Gestation length varies so widely in mares that it pays to monitor them closely in late gestation. | Photo: iStock

Learn the signs of impending parturition and what prognostic tools are at your disposal

Your mare was bred on June 1 of last year. Equine gestation is about 340 days (roughly 11 months), so her expected due date is coming up in a few months, around May 6. That 340-day figure is just an average, however, meaning it’s perfectly normal for a mare to foal as many as three weeks earlier or later than expected.

You’d like to be present at the birth in case there’s a problem, but that’s quite a window and you’ve got a lot going on this spring. Hovering over the expectant dam in the barn 24/7 is impractical and, quite frankly, could make her nervous and delay the process. Like many breeders, you’d like to be able to predict when exactly she might foal.

Good news: There are signs and tools to help. Here two reproduction-focused vets offer their expertise and suggest ways to take away some of the mystery, so you can be there for the big