The Horse Forum banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

Possible accidental breeding... mare could foal this summer or this winter if bred.

19K views 106 replies 38 participants last post by  dbarabians 
#1 · (Edited)
Well, let me start from the beginning.

When I was given Jaxxon, both my vet an the vet his then-owners used said he was a gelding because he hadn't dropped (at two years old) and had never acted 'studly'.

After he became mine, I pastured him our big pasture (50 acres) with my mare Gypsie, my gelding Dakota, my great uncle's two mares Buttercup and Nugget, and my cousin's mare Patch.

Jax showed no signs of studly behavior at all.

About a year after I got him, we witnessed him mount my cousin's mare, Patch. I checked him and he looked like a gelding, so we figured he may have been proud-cut. However, after that, I felt like something didn't seem right and kept checking him on a regular basis after that.

Around mid-December of last year, during one of my checks on him, I found a plum. Just one. He was removed from our 50 acre pasture and placed across the road onto my other great uncle's 15 acre pasture with a few cows for company.

Around the middle of January, I brought him down to the house for a grooming session and just to hang out and work with him for a while. During that session, my cousin's mare Patch (who, by the way, is a little floozy and flirts with Jaxxon constantly over the fences...) came down to hang over the fenceline and broke through the fence and got in with him.

I had to make a snap decision... I could either get her out f the fence with him and back in the other pasture (and either let all the other mares in through the broken fence or let Jaxxon out in the othrpasture with the other mares while I was getting Patch out of the pen), or I could spend ten minutes fixing the fence and then get Patch out.

I chose to fix the fence first, as one pregnant horse is a lot better than four pregnant horses. It took about ten minutes to get the fence fixed, but in that time Jaxxon mouted and serviced Patch twice.

When I took him to the vets in February, the vet mentioned that because Jax dropped so late, there's a 95% chance that he's infertile.

... So, the mare may or may not be bred. She does look like she's gotten fatter to me, but she's always been a pretty fat horse... if she was bred back last summer, then she'll foal out sometime in the next few months... (I don't really remember just when Jax mounted her last year, but it was late summer sometime, because it was really hot and humid)... and if she was bred back in January, then she should foal out sometime in November or December...

But hopefully she's not bred...

Here's pics of the 'maybe' sire and dam...

Possible momma
Patch (my cousin's horse... she's actually got pretty good conformation... she's about 12 years old and is a Racking Horse, but is unregistered and her bloodlines are unknown)



Possble daddy
Jaxxon (my cryptorchid stallion... he's not the best conformation-wise, but he's pretty decent... he's almost four years old and is a Quarterhorse, but is unregistered and his bloodlines are unknown... also, that is not me riding, that's my 15 year old cousin)




I'll be the first to admit that this was not a planned breeding and I would not have bred Jaxxon at all. I plan on gelding him this year as soon as I get the money for the surgery.

So here's hoping that she's not bred. Also, the mare's pictures are not recent at all. I don't have any recent pictures of her from this year. The first picture of the mare is the most recent one I have and it is from December, last year.
 
See less See more
5
#88 ·
Britt, I think this sounds like a bad situation for all involve and its not one you asked to be in. If you are in Alabama have you looked into Auburn University. They have a vet school and might be able have a program that would all you to get your boy gelded for a reduced price. I know some schools do that for dogs and cats to give students experience. It might worth investigating. I know you said the foal will have a home regardless of its arrival or lack of arrival. I think thats a wonderful idea but I am not sure you have the resources to care for it. Cryptochidism or retained testicles can be hereditary. If the foal is a colt will you be able to geld that one as well or will you find yourself in the same situation in a year or two. I know its not your horse and family is well family and that can be hard. It sounds like you are the one who does the stuff no one else thinks about or wants to do. Which means they sort of rely on you to do it and don't have to do it themselves. That's no fun as a situation and difficult to get out of. I hope things work out for you.
 
#91 ·
The foal will not be mine when it arrives. It's going to belong to either my cousin (the mare's owner) or her little brother (they are already fighting over it...). That's not the greatest situation, but I have a feeling that I will prolly be the one doing the training and most of the riding, probably...

