A Monday ANNIE update!

(I had the email system working… and then it quit again. So, I will spend this week hiring someone to create a new system for us. Sorry for the inconvenience!)

A MONDAY ANNIE UPDATE – is she pregnant? I think maybe she is…

So now, I think she might be pregnant…

(Just to refresh, Annie is a 4 – coming 5 – year old rescued mare who came to me ‘possibly pregnant’. She cannot be palpated because she is still not agreeable to having anyone touch her back there yet – although I did start to brush her tail without any threatening kicks today. If she is pregnant, she is most likely maiden.)

Her belly seems to be more V-shaped than last month… But, what throws me off is that in the morning, her belly is fairly normal looking. So, she is either eating too well during the day… or she is maiden (and a big girl) so she isn’t really showing unless her belly is full.

I have not noticed any baby movement. Her udder is still normal sized. And the exterior ultrasound manufacturer has not sent a device to me to try…

But, she is starting to move and behave like she’s “tired of all this then…”. In a way, she appears uncomfortable, even though she isn’t clearly uncomfortable. So, she is either mareish because it is Spring, or she is in her last trimester and is starting to be over it.

Dunno.

I’m starting to think that there may be a tiny baby in there.

She looks more full to me. I’ve cut back on her food, in case I was making her fat by feeding her as if she was a pregnant mare when she wasn’t. And, to me, she does look full. In the evenings, I definitely see a V-shape. So, she is either chubby or pregnant.

I took this shot this morning. A very round belly, but no udder. (She sleeps on pine needles so she gets pitch and leaves stuck to her belly.)

KEEPING HER ALONE… FOR NOW

I’ve decided to keep her alone for now because, well, initially it was because she pushed around the ponies and Norma – and then because she fought with the other mares.

But now I am keeping her alone because if she is pregnant, I don’t want anyone else with her when she foals – to create any more stress for this maiden mare. Actually, I wish MT was still here to show Annie the ropes. The only other mare here that I know has had a foal is Sam. So far, Sam has shown little interest in Annie.

The last time I put Sam in with another mare and foal (MT with baby Wrig), Sam tried to steal Wrig from MT. I think Sam thinks that she (and only she) is a good Mom. So, putting Sam in with Annie might be a disaster.

I had thought about putting Remi in with Annie, since they are starting to hang out together across the fenceline, but I’m still not sure if they would fight.

Anyway, I will figure it all out. But for now, Annie is alone although she has the ponies and Norma right next door, and the Stang Gang across the driveway. So, she can see/hear lots of horses.

She loves to eat… but she isn’t eating as much right now. This is another indicator that she might be pregnant. She feels full – but hungry.

I filled a slow feeder and gave it to her last week, but she didn’t even empty it over night…

The fact that she isn’t cleaning up her food means either she feels safe to leave it for later… or she is very full feeling.

It probably isn’t fair that I posted this one, but I thought it was cute.

HER NEW TRICK

Annie has learned a new trick.

When she hears my car coming down the road, she will run to the little hill in her pasture and stand there like Rin Tin Annie.

Once she sees me come up the driveway, she will run down to the gate – for a cookie.

This happens every time I come home now – and sometimes when I leave. So, she is really good at learning new skills – for a cookie treat!

Now, if I could only teach her to let me palpate her for treats!

Do you see her on the knoll? When she hears my car, she runs to the knoll (highest point) in her pasture. Then, once I am turned into the driveway, she runs to the gate for a cookie. It is tough to get a photo of this because either I’m driving or she’s running!

REDECORATING

Annie is also working on her redecorating skills. Earlier she made the fenceline shorter (knocked out a few boards) so she could reach the grass more easily. Made sense…

Hubby fixed that.

This week, she reconstructed her kitchen table. Clearly, she wanted to have easier access to staring into the galley.