Today’s program is for those of you with pregnant brood mares.  If you had mares bred and they were confirmed pregnant in the spring, it is a good idea to have your vet recheck them in the fall to make sure they are still pregnant.  Mares can lose a pregnancy at any time but it’s most common early in pregnancy.  It is important to know if a mare has lost a pregnancy for several reasons.  First of all, if a mare is not pregnant then she should be fed differently in late pregnancy than if she is pregnant.  Second, if a mare has lost a foal, it is a good idea to have a uterine exam performed by your vet to determine if an infection caused the abortion.  Most vets recommend a culture to check for infection.  However, an endometrial cytology to check the endometrial cells is also important along with a culture to determine if an organism is actually causing disease or is a contaminant. 

Also, a uterine biopsy should be considered to determine the health of the uterus and to determine the chance of the mare maintaining a pregnancy to term.  Lastly, if a mare has lost a foal and you want to breed her again next spring, she should be placed under lights beginning December first so she will begin cycling in February and can be bred early in the year.  Mares require 16 hours of lighting per day and lighting should be added at the end of the day.  The amount of light can be measured accurately, but in general a 200 watt bulb in the middle of a 12 x 12 foot stall is usually sufficient.  If you haven’t had your pregnant mares checked since the spring, contact your equine vet for a follow up exam.