I'm hoping the foal is a filly, not a colt... as it will be me prolly paying for the gelding, etc... if it' a colt because I'm the only one who really seems to care anymore. Hopefully it's a filly, but if it's a colt, I plan to have the money to get it gelded if no one else will.

I'm happy you're getting an education as that will be your ticket out. Will you be going into teaching?
I want to go into teaching, yes. I had a teacher in grade school who really made a huge impression on me, and I'd love to teach and be as well liked as she was and still is. I want to teach middle/high school or college, though... so I still have anywhere from 4 to 8 years depending on how high I want to ain, and I'd like to go as high as I can.

Britt, you are trying to make the situation better by planning your future.
You have a lot on your plate for one so young.
do not place such a burden on yourself that your future plans will be placed in jeapordy.
Get some help. Enlist someone you know to help you care for the horses.
Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, It is the bravest thing most of us will ever do.
Remember that.
Good luck for now and in the future. Shalom
I would get some help if anyone out here was willing to actualy help... :?

Thank you!
 
#90 ·
Britt, you are trying to make the situation better by planning your future.
You have a lot on your plate for one so young.
do not place such a burden on yourself that your future plans will be placed in jeapordy.
Get some help. Enlist someone you know to help you care for the horses.
Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, It is the bravest thing most of us will ever do.
Remember that.
Good luck for now and in the future. Shalom
 
#92 ·
Really hoping some people lay off on this thread. Sounds to me like you did the best you could/can do now. Have you thought about getting a second or better job? I would highly recommend calling your vet. I would give that mare a 5 way, just in case. Tell your cousin she needs it, period!! At least that's a precaution in case she is pregnant. Hoping the best for you and your horses :)
 
#97 ·
About not being fertile. Miniature Horse stallions(I know, not a mini but..) have been known to drop as late as 5 years of age and become perfectly normal, functional stallions.(they either only dropped one or didn't drop at all until that age)
 
#98 ·
I feel for the situation with your cousin, and hope things will improve. We have a rescued Thoroughbred that is looking suspiciously like she may be pregnant. Our vet said it's a very good possibility, but, "It's not my specialty. You'll know in a few months." Thanks so much. :) So, I completely understand the anxiousness that goes along with not knowing for sure, and not having a due date estimate even if you were sure. We have been sure to keep our mare up to date on her vaccinations and dewormer. You will need to get her vaccinations that are safe for expectant mares, just in case. You will also want to get her on a Mare and Foal suppliment. Your cousin obviously has other personal issues to work through. It is nice that you are doing your best to look out for Patches in the meantime. Wish you the best.
 
#100 ·
Like rookie mentioned in my post, any vet should be able to do an ultrasound or palpate..... The vet didn't seem to be at all concerned about her birthing randomly in our 40-acre field, which is bizarre. I have a couple of other vets' numbers on hand (there is no one else that is remotely close). I'm hoping she will be good in a pinch. Regardless, I am requesting a vet visit on Monday. I am getting concerned that, although Blakely has become the alpha mare since she came, she has never gone into heat, been moody, or overly aggressive. Just lately, she mercilessly gouged up our sweet yearling (she kicked him several times, until he was cornered, on his knees trying to back away, and bleeding). Before then, they were inseperable. All of the horses seem to be edgy and afraid of her now.... understandably. Hopefully, the vet will give us good news.

I ran accross this site when I was searching for any info. on signs of pregnant mares, etc. The blog that caught my attention was filled with lots of positive support and feedback from caring, knowledgeable horse lovers. This thread seems doomed to somewhat patronizing and negative comments.
 
