[Soulmate]

I have recently adopted a mare that is expecting a foal. I was told that she aborted a foal when she was 5 months pregnant. She is now due to give birth around October. I have read that mares that are expecting twins eventually lose both. I do hope that she doesn't lose the foal that she is currently carrying but don't know what to expect as every text that I have read say that mares that are twinning end up losing both. Do any of you have any experience in relation to this and is it possible for a mare to give birth to a live and healthy foal that was a twin?

[Tymacs Girl]

Not all mares who are carrying twins lose both. Alot of the time they absorb one of the embryos, or the Vet will pinch one off.

[mustang_dodger]

my one friend's mare had twins this year. the mare had problems and well she ended up dying and they lost one of the foals. the other foal is a live and is beig bottle fed.

[Horsefeathers3]

I saw a mare that foaled healthy, live twins. Both were a bit small, but healthy. If she aborted one of the foals I think she'd be fine since she'll only be giving birth to one. If you have any concerns your vet will be able to answer your questions.

[Spotted Mustang]

Have you had a vet out to check the mare and the foal? A vet would have a much better chance to tell you how both mare and foal are doing.

However, I would think if both foals were completely separate (had their own placenta, sac, etc.) and only one was aborted early in the pregnancy, the other has a good chance of being fine. It is now an only foal and has all the room and nutrition it needs, assuming the loss of its sibling did not cause some harm to its placenta.

In theory, if everything is going well now and the foal is moving and healthy, there should be a pretty good chance the foal will be born normal and healthy.

[sambersmate]

I'm intruiged, if a mare goes through the complete abortion process whereby the cervix opens and the body produces the hormones to induce labour and actually expulse a foal opening the uterine body to possible infection etc how can the second foal survive?

I can understand EED but actual abortion? is this possible at five months of pregnancy?

[Mutrok]

Originally Posted by sambersmate

I'm intruiged, if a mare goes through the complete abortion process whereby the cervix opens and the body produces the hormones to induce labour and actually expulse a foal opening the uterine body to possible infection etc how can the second foal survive?

I can understand EED but actual abortion? is this possible at five months of pregnancy?

That would be my question as well. I would think that neither could survive if one was aborted that late in pregnancy. Has a vet actually confirmed the twin pregnancy to begin with, the fact that one twin was aborted at 5 months and that one remains? I could be wrong but it doesn't seem possible

[Spotted Mustang]

According to this article, a mare can spontaneously abort one twin and the other can develop normally.

http://www.horse-repro.com/ARTICLES/PDFs/Twins_2.pdf

[haunani]

Originally Posted by Spotted Mustang

According to this article, a mare can spontaneously abort one twin and the other can develop normally.

http://www.horse-repro.com/ARTICLES/PDFs/Twins_2.pdf

But it doesn't say that it can happen that late in the pregnancy. There's a big difference between 1-2 months of fetal development and 5 months.

[gigga]

oh.. around here there is always a leest one mare that gives bith to live twins a year, sometimes one or both die and sometimes not.. last year it was in the news that a mare had twins and both were healthy and lived so it might work out