
25/02/2025
Pippa is our first mare due to foal this year. Today it is 320 days since she was last covered by stallion Ballagh Cloud.
Did you know, a foal born before 320 days gestation is considered premature ?
The average gestation is around 340 days, which is why most breeders use 11 months from the last covering date to predict the foaling date. Normal gestation length for mares is 320 days to 360 days. For Pippa, that would mean a normal birth can be from today, until 6th April. And even then, it's not uncommon for mares to be pregnant for over a year.
Luckily we have cameras in our breeding barn. So we can easily monitor them during the night. We check all pregnant mares at the start and end of the day, so that we can compare certain parameters. This includes the shape of the belly, udder size and shape, and muscle tone around the hips and tail. Mares pregnant for the first time tend not to show any signs of foaling until closer to the foaling date. Experienced mares can show signs of foaling much early. All mares like to surprise us