10 pregnant-mare-problems

DANGEROUS
Pregnancy
PROBLEMS
Facing Both Your Mare
& Her Unborn Foal
10
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FROM THE AUTHOR
“When you think about it, we are all part of a
herd...horses and people.
Once you look at it that way... You’ll look at yourself, your
horse and other people in a very different way.
I believe horses and animals in general have souls. I also
believe that our horses count on us to take care of them
and to love them. And I believe if you care for them right...
they’ll love you right back.
For people that truly love their horses.”
-Mary
“Here I am with my girl, Penny!”
At HorseMoms.com, We Help Keep Your Horse Healthy For Life

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TABLE OF Contents
1. Introduction
2. 10 Most Dangerous Pregnancy Problems
(with a short description of what they are & what to look for)
a. Spontaneous Abortion
b. Colic
c. Fescus Toxicosis
d. Internal Injury
e. Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM)
f. Laminitis
g. Malnutrition
h. Obesity
i. Twinning
j. Uterine Artery Ruptures
3. Summary of What To Look For
1
2
3
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16

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DISCLAIMER
Although every effort has been made to present scientifically correct and current
information based on expert sources, readers should rely solely on their own
veterinarians and equine health professionals to diagnose and treat their ani-
mals, as well as formulate a plan for breeding.
Readers should be aware that all results are dependent on a variety of factors,
none of which are under the control of the authors or us. Therefore, neither the
authors or us make any claim or warranty with respect to results that may be
obtained from any procedures described herein.
While product and or drug brand names have occasionally been used, it has
been for illustrative purposes only and in no way constitutes an endorsement of
that product or in any inference that similar products are in any way inferior.
Before using any product or drug consult with your veterinarian and follow the
manufacturer’s directions carefully,
Handling and breeding horses are inherently dangerous activities. Therefore
neither the authors or Us assume responsibility for any accident or injury
resulting from a readers interaction with horses.

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It’s a magical time...
SHE’S COUNTING ON YOU
TO TAKE CARE OF HER &
HER UNBORN FOAL.
Not every pregnancy is easy or without complications and it’s
important we know how to address all these issues.
We need to take the best care of our
pregnant girl and her baby.
We need to know what they are and how to take the right next
steps to be able to help or even prevent bad situations from
happening.

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10 DANGEROUS Problems
In Pregnant Mares

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1
SPONTANEOUS
ABORTION
Sadly mares can suddenly abort their babies
for a variety of different reasons.
Some say the sudden abortion is nature’s way
of helping to keep the breed healthy.
I can certainly understand that.
But if the reasons can be understood and corrected
shouldn’t we try?
As a mom, wouldn’t you want to give your baby
the best chance at a healthier lifestyle?
Spontaneous Abortion continued >

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2 MAJOR REASONS FOR
Spontaneous Abortion
1. The Equine Herpes Virus (EHV) / Respiratory Rhinovirus
These viruses can easily spread to your mare simply by your
mare breathing the air, similar to how humans contact colds
and viruses.
Be extra cautious. The virus can survive up to 42 days.
If you happen to be in an area with other horses that have
the virus, it can attach itself to your clothing and be trans-
mitted by you to your mare.
I’d feel horrible if that happened and I was the reason she
lost her baby or if I lost her...
!
What’s worse? Your girl can have the virus and still show no
symptoms. Unfortunately as she fights off the virus, the virus
ends up in her white blood cells and those cells (carrying the
virus) can infect her baby.
The Preventative Measure:
Have your girl on a vaccine schedule to
reduce the chances of the virus taking
hold of her.
Please make sure to vaccinate immediately before breeding
your girl and not again ‘til mid pregnancy.
This is critical since the live vaccine may be active enough
to transfer to her growing baby and be the cause of an abor-
tion.
(Spontaneous Abortion continued)

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DAY
90
DAY
150–210
DAY
310–320
Your Vet might give your mare a EHV-1 (rhino) vaccination.
Choice is up to your Vet...This will help prevent your mare
from contracting equine herpes virus-1, which can cause
spontaneous abortion.
In most cases your Vet will administer the EHV-1 vaccina-
tion on Day 150. The plan is to also administer the EHV-1
vaccination on Day 210.
• Tetanus
• Encephalitis
• Equine Influenza
• Equine Viral Rhinopneumo-
nitis
• West Nile Virus
• Optional vaccinations in-
clude: Equine Monocytic Er-
chlichiosis (Potomac Horse
Fever) and Rabies
At this stage of pregnancy, your Vet will administer a full spec-
trum of intramuscular vaccinations. These include:
The goal is to share the antibodies/white blood cells with her
baby so when the baby is born, he/she will be protected.
VACCINE SCHEDULE
Timing Is Critical
Even though your intentions are good, you can inadvertently create the
problem by offering the right solution but at the wrong time. ** Make sure
to connect with your vet for the right vaccination at the right time to make
sure it is effective and does no harm.

