Staright Ranch

Mare Gestation and Progression

A mares gestation is on average 340 days but it can go well over 360 days or as early as 315 days. There is no such thing as a "Due Date" for mares unfortunately. But most mares give signs of approaching labor to help us out in this area. Some of these signs.

Some mares may display all of these signs, and some may not display any of these signs. Within a few days of foaling you will notice a change in the low part of the mares belly as it will look pointed. This is an indication foal is repositioning to repare for foaling.

Starlight Ranch basis on 346 days for approximate foaling date.

1. A mares hind end starts to relax before foaling, her vulva will lengthen and inside color will change. Muscles on her rear relax where they look like jello before foaling. The amount of relaxing can depend on number of foals mare has had.

   Appetite may change
2. Attitude may change
3. Mammor gland development - 2-6 weeks prior to foaling
4. Drop in mares abdomen - 2-3 weeks perior to foaling
5. Perineal relaxation - 1-3 weeks prior to foaling
6. Engorgement of teat ends, colostrum - 7-10 days prior to foaling
7. Waxing of teat ends - 48-72 hours prior to foaling
8. Elongation and swelling of the vulva - 0-24 hours prior to foaling
9. Dripping milk from udder - 12-24 hours prior to foaling

Jasmine's Belly Progress - Maiden mare

Jasmine's udder Progress - Maiden mare

The watch on jasmine begins!!

Aug 28, 2015 - Jasmine is doing well, has filled out through the flanks, other wise no signs of movement with the foal yet. Jasmine is a maiden so will spend this year keeping good records of her pregnancy, she has some big shoes to fill since her dam has been one heck of a producer.

October 25, 2015 - Jasmine is 200 days in foal and pregnancy looks really good. No signs of issues, she is hairing up for winter, gaining weight but nothing excessive. No mammory development which is great as it can show signs of possible issues. Belly is growing but still not totally obvious she is in foal just slight body changes as being full through her flanks and some expansion of her ribs.

November 7, 2015 - While at the vet getting teeth floated, Jasmines foal was moving a lot for the first time that we had seen. Foal we clearly pushing against our hands. Jasmine is healthy and doing very well, we have seperated her to make sure she is getting all the feed we want her to have.

December 5, 2015 - Jasmine continues to do well at 241 days in foal, no signs of isses and seems very content. But still showing she loves to play and figured out how to hopen her gate to get into the area in front of the stalls today. Then decided it was more fun run around for a bit then going back into her pasture to get fet, lol.

December 27, 2015 - Jasmine is now in stall to go under her light program since we plan to bred her after she foals in 2016. She is doing really well and her foal is really starting to kick which she jumps at times since she is still not sure what is kicking her. She has settle into her new routine well which is always good to see.

January 3, 2016 - Jasmine has some edema, she is shedding a bunch and has only been under lights for a week. She is doing really well but clearly is not sure what keeps kicking her as she paces often when her foal is active.

January 5, 2016 - Jasmine's hormones are definitely changing as her bag is getting even more prominent than the pics on Sunday at 270 days.

January 10, 2016 - Jasmine's bag continues to change, we had hoped this would not start for another couple of weeks. We are hoping she builds for a bit and gets into a long holding pattern. Would really like to not see her belly drop for another 6 weeks that way she will be much closer to her due date, but do expect she will go early.

January 16, 2016 - Well Jasmine is definitely getting the hormone changes to build her bag as it looks like she is going to build a big one. Still hoping she goes into a holding pattern for a few weeks. She is shedding buckets and bag continues to stretch out and change.

January 23, 2016 - Jasmine is 290 days in foal and doing well. She is eating a little less than normal and getting picky of what she is eating. But rather have her eating slow than fast. She is about half way shed off and looking great. Belly continues to grow but has not yet dropped which is great. Hoping that doesn't happen until the end of next month.

January 29, 2016 - Jasmine still seems to be in a holding pattern with just a little more edema forming above her bag. Otherwise she is doing great, leg has healed up from her deep cut and all seems to be on track.

February 7, 2016 - Jasmine continues to do well, but on Friday afternoon for about three hours was not happy at all. Lots of rubbing on the wall, backing her butt up to the wall and kicking up, pinning ears and kicking and bitting at her belly. By her actions looked like the foal might have been trying to change position. Bag has started to slowly fill will see how much progress is made in another week.

