Mare Due Dates

[AndyPandy]

You may remember a couple of months ago, Jos Mottershead's site was collecting foaling data... so, continuing on the theme of "no such thing as a due date for equines, I've reposted this from Equine-Reproduction.com:

Each year Equine-Reproduction.com receives contact from concerned mare owners worried that their pregnant mare is past her "due date". Each year we explain to those persons that the normal range of gestational duration is anywhere between 320 and 370 days, and as long as endophyte toxicity (e.g. fescue exposure) is not an issue and the mare looks fine, then in all probability all is fine (although of course if there are concerns a veterinarian should evaluate the mare).

Despite this, concerns still abound, so this year we added a poll at the foot of the article for readers to complete indicating gestational duration of their mare that produced a live foal. The results clearly demonstrate that the range of 339-344 days - which includes most commonly held "due dates" - while the highest percentile range, is most decidedly not indicative of a "due date", with under 20% of foalings taking place during that time frame! We hope that those readers that are concerned will glean a little solace in the clearly demonstrated lack of a "due date" in the equine!

 

[S_N]

Quel 'orror!!! Did you just utter the words 'due date'? *SN extends hand to check AP's temperature*

Very good point though, a post that will be widely appreciated and should IMO be stickied!!

 

[JanetGeorge]

I confess I hardly EVER get mares 'overdue' - I think the longest pregnancy any of my mares has had in the past 5 years was 352 days (and it was a HUGE bloody thing!)

Pregancies this year (to date) have been:
Surprise - 325
Scarlet - 326
Dolly - 328
Maggie - 335
Portia - 338
Pride - 341
Karina - 341
Fuzzy - 342
Booker - 344

and Widget held out to 352 days (and I wish she hadn't!)

The earliest I've ever had was 323 days and he was HUGE - looking at his mother now (she's not due until end August) I think (hope!) she'll be even earlier this year!

My foals DO tend to be big (although Fuzzy's was tiny) even though I feed them a fraction of what the feed companies recommend!

The lesson has to be - DON'T rely on 'due' date! Mine are on foal watch - with alarms at night - from 321 days (or a few days earlier if they look like they warrant it!)

 

[Gingernags]

Mine was 332 for a colt, so if you like the old wives theories of colts going longer, mine didn't!

I was on foal watch from 320 (even though she still sneaked him while I wasn't looking!)