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2 MAJOR REASONS FOR
Spontaneous Abortion
2. Poor Vulvar Confirmation & The Potential
Infections That Can Develop From It
A mares vulva changes as she ages so older mares are
more susceptible to poor vulvar confirmation.
Your mares private parts help protect her reproductive
system (especially the placenta) from foreign matter getting
inside her and causing an infection that can be dangerous to
both her and her baby.
It should be airtight and vertical.
If it is angled or tipped one way or the other, every time she
moves, air and the contaminants that it carries can be pulled
into her body. It’s as if the doorway is partially opened and it
must be tightly sealed.
Surgically correcting the problem through
a procedure called Caslicks surgery
Essentially your vet does some plastic surgery. A few nips
here, a few tucks there and the problem is corrected in the
short term.
The process requires the stitches to be removed prior to
foaling and replaced soon after birth.

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Follow your girls normal deworming rou-
tine for the first 300 days to prevent colic
caused by tissue damage by worm larvae.
Make sure she eats, drinks and passes manure regularly.
Keep her from cribbing and windsucking. Make any changes
to her feed gradually.
Feed small quantities at frequent intervals on a regular
schedule, especially if your mare has a history of colic.
Be sure to keep a closer eye on her. A wellness plan
may help.
2
COLIC
Unfortunately, pregnant mares have a greater chance of
colicing given what their bodies are going through.
This is especially dangerous in mares that have a history of
colicing or consistently crib.
Once the mare begins to excessively roll to help relieve her
discomfort, it will all stress her unborn baby.
Colic can lead to toxins that are created and discharged
into her bloodstream. This flood of toxins only increases the
chances of complications for both your baby and hers too.
The challenge is to recognize when you your girl is colicing
or if she’s only a bit uncomfortable due to her pregnancy.
!

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Test the pasture & feed for fescue and
fungus. Testing can be done at your local
AG department.
Testing Sources:
Endophyte Testing Service
Tall Fescue Endophtye Submission
How To Sample:
PDF: Sampling Tall Fescue Endophyte in Pasture or Hay Stands
Your soon to be mom is most susceptible to this in the first
and last 30 days of her pregnancy. So take special care
during these times.
One symptom is a mammary gland developing before it
should. Normally a mammary gland becomes noticeable on
or slightly before her 11 month.
3
FESCUS TOXICOSIS
Fescue is a pretty hardy grass and is one of the more com-
mon grasses you’ll find in pastures.
As it grows and gets tall, it has a greater chance of having a
fungus attach itself to the fescue.
This fungus is called Acremonium Coenopialum and it
can infect your girl and cause her to abort or to hold her
pregnancy for too long (up to 13 months instead of the 11
months) and damage or kill the foal.
Her placenta becomes very thick and rather than breaking
during birth, the entire placenta and foal are pushed through
the birth canal together.
It’s virtually impossible to do this without serious immediate
or long term problems or death for both mare and foal.
!

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That also means as she gets deeper into her pregnancy,
don’t push her too hard in any type of exercise. Like most
injuries, any injury causes stress in addition to the outward
physical damage you can see.
As her due date inches closer, the chanc-
es her and her baby being hurt or worse
start increase dramatically.
4
INTERNAL INJURY
Horses are horses.
That means they can bump, kick, and push each other
(sometimes pretty seriously).
They also can get spooked and run into or through all sorts
of obstacles that may happen to be in their way.
We all know or have first hand experience on what can
happen when you have a horse. Some “jostling” earlier in
her pregnancy may not create the same potential problems
that your mare and her foal would experience in the later
term of her pregnancy.
!

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5
EQUINE PROTOZOAL
MYELOENCEPHALITIS
(EPM)
This parasite, called Sarcocystis Falcatula, is dangerous for
horses regardless if your mare’s pregnant or not.
Pick up her uneaten feed so it doesn’t sit
in the pasture overnight.
Feeding and Buying Good Hay For Your Horse
Keep the hay off the ground (we use chinch chix). Prior to
feeding in her stall, pick up all the old uneaten hay and feed.
This parasite is originally found in other animals feces (like
possums) and when it gets mixed in your horses food and
eaten by your horse, the bug is passed on to your horse.
Unfortunately your girl can pick up and be infected
by EPM at any time. You could see weight loss,
coordination problems even paralysis.
!

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6
LAMINITIS
This is a common problem with horses in general. Mares that
have had problems with laminitis in the past are especially
susceptible during their pregnancy.
Make sure feed is low energy & no carbs
If your girl has laminitis during her pregnancy, we suggest
you DO NOT use Bute. Use Banamine as a safer substitu-
tion. The reason is Bute can affect the foals heart causing
problems with lack of oxygen.
YES Banamine – NO Bute!
See a laminitis story.
!

