Post by Michelle Clarke on Mar 26, 2008 12:32:21 GMT -5
Most mares will show droplets of milk before foaling, however, some mares milk does not drop until after foaling, so this is not solid evidence that a mare is about to foal. It is thought that when the milk comes down into the nipple that the dimples on the sides will disapear, this is false, as many mares will still show dimples at the time of foaling.
Each mare will present differently, just as in every stage of development. As seen below, mares can change year to year also.
It has been long belived that all of the first milk contains the colosterum for the foal. However, the colosterum develops afer the mare has foaled do to hormonal changes and is produced for 48 hours. If the mare is not up to par and/or her hormones are out of sync, it is possible that in those cases, the mare can loss the colosterum while dripping milk before foaling. Each case is unique.
The mare at the bottom of the page has been known to drip and even stream milk for days before foaling. All 7 of her foals to date have been very healthy and vigorous. She is a large milk producer and has even nursed a orphan foal while she had an older foal at her side.
Each mare will present differently, just as in every stage of development. As seen below, mares can change year to year also.
It has been long belived that all of the first milk contains the colosterum for the foal. However, the colosterum develops afer the mare has foaled do to hormonal changes and is produced for 48 hours. If the mare is not up to par and/or her hormones are out of sync, it is possible that in those cases, the mare can loss the colosterum while dripping milk before foaling. Each case is unique.
The mare at the bottom of the page has been known to drip and even stream milk for days before foaling. All 7 of her foals to date have been very healthy and vigorous. She is a large milk producer and has even nursed a orphan foal while she had an older foal at her side.
