I've been breeding horses and working in studs of quite a long time now, and never known a mare not to bag up, but am just a little curious about my mare. She was last covered 16th July 07, so by my reconing should be due in a week or two... It'll be her first foal, but she hasn't really developed any udder (I have had the vet PD her so she is def in foal still) but today when I felt her udder a squirt of goldy colored milk/wax came out. I've know mares to run milk a good while before foaling before but usually only if they're over fed or have very big udder which my mare isn't. She's not running milk by any stretch, but i'm now wondering if she may not really show any signs she is going to foal and then one will just appear! My worry would be incase anything was to go wrong and i'd not be there... I'm not overly concerned as i can keep a close eye on her, but just wondered; Has anyone ever know a mare foal without developing udder?
This is her tonight...

we foaled a maiden mare down a week ago and she didnt really bag up much, last 2 days she got about a half bag. Plenty of milk once the foal was born though

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www.volatis.co.uk

Thanks for that, glad it's not just me then! My last mare foaled about 2 weeks premature and the filly really nearly didn't make it (hence the name Fifty), so i'm a little more worried than usual this year... did your mare still wax up etc as normal but just on very small udder? Or not really much warning?

didnt wax at all. Udder had enlarged from pre pregnancy, but very small compared to any of my other mares. We also went by the change in bely shape (when the foal must have been turning) and the the changes in the vulva and tail muscles. She was very restless the night before she foaled. The night she did foal she did run milk about 4-5 hours before hand

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www.volatis.co.uk

Blimey, that's a worry! This mare frets a lot when she is stabled and box walks and calls out all night, so i don't know whether to get her in just in case she goes early which will stress her out, or try to leave her out as long as possible. I do have a friend with a foaling alarm which i thought i might borrow for the time she is out in the field, what do you think would be best?

I had a mare who i thought wasnt in foal and decided to foal the same night as another mare, not a sign that she was in foal or imminent.

Have been off line for a while, but thought i'd update this post...
We still have no foal, however we do now have bag! So she's just cooking this one very thoroughly!!

Will post when the new one arrives, keeping all fingers crossed that all goes well for mum to be. Not waxed up yet, but am on full foling alert just in case!

Glad you finally have a bag developing!