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7
MALNUTRITION
Regardless of where in the pregnancy your girl is, even
pre-pregnancy, nutrition is critical to the health and well-
being of both Mom and baby.
Malnutrition of the pregnant mare during pregnancy
can have profound long lasting effects in the foal:
• Decreased foal growth rate
• Decreased bone growth
• Risk of bone & joint diseases
• Decreased brain development
• Risk of diarrhea
• Increased incidence of disease
• Decreasing survivability
Feeding more may not solve the problem.
During pregnancy your girl will certainly need more nutrition
but she’ll also need different nutrition and in some cases in
different proportions.
This is a tricky time.
Overdoing her menu while you try to cover all the nutritional
bases will backfire. Poor nutrition can cascade into a mal-
nourished mare and that can create a multitude of problems
from deformed or dead babies to putting your girls life in
danger.
The right amounts of the right ingredients
at the right time based on her specific life
stage per the National Research Council
for Equines (NRC)
Poor nutrition works both ways:
Not enough can be as bad as feeding too much are
both no good. In fact, too much or not enough of
the right nutrition in the right amounts can actually
create another potential pregnancy problem.
!

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8
OBESITY
Being pregnant is not an excuse to eat like a horse right?
Well that cliché has never been more true for horses too.
Being a pregnant horse and being overweight comes with
it’s challenges – it could lead to laminitis, the pelvic fat pads
could enlarge and her baby will have less room to squeeze
through the birth canal.
This could mean that the foal may go without oxygen for
long periods of time, could potentially get stuck during
birth or even be hurt, injured or otherwise damaged during
the birth.
Just because a mare becomes pregnant doesn’t give you
carte blanch to start feeding for two. The baby doesn’t start
gaining weight until they end of the 2nd trimester.
During the early period of pregnancy, it is
much more about the quality, the type and
the combination of nutrients then it is in
purely the volume of food your girl needs
Ultimately an overweight mare will have problems with deliv-
ery and put herself and her baby at risk.
!

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9
TWINNING
Horses do a wonderful job at delivering one baby
per pregnancy.
But once you start multiplying that number
you stand a greater chance of problems.
Multiple births almost never develop into healthy babies.
The odds are stacked against a good healthy result for
those babies. If the babies live, neither one is totally healthy.
Regardless, the best, healthiest, and strongest births are sin-
gles rather than twins (or triplets for that matter).
What Are The Odds?
Thoroughbreds twin 25% – 30% of the time
while a quarter horse is in the 15% – 20% range.
Your Vet can check on your girl to see if
she is carrying twins as early as 14-15
days into her pregnancy (more awareness
is important).
!

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10.
UTERINE ARTERY
RUPTURES
It’s just like it sounds. The artery in the uterus that supplies
the blood from the mom to the baby bursts.
As the mare ages, the artery loses elasticity. If the artery
bursts, the mare may bleed out. These situations are often
fatal for the mare and her baby.
Your girl needs to be checked by your Vet
at regularly scheduled intervals based on
fetal develoment.
For example:
Day 1–100, Day 101–200, Day 201–300, Day 300 to term.
Older Mares At Risk
Uterine artery ruptures are more common in older mares
over the age of 16 years. Unfortunately the risk increases
again at 18 years old and when mares are 20 or over, it’s
considered a HIGH risk.
!

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A Summary
OF WHAT TO LOOK FOR

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1. SPONTANEOUS ABORTION
Due to EHV Virus
• Look for prematurely developed mammary glands (prior to month
11) and showing abdominal discomfort
• Follow the appropriate vaccination schedule before and after
conceiving (speak with your vet).
Vaccine Schedule:
• Day 90 Your Vet might give your mare a EHV-1 (rhino) vaccination.
Choice is up to your Vet...This will help prevent your mare from
contracting equine herpesvirus-1 which can cause spontaneous
abortion.
• In most cases your Vet will administer the EHV-1 vaccination on
Day 150
• The plan is to also administer the EHV-1 vaccination on Day 210.
• Between Day 310 – 320, your Vet will give a full spectrum of intra-
muscular vaccinations. These include tetanus, encephalitis (also
known as sleeping sickness; depending what part of the country
you are in, this vaccination will include the Western Equine, East-
ern Equine, and/or Venezuelan equine varieties), equine influenza,
equine viral rhinopneumonitis, and west nile virus; optional vac-
cinations include: equine monocytic erchlichiosis (Potomac horse
fever) and rabies.
• The goal is to share the antibodies/white blood cells with her baby
so when the baby is born he/she will be protected.
• Caution: A live vaccine immunity less up to six months and should
only be given to open mares.
• Caution: If you vaccinate immediately before breeding or mare
you may not administer another vaccine until mid pregnancy.
Due To Poor Vulvar Confirmation
• Check to see if the vulva is tipped severely or above the brim of
the pelvis you risk air coming in.
• Caution: If the placenta becomes contaminated it can cause abor-
tion or in the late-term can even cause babies to be weak at birth.
• Caution: best to have your mares genitalia evaluated by your vet.
If there’s a problem the structure can be corrected with Caslicks
surgery, it’s a procedure with that will stitch your mares vulva.
2. COLIC
• Make sure your mare eats regularly, drinks, and passes manure.
• Caution: If your mare kicks at her belly her attempts to buy barrel,
keep watch and call your vet.
• Caution: Cribbing increases the likelihood of recurrent colic (pre-
vent cribbing)
• Caution: If your mare appears comfortable & refuses feet, call your
vet.