#101 ·
Burrwood why do you find it bizarre that the vet doesn't have a problem with her foaling outside?
Most big ranches and large horse breeders prefer to allow the mare to foal in their pastures.
So do I. If the pasture is not overcrowded with horses and free from debris it will be safe.
That mare will seperate herself from the herd and keep the foal away from the other horse for a few days.
that way you do not have to worry about how the other horses will react when you introduce the mare and foal back into the herd.
they will have done it naturally. Shalom
 
#102 ·
Db, I like the idea of letting them work out the dynamic of the heard and birth as naturally as possible, especially introducing the foal in such a manner. I am just concerned that we will not be able to assist her if she has trouble birthing out in our 40 acres of hills, trees, stream.... It is certainly not over crowded and there is no debris, but what if she has trouble and is not capable of separating herself from the rest of the heard? We have a huge Morab gelding, (Casa)Nova, (that was rescued with her) that is the alpha male and has made himself her protector; she depends on him and gets very anxious when he is not close. She has been very aggressive lately, but if she were in duress I don't think she could beat him off with a stick. He is very tenacious and bull headed, at best. Maybe he was cut late in the game? But, the heard they were with, before we brought them home, was very overcrowded, underfed, neglected, and extremely aggressive.... Being we don't have any idea of a due date how will we know when to inconspicuously stalk her around the property to be sure she and the foal are safe and don't need assistance? To make matters more concerning for me, we have 5 children, who were adopted from the US, Russia and Ethiopia that have major trauma and attachment issues. The horses have become part of their bonding and healing process. So, I don't think they could handle losing a foal that they are very eagerly anticipating..... So, anyway, there are lots of considerations. With your experience and preference for birthing in the pasture, how do you make yourself available to assist?? Thanks for your experience & feedback!
 
#103 ·
Burrwood, I would like to commend you for adopting those children and giving them a good home.
My mares foal in pastures of about 20-25 acres usually.
It is a chore sometimes during foal watch to walk those pastures at night with a flashlight.
If the mare has trouble the vet will know what to do in a pasture.
Most vets around here assist cattle and they are not kept in a barn or are as tame as horses.
If that mare cannot be lead to the gate or barn during foaling then the vet is probably not going to be able to save either her or the foal anyway.
That is from my experience .
You have a full agenda and need nothing else to worry about.
I suggest you keep things simple and keep a vets number handy.
Mares usually foal within a few minutes of their water breaking.
If after an hour no foal you need to call a vet. Then it is an emergency. Shalom
 
#105 ·
Also ive noticed that mares that are present when a foal is born in the herd tend to be way more tolerable of the horse when it grows. When my colt was born There were two mares in the herd. The dominant was his mother and the other was the mare that was always beated up, even by geldings. Well, my colts 6 year old older sister busted down the fence and went after him. His mother ran him away from the sister and my pushover mare literally went all dragon on the older very dominant sister. I credit that mare with keeping him safe.
 
#106 ·
I think their are definitely pros and cons to both stall and pasture birthing. But, we do have a very safe old stone barn building that the horses use for a wind, rain, and sun shelter. It is attached to a paddock that we typically use for training and barreling. But, today we took out the barrels and set it up for mom and baby. So, I think we are going to start foal watch tonight and bring her in from the pasture to the paddock each night. I think the pasture/heard concept is a great one.... barring the possible freak exception to the rule [that everything usually works out well for everyone involved]. Today Blakely was contracting when we brought her into the paddock; shortly after she freaked out and started charging around and frantically whinnying to her buddies, Nova & Gage. Just like the devoted minions they are, they were just out of sight & came a runnin'. So, we called the vet, explained all of her symptoms, and he responded that, with TBs, commonly the biggist indicator you get for foal watch time is a dramatic mood change. Plus, seeing contractions, a more triangular shape, kicking at stomach, rolling, agitated, veins popping, and more bagging he thinks we are looking at 2 to 4 wks (closer to 2 wks)? In the back of my mind, I'm thinking maybe false labor. He is planning on coming out the middle of next week. But, he recommended bringing her into the paddock at night; his main reason was that we are located in a very rural, heavily-wooded area that he has known to have cayotes that can be a danger. EEk.

Read more: http://www.horseforum.com/horse-bre...-appears-preggers-134217/page2/#ixzz23IfUYNwl
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top