Full sized horses are not much different then miniature horses, they resemble a smaller version of a horse except for one thing: how long pregnant they get to be! On average, it’s around 11 months. Some mare take longer. Knowing when to expect is critical for breeders to plan accordingly, recognize issues sooner and have a stronger beginning for the foal and mare.
Month by month, this graphic (above) shows how embryo becomes a fully formed, ready-for-birth foal. It also shows that changes in uterus happen quietly throughout the first few months. This is why an early ultrasound is important. Once the embryo starts forming major organs, it grow faster. Although the mare may not seem particularly round at this time, her diet begins to change because of the increasing nutritional needs for her growing fetus.
How to Care for a Pregnant Miniature Horse
In mid-pregnancy, the fetus develops its coat and builds muscle, and typically, the mare has increased her feeding routine too. During second and third trimesters of pregnancy, your mare gain weight rapidly; the foal will gain about 2/3rds of its birthweight during these last three months. So what does that mean for the mare? She needs to eat to meet this accelerated growth but she doesn’t need to get fat doing so.
It also provides breeders an easy guide to predict a mare’s due date, rather than trying to remember it! The chart above connects due dates to breeding dates.
Early signs are slow to develop; the tail area softens as do the surrounding muscles and the udder starts to fill. She might pace about or seek privacy; these can be helpful signs that she’s in labor, but when miniatures realy get going, they go fast, so be attentive. If anything feels wrong, keep your phone handy. Stay close enough to move her to a prepared stall and keep your equipment and support staff ready.
Pregnancy has a sustained need for nutrition, but not in a dramatic fashion. A pregnant mare needs routine care in the early months without any extra calories, while the final weeks can use a little boost of minerals and good quality protein. Carrying too much weight increases her risk, so she needs to stay fit enough to safely handle delivery.
To prepare for foaling, eliminate the unknowns as much as possible, which means having a stocked kit on hand, plus a clean stall with plenty of bedding. Having a good idea of when to contact your veterinarian will also help ease any last minute jitters, while knowing how to care for the newborn during those critical first hours can establish its future health. As long as the baby stands, nurses, and passes manure within reasonable time frames, it’s doing what it should of doing. Anything that doesn’t come easily needs to be addressed promptly instead of waiting for things to fix themselves.
It also helps that the whole process rewards patience; this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t act quickly sometimes, but acting immediately is often less important then watching steadily. Once you know what is normal for her cycle, you are able to catch small changes sooner. Small problems caught early and all.