How soon can the ring test

[Enchantress]

I had a mare that I bred this April. She was all for it, didn't even think of saying no to the stallion. Well I noticed her belly was getting a little big. I can express white milk from her, but she doesn't have a large udder...actually hardly any. She's not HUGE, but has a noticeable "non-streamlined physique" :bgrin She was pastured with my stallion from last September through February, when I noticed he was actually breeding her so I pulled her out and just hand bred this spring. I live in Maine so it's not often you find a mare interested in breeding that early. The ring test says she is bred, but I was wondering how soon it can predict... She doesn't look due very soon, but this would be my first foal with her and most of my other mares have been as wide as tall when they were really close, but I do have one that you barely notice other than a lower belly and a little extra weight. Or am I on mare stare from now until next March for this one?

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[Fantasia]

I've found the ring test works about six weeks after they have been bred.

Have you though of doing a urine test on her since she's over the 100 days? They are cheap to buy and accurate.

I was involved with the trial of them here in NZ and had fantastic results.

 

[Chpmnk1]

Umm, I would get her ultrasounded, sounds to me like maybe she was actually bred sometime between last September & February, especially if you had her in with your stud all that time. Maybe you might be able to get a better idea of when she is due? I have had mares who would still stand for a stud even when already bred and confirmed in foal.

Good luck

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

The ring test is just as accurate 10 days post breeding as it is 10 days pre-breeding. Heck, you could always do it the year before and see what next year's foal will be! But seriously, the test is 50% accurate, assuming the mare is pregnant. Palpation and ultrasound, together, are the only accurate assessment.

 

[Enchantress]

So far the ring test has been 100% accurate about being bred if it swings whichever way. I don't care about the gender. It changes the way it swings throughout pregnancy anyway! No one to ultrasound around here. Nearest place I think might do it is about an hour away. No point in spending money on a pregnancy test as those seem to be as accurate as the ring test and wouldn't any better pinpoint a date. I was just hoping the ring test only worked in theory like 12 weeks into it or something so I'd at least know she was pregnant before this April.

And for the record..ALL my sweet innocent little angels allowed themselves to be bred through last September and showed signs of heat into October/November and ALL but one who's ready to pop any day now have already foaled (last one born July 2)! And the one due any day let me breed HER this April too! Man, someone needs to tell my girls "the rules"

: Apparently "mating" has become a recreational activity!

 

[disneyhorse]

I would probably look into ACTUAL confirmation of pregnancy (such as ultrasound) versus a "prediction"... the ring test thing (ouija board, whatever...) is supposedly for predicting sex of foal, which it has as 50/50 chance on. I guess pregnancy is a 50/50 either it is or it isnt, too...

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Andrea

 

[FoRebel]

I also would say to get a confirmation such as an ultrasound to confirm pregnancy. We did the ring test on my 3 mares that were supposed to be bred and only 2 of them were! 2 predicted colts and the 1 that predicted a filly was open!

 

[susanne]

I apologize if this sounds rude, but PLEASE don't leave the safety of your mare and possible foal up to hocus pocus. Using a ring test to guess the sex has no risks to the life of mare or foal, and so it is no big deal, but using it to predict whether or when your mare was bred can influence when you begin mare stare, and could have dire consequences.

You might as well toss a coin and you'll have the same degree of accuracy.