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3. FESCUS TOXICOSIS
• Caution: for mares been infected fescue grass or hay during her
first trimester she may abort a pregnancy or have trouble conceiv-
ing
• For mares been infected fescue grass or hay during her last 30
days the pregnancy may go on longer than normal and become
dangerous. Prolactin diminishes, mammary glands develop, and
the placenta thickens, affecting the babys development.
• If your mare doesn’t conceive at the start of breeding season,
have your hay and pastures checked for infected fescue.
• If you’re pregnant mares progressing well, keep an eye out for
developing mammary glands before month 11
• Caution: not sure what type of grass you have a pasture contact
your local county extension office if you have fescue and have it
tested to see if the fungus is on the grass.
• Make sure mares away from the fescue source during her first and
final months
4 INTERNAL INJURY
• Caution: the growing baby is well protected from the outside but
shock affect the baby as much is your mare. If your mares are
stressed, her baby may also be stressed.
• Carefully choose your pregnant mares pasture companions.
• Make sure that the other horses are not too aggressive. Stress
can cause were problems than visible injuries.
• Mares close to term consider moving her to a little place where
she can relax away from the challenges of other horses.
• Exercising her last month, make it easy and slow, the last thing
you want to happen is for your girl to fall.
5. EQUINE PROTOZOAL MYELOENCEPHA-
LITIS (EPM)
• Caution: Stress can bring on symptoms at anytime during preg-
nancy or delivery
• Caution: Get EPM at anytime during your pregnancy
• EPM presents different symptoms in horses.
• Watch for sudden stumbles, next weight loss, and lameness
• Caution: If you notice EPM symptoms, contact your vet immedi-
ately. New medications can improve your mares chance to stop-
ping the protozoan’s advancement.

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6. LAMINITIS
• Caution: Even mares never had a problem before can founder
• Caution: if your girl retains the placenta after full delivery, toxins
may enter her bloodstream and impact her feet
• Check daily. Make sure she standing correctly, and placed her
hand on her feet check for heat.
• Caution: Work with your vet to place a limit mayor and a diet rich
in forage, but lacking energy pumping grains
• Caution: treat with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory like Banamine.
Do not use bute since it can harm the foal
• Caution: After birth your mare should pass the placenta within
three hours or less. Longer or if she appears lethargic, ask your
vet to give her a hormone to help with muscle contractions to
push the placenta completely out of her body.
7. MALNUTRITION
• Caution: Without even nutrients, her body searches for nutrients
whenever possible.
• Caution: If you’re having trouble keeping weight on the mare con-
sult your veterinarian to discuss feeding strategies
• Feed the right nutrition in the right amounts at the right time.
8. OBESITY
• Monitor your horses weight throughout pregnancy
• Mares usually need an extra boost of nutrition and calories during
last trimester.
• Check your mares body condition regularly (use the XX chart
found here)
9. TWINNING
• Ask your Vet keep an eye out for twins and triplets as early as 14
to 15 days into the pregnancy.
• Caution: While there’s no external sign to signify twins, your mares
breed may determine the likelihood that she will have twins. The
statistics are: on average 25% – 35% of thoroughbred mares ovu-
late multiple eggs, while quarter horses will ovulate multiple eggs
15% –20% of the time.

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10. UTERINE ARTERY RUPTURES
• Caution: Aging mares are heightened risk for uterine artery rup-
tures
• Caution: Mares age 16 and over are at risk. When mares reach 18,
their risk increases again. Mares in their 20s are at highest risk.
• Caution: If your aged mare shows unusual behavior and signs
after delivery, tie her so that she can’t lie down. This may help
confine the blood and not allow it to get to her abdomen. You may
buy some time till the Vet arrives to help.

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taining energy flow and focus in the body.
Tonic herbs should be used regularly to be the
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muscles: not much use when done erratically.
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