The large animal clinic differs in many aspects from the medicine of dogs and cats, however, equines also tend to adopt certain behaviors that will make us suspect different specific situations. For the equine owner, it is very important to know if any of their mares is pregnant, and taking these behaviors into consideration is crucial to make a diagnosis or, at least, have a suspicion.
In this article on our site, we will explain how to know if a mare is pregnant through a series of guidelines, making it easier for the stabler an efficient guide to identify the behavior of the animal and call your trusted veterinarian as soon as possible.
The heat or estrous cycle of the mare
Pregnancy or gestation can be defined as the state of a female in which is in her uterus to a foetus The owner must be familiar with the reproductive cycle of the mare if he wants to increase the chances of an accurate pregnancy diagnosis.
For all this, before answering the question about how to know if a mare is pregnant, it is important to know, on the one hand, how horses reproduce and, on the other, and most importantly, how to know if a mare is in heat or estrous cycle. For this reason, it is conducive for the owner to have basic knowledge about the reproduction of the mare, since in this way he will reach a conclusion about the state of pregnancy of the animal much faster. The reproduction of the mare responds to an estrous cycle, and this is an animal considered seasonally polyestrous The estrous cycle can be defined as a repetitive sequence of events thatprepare the animal for conception The reproductive activity of the mare is governed by the photoperiod (it responds to sunlight), but nutrition and climate also play a very important role (especially temperature). The estrous cycle of the mare is divided into two phases:
- Estrous phase: is called estrus and is the phase in which the mare is receptive to the stallion. Ovulation occurs approximately 24-48 hours before the end of sexual receptivity.
- Luteal phase: it is called right-handed and in this phase the female is not receptive, since at a hormonal level she is preparing to maintain pregnancy or to restart the cycle (in case it has not been served).
The duration of the estrous or heat cycle in mares is approximately 21 days, and it is good to know this when diagnosing whether it mounts it was effective or not, as we will explain later.
Playing and riding horses
Bearing in mind the aforementioned, knowing the duration and stages of heat is essential. Another thing that should not be left aside is the mating date It is practically mandatory to write down the mating date to know more exactly the chances that the mare has of be in gestation There are many ways to inquire about the mare's pregnancy, however staff who are not professional veterinarians can only use the forms inherent to behavior, which are as follows:
Behavior of the mare in heat
The groomer must have knowledge about the behavior of the animal when it is in heat, and the clinical signs it shows us. A mare in heat usually:
- Constantly raises its tail.
- Movements are also noted at the level of the vulva.
- Sometimes mucous secretions are discharged from the vulva.
If 21 days after mating, the mare exhibits these symptoms, the groomer should assume that the animalis not pregnant.
Behavior of the mare with the stallion
Behavior towards stallions is also widely used in daily practice:
- Mare accepts stallion: If the mare is presented with a stallion and the mare reciprocates courtship and is receptive, hardly pregnant.
- The mare rejects the stallion: if the opposite happens and the mare rejects the stallion, there are possibilities of pregnancy, although it should be taken Note that the female may also reject a stallion for other reasons.
To better understand your 4-legged companion, we encourage you to read this other article on our site about The language of horses.
How to know if a mare is pregnant? - We tell you
There are other much more specific methods to diagnose pregnancy in a mare, and these must be performed by a veterinary doctor. They are as follows:
- Transrectal palpation: Approximately 2 weeks after mating, a veterinarian can perform a palpation to diagnose the possibility of pregnancy. Changes in size at the uterine level will give the doctor clues as to whether the mount was effective.
- Ultrasound: One of the most accurate and reliable methods is ultrasound. Through sound waves, the veterinarian recreates an image of the female's reproductive system, directly verifying whether or not there is an embryo in her uterus. It can be done approximately from day 16 to diagnose pregnancy, and from day 55 to diagnose the sex of the foal.
- Hormonal blood tests: in case the mare has a lot of energy and an ultrasound is impossible, a blood sample can be taken to test hormone levels. It should be done approximately 40 to 100 days after mating. The hormone to be measured is gonadotropin. It should be taken into consideration that if the mare lost the fetus at this time, the results may be inaccurate, however, another chemical substance such as estrone sulfate can be evaluated, which returns to normal levels much faster after a loss.
- Urine pregnancy test: some veterinary doctors specialized in the area of reproduction, usually have pregnancy tests for mares that give results quite reliable. It is a urine test that measures estrone sulfate and should be performed 110 to 300 days after mating.
Determining a mare's pregnancy is not difficult at all if we adhere to general considerations. Empirical knowledge is enough to put together the puzzle that can give us very approximate results, and in the event that we seek 100% effectiveness, we should not hesitate to call the veterinarian, who will do his pertinent complementary exams.
How are horses born?
If you are curious about how horses are born, we also leave you this other article on our site on How are horses born?, where we explain in detail this last phase in the gestation of mares, as well as what are the symptoms to know that the mare is about to give birth.
