Predicting Mare Delivery Dates: The Eyes Have It

Thanks to a University of Pennsylvania study, owners of small ponies can now predict their pregnant mares’ delivery dates simply by looking into their unborn foals’ eyes. During a two-year project, researchers in the university’s School of

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Thanks to a University of Pennsylvania study, owners of small ponies can now predict their pregnant mares’ delivery dates simply by looking into their unborn foals’ eyes. During a two-year project, researchers in the university’s School of Veterinary Medicine used ultrasound imaging to measure the length and width of 36 fetal foals’ eyes to establish size reference ranges at various stages of gestation. The study is the first to examine fetal eye measures as a birth date predictor for small pony breeds.


According to one of the lead researchers, Regina M. Turner, DVM, PhD, she and her colleagues set out to find a simple way to determine delivery dates for mares whose breeding dates are uncertain. They chose to measure eyes because they are typically clearly visible and easy to find on transrectal ultrasound in fetal foals beyond two months of gestational age.






Fetal eye
COURTESY UPENN


Measuring the size of a fetus’ eye via ultrasound can help predict foaling dates

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Written by:

Pat Raia is a veteran journalist who enjoys covering equine welfare, industry, and news. In her spare time, she enjoys riding her Tennessee Walking Horse, Sonny.

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