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  Discussion on Horses and Twins
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Posted on Thursday, May 24, 2001 - 10:00 pm:

I just recently found out my horse is having twins, although they are not in the same sac, what is the chances of my mare caring them to term? And has anyone had a similar situation and had success with their mare caring them to term. I do not really want to abort them.

Posted on Friday, May 25, 2001 - 4:22 pm:

Hello Noelle,
The chance of carrying them to term is not very good. I am afraid most, I would say in the 80 to 90 percent range, abort the twin fetuses in the last trimester. Locally I have seen 3 sets of twins born healthy in the last 17 years. One of the problems you will have to accept is you also put yor mare at risk for increase complications associated with birth including:
1) Rupture of the internal ligaments that support the uterus
2) Toxemia from a dead fetus
3) Dystocia
DrO

Posted on Friday, Jun 1, 2001 - 3:05 pm:

Dr O - just wanted to see if you knew that there were recently twins born in the (I think) Charlotte area (Walstonburg?). Such a fitting legacy to their father, who died unexpectedly last summer. https://www.westwindfarm.net/

Posted on Saturday, Jun 2, 2001 - 12:43 pm:

Hi J,
There is a set even closer at Clouds Harbor Farm in Clemmons.
DrO

Posted on Saturday, Jun 2, 2001 - 12:55 pm:

Just thought I'd let you know that a set were featured today in the UK national press - The Daily Mail - today. Two colts born unaided, out of a coloured mare by an TB stallion. The owner didn't scan the mare and had no reason to believe she was carrying twins. One colt bay, the other bay tobiano - both look well!

Posted on Sunday, Jun 3, 2001 - 9:32 am:

But lets bring this discussion back to a balance the best numbers we have on mares that carry twins to full term:
64% of the time both foals are born dead.
22% of the time one foal is born alive.
14 % of the time both foals are born alive.
Among the live foals born there is a very high incidence of problems.
DrO

Posted on Sunday, Jun 3, 2001 - 5:19 pm:

Noelle, As exciting as twins would be, I have to agree with the above posts that the outcome will probably not be what you want. I spent 5 years trying to get my TB mare pregnant and when I was finally successful, she was pregnant with twins. Due to the difficulty in getting her in foal, I opted to allow the pregnancy to continue. She carried the foals for 10.5 months and then aborted. After seeing what the mare went through trying to expel a large dead fetus, I regretted my decision. If I had to make the same decision again, I would choose to abort immediately and save my mare the trouble.

Note: if you do abort and rebreed the mare an ultrasound at 14 days can detect twins and there has been success with pinching off one twin so the other can survive. The key is to catch it early.

Whatever you decide, best of luck!

Posted on Monday, Jun 4, 2001 - 1:20 pm:

Hi Noelle,
I understand how hard it would be to make a decision to abort the foals.
My trainer had a mare who delivered twins, both were born alive but very weak. One died after a few days and the other had to be taken from the mare and bottle/bucket fed. The mare was in bad shape and had given so much to produce two babies. It is heartbreaking to have a foal die on you no matter what you do. Also you run the risk of loosing your mare as well.
Good luck.
~Barbara

Posted on Thursday, Jun 7, 2001 - 4:00 pm:

Noelle,
Keep in mind as well that natural embryo reduction may occur between day 17 and 40, usually dependent on where the two embryos are resting in the uterus, among other things. But beyond day 35 endometrial cups begin to form which triggers a release of pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) which inhibits cycling for over 100 days.
I am currently trying to overcome that in one of my mares that aborted after 60 days. I also waited until day 35 with another mare this season and she did not reduce on her own possibly because the embryos were in the same uterine horn on top of each other. I pinched one off of a third mare this season around day 33 and it worked beautifully. SO, if you want to see if she reduces, you may jeopardize rebreeding for a while. If it is possible to pinch, go for it. (I see this was written 2 weeks ago so no telling what has happened since then!) Best of luck.

Posted on Thursday, Jun 7, 2001 - 5:05 pm:

Sorry, just realized that I said my mare may not have reduced because the embryos were 'on top of each other' when they have a good chance of reducing if that is the case. I meant to say that because they were 'on top of each other,' I decided to wait and see if one would reduce! I ended up aborting that mare and she is now 70 days back in foal.
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