Is my horse in foal

Question
hi i bought a mare about 5 months ago and i notice yesterday that she is producing milk i was just wondering if you could tell me if she is in foal.she has never been in season while iv had her, im rather worried incase its something more serious also i have been riding her not knowing if she is in foal could this harm either of them thankyou

Answer
Lucy:

Im not sure how you might expect me to be able to tell you if your horse is in foal over the internet and without ever being able to see her. The fact that she is making milk is not definitive proof of her being in foal. You should have had a vet go over the mare before you bought her to be certain that she does not have any major health problems, a very basic prepurchase exam is important to do before you buy any horse. I strongly suggest you get a vet out to do a rectal exam on the mare. If there is a foal, the foal will be very easy to feel on rectal exam by now. However, if she is in foal and if she is not near term, the dripping milk could very well mean that the preganancy is in danger due to any number of potential problems. If you decide to try to have the foal, you will need a vet to examine the pregnancy too in order to help the mare carry the foal to term. You will also need to find out a breeding date as best as possible. When the foal is born, it could be sick if the placenta or other things are a problem in this pregnancy. The foal will probably need another source of colostrum or a plasma transfusion because when mares drip milk before they foal, they lose the colostrum that the foal needs for antibodies. Long before you ride this mare, she needs a good physical examination. If shes not in foal she may be making milk in response to lactogenic plants she may have ingested.

In the future, I strongly recommend a prepurchase exam before buying any horse at any price. I also recommend that you look into managing and care for all horses, but particularly for mares and for foals as this may be a significant issue for you very soon. good luck in this. Get a vet involved and the rectal exam for a pregnancy check at 5 months should take 5 minuets tops, but the mare needs a good physical exam too. Let me know if I can answer any other questions for you.