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What are the risks of aborting a horse at 4 months pregnant?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

I think my horse is pregnant can she have an abortion? She’s my prize mare a mixed breed stallion got into her paddock 4 months ago and now she’s showing signs of pregnancy I bought a stallion yesterday and I want to breed her to this one what can I do to get rid of her baby

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Linda G, MS, DVM

Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on October 24th, 2018

Hello. I am not sure why you waited so long to consider aborting your mare, but I would council against doing so at this late date. Administering a drug to abort a mare is a common practice very early in pregnancies, but now you would need to do multiple injections, manually dilate the cervix or use another medication to do so, watch as the mare delivers a live fetus that may need to be euthanized, & deal with the very real possibility of retained fetal membranes which can lead to metritis & founder. Talk to your veterinarian about all the risks involved & see how you want to proceed with this. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.
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Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

    Veterinarian

    4 months into the pregnancy is very late to try an abortion without the possibility of complications. Usually one can abort a mare within 30 days of being with the stallion with Lutalyse which causes the corpus luteum which, at this time is upholding the pregnancy by production of a hormone called hCG, to stop producing this hormone. The secretion of hCG is crucial for maintenance of pregnancy until approximately the seventh week of gestation. Between 7 and 10 weeks of gestation, the corpus luteum is replaced by the placenta in terms of progesterone production. So Lutalyse will not abort this foal after 7 weeks.
    There is no safe way now to abort this foal.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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