Floxely is expecting a foal! Are you following along? Part 4

Soooooo happy!!! After nearly two years, it finally worked out — Floxely is pregnant! I could hardly believe it actually happened, especially since I had already started letting go of the idea. Everything happened so fast, my head could barely keep up. And I don’t think Floxely could either.

27 May '25 - 3 min reading time

Truly a bit confused

The heat Flox showed before insemination was intense — the strongest she’d had in a long time. And I could tell the hormones really threw her off. And now with the pregnancy, new and different hormones came into play again, which clearly affected Floxely. I noticed she was mentally a bit confused. She really needed some time to process all the internal changes. She seemed distant, more inward-focused. And physically, especially in her pelvis, she struggled with the looseness in ligaments and muscles from the heat cycle. Floxely is a bit hypermobile, so the lack of stability affects her even more. Training became hard for her — she tried her best, but physically, it just didn’t work. And since she was newly pregnant, I couldn’t call in any therapists to help. So those first weeks were pretty tough for her.

Yes, horses can get morning sickness

According to the vet, it’s impossible. I’d never heard of it before, and neither had other mare owners. But Floxely really seemed to have morning sickness during the first two months of pregnancy. When I arrived at the stable in the morning, she didn’t want her food, or she’d eat it without appetite. She was disengaged, training was no fun, and she just wasn’t feeling well. But if I came in the afternoon or evening, she was great! Cheerful, eating well, and training beautifully. Flox was truly morning-sick. One time it was so bad I called the vet. She wasn’t eating, and if she did take a bite, she’d let it drop from her mouth. I wasn’t sure what was going on and wanted to rule out something being stuck in her teeth or similar. But all was fine — the only explanation: nausea. And a few hours later, she was peacefully eating again like nothing had happened.

And then came the power!

The first two months of pregnancy weren’t easy for Flox. But once the confusion and nausea passed — the power arrived! Wow, what a powerhouse she became! Her hormones stabilized, and so did her body. She became incredibly strong and stable in her hindquarters. She’s never moved as well as she does now, during pregnancy! At the time of writing, she’s 7 months pregnant, and we’re still actively training — even more than before. As long as she’s feeling good, we’ll keep going. Also in the herd, a shift happened. Flox used to be middle-ranking, but she’s become more assertive, no longer easily pushed around, and sometimes she even asserts herself. She’s truly taking her place in the group — calmly, but clearly. It’s amazing to see what pregnancy does to a horse — both mentally and physically!

A few management changes

It’s March 2025 and Flox is now over 7 months pregnant. At our stable, we feed unlimited hay that’s low in sugar and protein — perfect hay for a paddock paradise with varied needs. But in recent months, I noticed that Flox began to lose a bit of weight. Not skinny, but less round than before, and she lost some topline muscle. To address that, I mainly adjusted her feeding plan and added more protein. I’m using Myo Protein Flakes from Agrobs, hemp seeds, and spirulina as protein sources. And since increasing those, I’ve already noticed improvement in her topline. I’ve also increased her mineral intake since insemination to ensure her body has the building blocks it needs to grow a healthy foal. Her homeopathy plan has been adjusted, and I’m also selecting herbs very intentionally — everything aimed at optimizing her care as much as possible.

Now it’s just a matter of seeing how the next few months go. Depending on how Floxely feels, we’ll keep training, walking, or whatever suits her. And depending on how things go, we’ll decide whether she starts staying inside at night or continues living with the herd until the birth. Luckily, I have a stable owner who thinks along with me and is flexible — which is amazing! And how fun is this: she’s expecting a foal herself three weeks earlier — so they’ll have a playmate the same age!