Book of Foaling" by Karen E.N. Hayes DVM  It's got a lot of good info and may bring you some comfort. As long as she is eating and drinking, I'd do warm wet compresses on her udder, give her a warm bran mash and yourself a hot cup of tea or a glass of wine if it's your cup of tea. As for lying down to eat, that may just be a personal idiosyncrasy. As long as she's eating

Each mare varies so much and until you've gone through a foaling or two with this mare you can't know HER particular pattern.  People like to tell you how ALL mares behave this way or that way.   My personal experience says they don't have enough personal experience if they are that certain. There are certainly some general truths.  If all is well with the world and there are no problems, mares usually stick to their own patterns year to year.  I have had mares that like to spring surprises.  I have had mares that are always late or always early, mares that read the book and follow all the rules and mares that can't read and follow their own drummer.  One of my mares gets a bag like a milk cow and drips milk for 6 weeks before she foals and another gets no bag at all...ever,and after foaling produces milk like a darn Jersey...go figure.  Try to ease her discomfort and your mind with frequent warm water washes.  Keeps the water quiet warm but not hot and hold the warm fold cloth over the area for a time several times a day.  I'll be thinking of teh three of you and hoping for a photo of a healthy foal.

Good luck.

Lynne Curtis Gudes

"Common sense isn't."ZZZ