Mares come into heat in spring, when there is more light. During the spring and summer, a mare goes into heat approximately every 3 weeks. If you have a herd of mares or your mare has come into contact with a stallion during her heat cycle, you should consider whether she is pregnant. The gestation period is 11 months and the mares' abdomen does not increase in size until the last 3 months of pregnancy. This guideline gives you instructions for checking if your mare is pregnant.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Natural Control
Step 1. Place the mare with a stallion about 14 days after she mated
If she has become pregnant, she can usually change her behavior towards the stallion, ignoring his attentions.
Step 2. Observe the mare for signs of heat
Some raise their tails, splash, and get tough during their heat phases. If the mare goes into heat 21 days after a stallion has covered her, she is not pregnant.
Step 3. Call the vet when you want to check if she is pregnant; he can perform transrectal palpation 16-19 days after the mare has mated
The vet inserts a hand into the mare's rectum and inspects the uterus for signs of pregnancy. The uterus of a pregnant mare changes shape and tone.
Step 4. Have the mare perform an ultrasound 55-70 days after she is covered
Ultrasound is a non-invasive method of checking pregnancy.
- This test uses sound waves to create an image of the uterus and can monitor the heartbeat of a fetus.
- If you don't have access to an ultrasound device, you will need to call your vet. This procedure can be expensive.
Method 2 of 2: Control with Chemical Tests
Step 1. Check the status of the mare by submitting her to a specific blood test for pregnancy
Her hormone levels change when she is pregnant and will show up in the blood.
- Ask your vet to take a blood sample for her, which will be sent to a laboratory for analysis.
- Check the gonadotropin (PMSG) level from the mare's serum 40-100 days after she has been with a stallion. If you were pregnant but lost the fetus, the PMSG test may give inaccurate results.
- If the mare was pregnant but lost the fetus, the gonadotropin test may give inaccurate results.
- Analyze the level of estrone sulfate 100 days after mating. Levels rise in the presence of a foal, but return to normal if the pregnancy is terminated.
Step 2. Have a urinalysis done
Mare's estrone sulfate can also be found in her urine.
- Find a home pregnancy test kit from a food store or online.
- Run it 110-300 days after it is covered.
- Cut a 4 or 8 liter canister in half with a knife. Use the bottom to collect his urine.
- Follow the instructions on the kit to analyze it. It takes 10 minutes to get the result.
Step 3. Confirm the pregnancy test results
Chemical tests may indicate that the mare is pregnant, but it is good to have another test - chemical or non-chemical - carried out by a veterinarian to check that the foal is well. Additionally, chemical analyzes are sometimes misused, so a positive result should always be confirmed by a veterinarian.
Advice
- Owners often choose to see a veterinarian to perform an early pregnancy test to determine if the mare has twins. Having twins can be dangerous for the mare.
- Mares sometimes lose or abort the foal within the first 100 days. A home pregnancy kit is an inexpensive method of performing a second test after this time period.
