Question of the Day

After just 10 days of gestation it is possible to detect pregnancy in a mare using a 5-10 MHz linear array transducer transrectally. This is especially impressive given that gestation lasts an average of 344 days in horses!

Most often the first pregnancy check is done around day 14-15 from the detected ovulation, when the embryo implants into the uterus and stops its migration. A second check is recommended at day 25 to look for the heart beat (first visible at day 21). 

Both these checks are an opportunity to not only confirm pregnancy, but also to ensure it is not a twin pregnancy (the most common non-infectious cause of abortion in mares). Can use transabdominal ultrasound after about 90 days of gestation.