Pregnant Mare, have some questions

OKay I didn't know where to put this but I figured since it's directed at Mini's to put it here. Anyways I had a few questions and I am just to lazy to look them up haha (also want to hear directly from breeders/owners). How long do Mini's carry for? I know on my big paint mare she carried her filly 10 months. I was always told they would carry longer if it was a colt. Don't know if there is any truth to that. Also are there any major health concerns I should watch for in pregnant mini mares? I am going to get a vet out as soon as I can. I bought her bred. She is a 3 year old ad this will be her first foal. I've only had her since Friday and have been feeding her free choice hay and Relience 11 feed. Should I switch her over to mare and foal? Oh and she was bred in April. I think that's all the questions I have for now. Will add more as I think of them :)

well, i am not an expert on this, but i beleive i read somewhere that you should make sure someone (preferably a vet) is there when the mare is birthing as their size can bring complications. sorry, this may not help much. make sure you post piccies of the baby!! :))

Thanks and I will :)

If this is something you don't know to much on its certainly not the time to be to lazy to look it up, Google is a wonderful place :)
DO YOUR RESEARCH! Loosing a little one and or mommy would be devastating. Miniatures are tricky and more prone to complications IMO.
Mini mares carry on average 326 days however they can go as early as 300 days and as late as 365 days. Maiden mothers like your three year old tend to carry longer and foal with little warning.
There are little heath concerns to watch for in your pregnant mare however there are MANY complications she can have at the time of foaling, as I've said more so with a mini IMO. It is also recommended for mares to receive a pneumabort K vaccine at 5, 7 and 9 months of pregnancy. The vaccine will help the foal from aborting... This is in addition to the regular vaccines. A tetanus toxoid vaccine four to six weeks prior to foaling is very important to both the mare and foal also!

As far as the mares feed it doesn't need to change much until nearing the end of her pregnancy. I'm not familiar with your feed so I cannot say much but good quality hay and a salt or mineral block is a must. I would also add a little beet pulp and oats in there.

Haha when I said to lazy to look things up.. I ment like finding others to ask.. Not actually researching I have done that.. :) But I knew others on here have dealt with this so thats why I wanted to ask on here.

Okay.. I have a mineral/salt block available at all times and good hay always available. :) And I am going to get some beet pulp.

All of the above is absolutely correct :) My minis tend to foal at day 310-320. We watch ours on a foaling camera so we can be sure to attend the birth. Minis do have a lot more problems foaling so we are always there. Be sure you are not feeding fescue as minis have even more trouble with it then big horses. Big horses is recommended to take off fescue 60 days before foaling but with a mini I would 120 days.

Red bag deliveries can also happen. If it does get the foal out as quickly as possible by cutting the red bag open

Really educate yourself because usually unless your vet is really close its too late by the time they get there.

We up our grain on mares in foal starting about 90 days before foaling. Some mares though will start to go down in condition and we start sooner with them.

Get and read The Complete Book of Foaling and The Complete Foaling Manual. Know what to do in the event of a dystocia, and MAKE SURE YOU ARE THERE!!! :)

Alright :) Thanks so both of you. And I will be here. I have been there for the birth of big foals and know what to expect with them but everyone around here kept saying it wasn't any different for Minis but I knew it was because I had read that much :)

She's never foaled before, correct? Watch her extra closley. It's more of a risk for mini's, and even more for a maiden mare (I think thats what they are called).. Meaning that birthing could go wrong like *snaps fingers* that.

And anything else should be like foaling a larger horse. Just with a smalled mare ;)

Anny