09/26/2025
Bird Harbor Update 🐴💛
When caring for retired broodmares, you sometimes run into challenges that come from years of carrying foals. Bird Harbor is a good example, and her case gives us an opportunity to share why aftercare for mares looks a little different than aftercare for geldings or non-broodmares.
You may remember that last weekend we ran blood work on Harbor. Those results came back completely normal, which was good news — but it also meant we needed to look closer. Earlier this week, we followed up with a uterine ultrasound.
Here’s why: mares like Harbor, who have carried multiple foals, sometimes develop what veterinarians call poor perineal conformation. In plain language, her pelvis tilts forward and her v***a doesn’t close tightly like it should. Combine that with a slightly pendulous uterus (it hangs lower than normal), and urine doesn’t always clear properly. Instead, some “pools” inside. That pooling can cause discharge, discomfort, and — most importantly — creates the perfect environment for bacteria to grow.
Cultures confirmed that Harbor has a bacterial infection in her uterus. This kind of infection is called endometritis. Here’s the interesting part: because of the way the uterus is designed — to hold and protect a foal without letting outside bacteria or toxins travel to the rest of the body — an infection inside the uterus often doesn’t show up in bloodwork. The mare’s overall system can look completely normal while the uterus is still harboring bacteria. That’s why you can’t just give oral or injectable antibiotics and expect them to clear it.
Instead, treatment has to be direct. Dr. Growette has been here daily this week, performing a uterine lavage (flushing the uterus) and delivering antibiotics directly inside. This approach targets the infection where it lives without relying on the bloodstream to carry the medication there.
Now, let’s talk prevention. One common procedure for mares like Harbor is a Caslick’s — sewing part of the v***a closed to help block manure and bacteria from entering. But in Harbor’s case, we have to be careful. If we close her v***a too much, she may not be able to urinate comfortably because of her pelvic tilt. It’s always a balance between reducing contamination and preserving comfort. To complicate things further, Harbor also struggles with “sucking wind” (pneumovagina), meaning air is pulled into her reproductive tract when she moves — another risk factor we manage carefully.
And as if all that weren’t enough, Harbor is also dealing with a brewing hoof abscess. So each day, after her uterine treatment, she’s patiently standing for a warm hoof soak. She’s been such a good mare through all of it.
We don’t stall the mares often (Tuesday was actually the first time in four weeks), but we’re grateful to have enough stalls available when we need them for treatments like these.
All of this extra care — ultrasounds, cultures, daily vet visits, lavages, and hoof treatments — adds up quickly. If you’d like to support Harbor as a Pasture Pal, you’ll be helping cover the costs of this specialized care and ensuring she gets every chance to thrive in retirement.
👉 Learn more at: www.mareworthy.com/pasturepals
