In this month’s Stud Farm Diary, I want to share what has been one of the most useful techniques I employ at this time of the year in the northern hemisphere, which is, of course, foaling season.
By using a simple test kit used by plumbers to measure calcium for water hardness, you can reliably narrow the window of foaling on most mares to around 72 hours. This has saved me hundreds of hours of sleep over the years and while no method is 100 percent, this one has been very reliable over the last 15 years or so.
This time of year, social media and websites light up with people wanting to know if there is any way to tell when the mare is going to foal. I used to put up a sign on the blackboard in the barn, whereby the mares could indicate what day and time they were planning on foaling and whether or not they would require help. Since no mare has yet picked up a piece