February 14, 2016 - Jasmines belly has dropped even though it is so slight but there is change. She has been stretching her bag out since early January. Last week her bag has started to fill and her milk veins are extremely prominent. She looks to be about three week out, if she continue to progress as she has.

February 15 & 16, 2016 - Jasmine extremely uncomfortable, lots of rubbing her belly on the wall as well as her butt, would lay down and get right back up, pinning her ears at her belly and pawing. 12 hours later she is much more relaxed and laying down comfortably for long periods of time about every two hours. She continues to pick through her hay and is drinking at least 5 gallons twice a day. Bag is filling but not close to being done.

February 18, 2016 - Jasmine's bag continues to increase but is only about half way full. She is active at times as she is just uncomfortable, belly has dropped but not so much to give her a little room for her system to work. Otherwise she is eating well and is bright.

February 24, 2016 - Jasmine is at 322 days and now in safe zone. Bag is about half full, tits are inverted and she has been very uncomfortable at times. We will start to watch her more closely since she is a maiden and making good progress to date.

February 29, 2016 - Jasmine is at 327 days her bag is on the fill again. After a day of pinning her ears, pawing, bitting at her belly and just plain uncomfortable. Jasmine has continues to be upset all day off and on, but bag has not progressed any farther.

March 2, 2016 - Jasmine is at 329 days she has been much calmer today compared to the previous two days. She did a whole lot of pooping and did not eat her oats and picked through her hay and bag has increased again but tits have not yet filled in.

March 3, 2016 - Jasmine 330 days and has a little bit of white wax on the right side, bag has filled even more but tits are not yet filled in. She is agitated off and on and is back on her feed.

March 4, 2016 - Jasmine 331 days, bag has filled even more and wax on her left tit this evening. Tits are still not filled in but all other indicators are there. She has different today, lot and lots of tail action, pacing more, wanting to lay down but didn't, standing quietly but then a bit agitated. At 11:30 pm check looked like she was cleaning out when picking her stall, then looked at her bag and she had two large milk droplets one on each tit. Lot of pacing and even more tail action.

March 5, 2016 - Jasmine 332 days, at 1 am Jasmine water broke, she went down twice and got back up, stood for a long period of time then when she went down the third time she started pushing hard. We helped guide a bit and to help her lot loose progress trying to help her not tear too badly. She did amazing worked really hard and delivered her filly about a half hour after water broke. Filly really strong and stood up the first time she seriously tried. Within another hour Jasmine had cleaned out and Belle had found the milk bar. Foaled just under three weeks from her belly drop.

Jasmine's Breeding Progress

Dec 20, 2014 - Jasmine started underlights

Jan 13, 2015 - Jasmine began shedding.

Feb 11, 2015 - First vet check, Jasmine was out of transition, had a 39mm follicle, 4 edema and zero fluid ready for semen. But unfortunately was not able to get a shipment to arrive before they expected she would ovulate.

Mon, March 2, 2015 - Follicle beginning to build left at vets.

Fri, March 6, 2015 - Follicle filled up with blood and Jasmine is stuck, also found out frozen container malfunctioned and semen is now dead (Vets get to purchase a new shipment).

Sat, March 14, 2015 - Jasmine is rolling again 25 follicle no edema, cx 1

March 18, 2015 - Jasmine LO 37x35, 4+ edema, hcg given.

March 19, 2015 - Jasmine LO 37x40, 3+ edema shipement of new frozen semen stuck at customs in Memphis.

March 20, 2015 - Jasmine has ovulated, 2+ edema and shipment still stuck at customs. (Vet did not charge for this cycle due to mistakes made.)

March 21, 2015 - Semen finally arrives and is in good shape.

Mon, April 6, 2015 - Jasmine has a 40 with 4+ edema on LO, given hcg shot.

Wed, April 8, 2015 - 5 am - Jasmine has ovulated and bred with frozen semen, finally doing the happy dance. Now all up to Jasmine and Tribune!!

Thurs, April 23, 2015 - Jasmine was confirmed in foal with 15 day pregnancy. 16mm embryonic vesicle in the left horn, with good uterine tone.

Due date is March 19, 2016