The unscientific way. The nail says Zeus is going to be a Daddy!

[Enfys]

Last year the nail test said that my mare would have a filly, and so she did. Well, there was a 50/50 chance of getting it right wasn't there?

Yesterday I tried it on my horses, one gelding as a control - it didn't move, and two mares, one circling nail and one swinging. So, according to the old wives tale I am due a colt and a foal. Who needs vets to say whether the mare is in foal?!




Right then, before I get flamed, and quite honestly you can do that all you want. I would like to add this disclaimer if you would like to call it that. This is all a bit of harmless fun and I am not advising people to do this rather than have a mare scanned etc. As a matter of fact I had them scanned this morning, and although the sex obviously can't be told, and isn't important, they are both healthily in foal.

 

[luckilotti]

Congratulations on them both being infoal

 

[Enfys]

"A colt and a foal" ?

Duh! That was supposed to read filly! ooopsy.

 

[ClaireT]

Congratulations Enfys, I am thrilled for you!!

Sounds fun to me - what sort of nail do you use and what do you attach to it!!!

 

[Tia]

LOL!! Well the nail test has been right so far with ours.

 

[Enfys]

How is Golden Tia?

She must be due shortly, it is pretty hot here, I hope it's cooler for you, no fun being fat and frumpy when it is so hot.

I am seriously pleased about these girls being in foal, and both will be registerable too, one APHA and one Quarab.

 

[Tia]

Golden doesn't look so huge now - she looks just right for the imminent birth. She is due in a couple of weeks and I think she will be glad to get it out of her to be honest.

As you know, she did not fare well during the middle of her pregnancy but in the last 2 months she has been very perky and is getting around well and is happy and sound again. I really like this mare so this will be her last foal; I'd rather have her sound and rideable than cash in on more of her offspring.

That is great that yours will be registered this time. Don't you just love Quarab....

 

[brackenhappy]

congrats on the foalies!

will attempt the nail test on sunday when i go and see bracken!

not holding much hope of getting near her for long enough though!!

last time i visited she tottaly ignored me and when i finally caught her to take her rug off the minute the rug was in my hands she was off!!!

 

[MillionDollar]

Haha, Congratulations!

Well the nail test was right for Teazle and wrong for Bramble, BUT i was glad of this as I wanted 2 fillies

Tia- I am sooooo excited in seeing Golden's foal, keep me updated please!!! I'm also so pleased that she isn't looking too large.

 

[Donkeymad]

Congratulations on the foals. I'd like to try the nail test - for fun - but don't want to be disappointed!!! (so I will wait and see)

 

[Damien]

Congratulations on having them both in foal! Just for fun I did the same with my wedding ring, it indicated that I was going to have girls every time, I ended up with three boys!

Ok just for fun and purely so, how do you do this nail test? Where, how do you tie the nail, how long should the nail be, how long should the string be?? I'll make a note of the results and wait till next year to see how accurate it was...

They are all in foal so no suprises there.

 

[Enfys]

Hi,

I think you can do it on the horses with a wedding ring as well, although with your previous results your ring appears to work in reverse!

I simply used an ordinary 6" bolt, or nail, whatever I have to hand, and a piece of kitchen twine about 8' long. I did it with baler twine too and the result was the same. I hold it just over the loin area a couple of inches above the spine. Every time I stand there, feeling a little bit foolish, thinking 'it's not doing anything, it's not happening" it takes a while.

 

[springfallstud]

Which way indicates which sex i cant remember lol

Congrats!!!

 

[Enfys]

Hi, Circling is a filly, swinging along the spine colt, my oh so not interested hubby says any movement = another flipping horse to feed!

 

[Damien]

good point SP

 

[Navalgem]

Enfys, I think your husband thinks like mine! lol, will try the test on Gem and Peaches tomorrow.

 

[Tia]

Thank you Claire - I will PM you once she has foaled. This has been a very worrying time for me and I just want it out of her now. She has come sound again thank god and for me this is the most important thing, that's why I made my decision that regardless of her bloodlines, she won't be put in foal again.

The nail test said many many months ago that Golden would be having a colt - so will see if this is true in a couple of months.

 

[Tia]

Oops! How bizarre that it was so wrong. It has always been right for me.

The length is not relevant - you tie the screw at the head and just hold it over the pelvis. I did a number of tests on it initially; my pregnant mare Cloud showed that she would have a filly - she did. My pregnant mare Golden showed that she will have a colt - don't know until the end of the month. It showed that a gelding of mine would have nothing. It showed that my stallion would have nothing.....

 

[springfallstud]

OK couldn't help myself and tested all 8 of our horses this morning and the 3 that should be are preggy (well i say are only one is confirmed and the other 2 are being scanned thurs as only covered week last tues) so i hope it's right, amazing how it did move on them but not the others! The other thing i found interesting was the one that is around 60 days confirmed it moved within seconds of holding it over her and the other two mares it took a bit longer! Will let you know thurs if the scans confirm! woohoo

 

[Enfys]

Will you tell your vet that the nail says the two unscanned ones are in foal then, or wait until you get the results?

As a matter of interest, can anyone explain how the nail test works please? Tia? My daughter asked and I couldn't really answer satisfactorily, mumbled something about magnetism which is probably totally wrong.

Whatever, it's amazing that it works on a tiny bunch of cells, the girls have only been in with the stallion since June and although one came into heat almost straight away and didn't repeat, he covered the other only three weeks ago.

 

[Navalgem]

ok, Gem's having a hemaphrodite (sp?) and peaches is a filly, though peaches hasn't been scanned in foal yet and I would probably have been best doing it when it wasn't rainy and windy!

lol, will try again sometime. Does it matter if the nail's rusty?

 

[Tia]

My techie husband says it is something to do with mass, volume and water. Similar to water-witching.

 

[Tia]

I don't think it makes any difference - I used a screw and it was painted LOL!!

 

[springfallstud]

Wonder what the nails does if the mare is carrying twins of different sexes????

 

[brackenhappy]

got near bracken!!

she came straight over!!

but..............left the bl**dy string and nail in the car!!

so scan on 20th will just have to wait and see!! and if she is when she comes home will try string/nail test as will prob forget its in the car agin at the stud!!!