MARE MISCARRIED

Question
MY MARE WAS DUE JUNE 20-25 2009. WE FOUND THE THE MISCARRIED FOAL ON MARCH 28TH. WHAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THIS AND HOW LONG SHOULD WE WAIT TO BREED HER AGAIN? SHE IS 11 AND HAS HAD TO LIVE FOALS PRIOR.

Answer
Connie:

there is no way for anyone over the internet to be able to answer this question with any specificity. It does not sound like there has been any vet involved during the pregnancy otherwise he/she would have done some things to 1) help prevent any abortion and 2) to investigate the abortion after it occurs. this involves an extensive examination of the mare, the placenta and the aborted fetus and an autopsy of the fetus. There are countless infectious and functional problems that can and do occur with any pregnancy and telling you what the cause of this miscarriage was is impossible without the examinations and diagnostics I mentioned. I strongly suggest you ahve a vet involved the next time the mare is bred. There are regular vaccinations and evaluations that are necessary to ensure the health of the mare and the foal throughout pregnancy. I cant tell you if the mare is ready to be bred again without examining her. She could have had a placental infection, she could have retained part of her placenta or she could have endocrine or uterine problems that could keep her from carrying a foal to term. If she had an infection, she may have infections still left in her uterus and she could develop illness due to that. The mare still shoudl be examined by a good equne vet to determine if the uterus is clean, involuted and healthy and thereby ready to carry a foal again. Furthermore, I stongly suggest a vet monitors any future pregnancy in this mare as regardless of the cause, she is technically a high risk pregnancy if she gets in foal again.

You should not rebreed her before she gets examined and I think you should take some time and really investigate what needs to be done by you and your vet to ensure a successful pregnancy and a healthy foal. Good luck. I hope you think about my recommendations. Im here if you have any other questions.