Is she a maiden mare? (Has she had a foal before?) If she
IS a maiden, some of the "classical" signs may well be absent in her ...
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I don't think I have felt it moving. At about what stage do you see that?
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You will usually see it moving more a few months before foaling when there is more room for the baby to kick around in there, before it gets much bigger. Usually when the mare is moving, the baby is sleeping - lulled to sleep by the motion. When the mare comes in and is eating and resting - that's when the kid will usually jump around in there! Some movements are subtle - you will almost think she is just wiggling her skin to get rid of a fly. Others not so subtle - you'd swear a foot is coming through the poor mare's side!
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Another post talked about the softening of the hind end and tail region. Her's is really soft compared to my other mares. Is that something that continues as she gets closer or just when she is really close.
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That will usually occur a few days before foaling and get softer and more relaxed as foaling is imminent. When the tail gets as limp as lifting a piece of cooked spaghetti - you know she is getting closer. When you kind of tap on her bum, on either side of the tail, just below, and it gets "jelly" like, her pelvic area is softening in preparation for foaling. Check her vulva lips as well - get to understand what "normal" looks like for her. As foaling is approaching, the lips of the vulva will get longer
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There has been a lot of talk about bagging up. Her bags have changed sizes. Is that normal?
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Yes.
Very much so. The bags will fill and recede. Fill and recede some more. Usually as she is outside and moving around, when you bring her in, they will be more flaccid. When she has been standing around in her stall all night long, it will fill up some more. When the bag is as hard at night when you bring her in as it was when you turned her out in the morning, that's a sign that foaling time is near. Check her milk veins running under her belly the her udder. Are they sort of pronounced or VERY noticeable? As foaling approaches, they will stand out and be VERY noticeable!
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Milk...I appreciated whoever talked about the different color/taste...etc. But I haven't noticed any milk on her. Do they start having milk later maybe?
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***Most*** mares will wax up and you will notice a glob on the end of her teats. Again - another sign. But some mares wont wax, or they will wax and foal within hours. Some mares drip milk for hours or days before foaling, some don't drip at all. Generally when it turns a "skim milk colour" she is getting ready to foal and supposedly when it changes from a salty taste to a sweeter taste - that again means she is getting ready to foal, but as many times as I have tasted it, I'll be darned if I can sense any taste difference at all!
So no idea if that is a valid way of telling anything ...
Talking about milk and udders - will she allow you to clean and handle her udder? VERY important as you don't want to find out when the foal is fishing around for a teat that she will NOT allow this and will cow kick anyone or anything that tries! You have to clean it anyhow, so with warm wet towels get her used to it being poked and prodded as well
Do you have baby bottles on hand? A chain shank and twitch in case you are faced with a mare that wont allow her baby to nurse? Enough bodies to help if need be?
Hope this helps - ask as many questions as you need to. I'm sure between the lot of us we can answer most if not all of them for you
Good luck!
Oh! And you must post pictures of your girl for us to see, and do you have a picture of the stallion as well?
