Help!!!

[jessicasch]

Hello i am still kinda new to this fialing thing we had are first foal last year. Tonight when i went out to do my night check my mare that is not due till May 12th all of a sudden has a pretty large udder. Yesterday she had none at all. Around her bun is like jelly and her vulva has started to relax. Is it not kinda early for this? Could she be maby getting ready to apport??

Please help i have no idea if this is normal.

[Jen]

go ahead call your vet get them out now

[ttjab3]

I really can't give you much advice as we are new horse owners and just about do witness the birth of our first foal!!
But, I agree with Jen, call your vet and at least tell them what is going on and hopefully he will come out and answer your questions.
But, I do know that our Buttercup started to show signs of going into labor back in middle February and she still hasn't had the baby. Her tushy has been squishy for a while too!! LOL
So, I know from that that they can start getting ready way before they actually give birth.

Good luck,
God Bless,
Tari

[Jen]

Yep, the concern just is you will have a mare who will shoot up fast on you

[Heather T]

The funny thing is, every year we jump the gun and we think "she's ready"....she's showing all the signs - she has a bag, she's squishy..yada, yada, yada.

Then when she REALLY shows the signs we wonder what the heck we were thinking And we do it every year....

[Meghan]

she will start to because she is due in just more than a month and she will start doing the things you need to do...like put her on cam to wacth her

[Diane]

She sounds like she's just getting ready. The mare we have here to foal out has a nice size bag (due May 7th). I wouldn't be worried about her, but I would be watching her.

[jessicasch]

That you for your help. How long before they foal do they get all squishy around there bun? Cause are two mares that are due this week havent yet but Molly (the one i am concerned about) that isent due till May has alreidy become all squishy. I called the vet and she said that she might foal ealry but that there was nothing we could really do about but watch her closly and hope she waits at least another 16 days.

[victoriafarms]

The only real concern with a mare shaping up too early is that she could be experiencing a placental infection. Thats pretty uncommon, but might be worth having the vet out to check just in case. If its an infection, antibiotics usually help if its caught early.
Your mare really just sounds like she is getting ready. They can start bagging 4-6 weeks prior to foaling. Their butts shouldn't get real squishy until the week or so before foaling. The vulva will have a progressive softening/lengthening. The mare here that just foaled, started softening in the tailhead area a couple weeks before she foaled, but had a significant change the day of foaling. Like Heather said you think they are ready and then all of a sudden they are ready and you wonder what it was you saw that made you think so four weeks ago. I've spent too many sleepless nites needlessly!! LOL