How do I know when my mare is about to foal?

  • The foaling date should be approximately 11 months from the last date of cover though there tends to be quite an individual variation in the actual length of gestation in mares.
  • In other words, some mares tend to carry longer than others.
  • Also the mare’s pre-foaling and foaling pattern of behaviour and her individual tendencies tend to vary with each individual mare.
  • For this reason, it is important to record details on each individual mare’s pre-foaling and foaling pattern as their future foalings will tend to take the same pattern each year. So this information will always be valuable for other handlers especially for new owners where the mare is sold on.

    • What are the main signs of an imminent foaling?