367 days

It's been 367 days now and the foal has still not come out. I started getting worried this weekend that something would go wrong with Arwen, and the question popped up from different directions: is there indeed a foal? Ah, who knows? So many contradictory signs... Madougou came with backup today, a very nice Omar, who at first look said "No way, she's not in foal, you can mate her again."
"But she hasn't been on heat for a year. And she hasn't aborted either."

After going through all the contradictory details, including foal movement throughout December, the two vets set about examining her. I had been hoping they would do a rectal palpation but they did not feel comfortable about doing on a horse, so I still don't know for sure. However, having poked around for some time and provoked Arwen's anger, they were both convinced that there is indeed a foreign body in her belly. So the diagnosis remains: Arwen is in foal. However, we cannot say anything about the nature of that foal or when she plans to pop it out. The record for horses is 390 days and we are approaching it at a rapid pace. The good news however is that Arwen is doing just great - which rules out the possibility of her carrying a dead foal, as I have previously been afraid of. She is either carrying a stubborn little foal in her tiny-but-oh-so-very-round football-like stomach or she has no foal at all and in either case, she's not in danger.

For belly comparison, look here:


Isthar