Saturday 7 February 2009

Deer Ruby!


Chris from Melbourne asked when Ruby was due to foal. Not an easy question to answer. According to the covering certificate, she should be due around 14 April. I say should be due because, when trying to work out the dates, I realised that gestation in horses is a moveable feast! So if you just count the average 340 days, it comes to 14 April. However, I understand that the weather can have an effect and previous experience. Unfortunately, although she had two foals before we got her, we don't know how either of them went - only that she produced two big foals!

She's supposed to be going back to the stud to foal because they have all the facilities and a vet on call. I have a feeling she might fool us all and just appear one morning with foal at foot!

Although she has been putting her hooves up for the past few months, she certainly didn't take it easy at the beginning of her pregnancy. So far she's:

Been on a week's holiday to Scotland (see photo)
Been reserve champion Working Hunter at a local show (if there had been a prize for the horse the judge most wanted to take home, she would have won that hands down - he was totally smitten!)
Been placed in a number of show jumping competitions
Represented the Pony Club in the Inter-Hunt Relay
Done a week at Pony Club camp

1 comment:

Rising Rainbow said...

The only who'll know what Ruby is up to is Ruby unfortunately. Mares just aren't helpful about letting us know when. We'll be waiting for the big news.....although April is a ways off. The one foal I have coming this year is due at the end of April, the 26th to be exact.