Foaling Watch Update: April 3, 2025
🔹 Quick Status Overview 🔹
🐴 My Audubon – Day 336 – First milk calcium and pH test completed today! Her results show that we likely still have a good amount of time before foaling. She's also not yet soft behind, but her hind leg edema is increasing—a subtle sign things are starting to shift.
🐴 Lady Dyanaformer & Ditto (Filly) – Day 13 – Cleared for full turnout by the podiatrist yesterday (🙌), but kept indoors today due to storms and wet weather. Still recovering from a mild case of pneumonia, so staying dry is top priority. Final day to submit name suggestions for her official Jockey Club registration!
🐴 Elusive Surprise & Thirteen (Colt) – Day 20 – Spent part of the day inside due to the weather, but enjoyed a short turnout window between rain showers. Bright, bouncy, and still full of personality. Final round of voting for his official name opened today!
🧪 Audi’s First Milk Test: Signs Say "Not Yet"
The Horse Husband Stables team was able to collect Audi’s first mammary secretion sample today, which allowed them to run a combined pH and calcium test—an incredibly helpful tool for tracking how close a mare is to foaling.
Today’s results?
Calcium: Below 50 ppm
pH: Still high
Both of these values suggest that we’ve still got some time to wait before Audi foals.
📌 How does the milk test work?
To test calcium levels, the HHS team uses a small indicator solution that changes color when calcium reaches a certain concentration. A drop of the milk secretion is mixed with a test reagent, and the solution is added to a small test vial one drop at a time. When the color changes to blue, they note how many drops it took—and that number tells them the approximate calcium level in parts per million (ppm).
When calcium is under 100 ppm, it's usually too early to expect foaling.
200 ppm and rising means foaling could happen in the next few days.
Over 300 ppm is the “any moment now” zone.
In parallel, they also track milk pH using simple test strips.
A high pH (7.0–8.0) suggests labor is not imminent.
As foaling nears, pH drops, often hitting 6.4 or lower within 12–24 hours of delivery.
Audi’s results—low calcium and high pH—say there’s still a bit of waiting to do.
She’s also not very “soft” behind yet. In late pregnancy, the area around the tailhead and vulva often becomes soft, jiggly, and relaxed as the body prepares for foaling. Audi’s hindquarters still feel fairly firm, another indicator that her body isn’t quite ready.
However, the team has noticed increasing edema (fluid swelling) in her hind legs. While not a direct sign of foaling, this type of swelling is very common in the final weeks of pregnancy due to changes in circulation and lymphatic drainage.
Wouldn’t it be something if Audi became the third mare in a row to foal right on her due date at HHS? Dyana and Surprise were both right on time—2 for 2 so far this year!
🌧️ Stormy Skies & Foal Management
Central Kentucky was hit with severe storms overnight, including tornado sirens, extreme wind, and heavy rain. The Horse Husband Stables team was awakened in the middle of the night by emergency weather alerts, but thankfully, no tornadoes came close to the farm.
What did arrive, though, was relentless rain and wind—and the forecast says it’s going to stick around for at least three more days.
That means limited turnout for the foals, which is far from ideal. HHS always prioritizes letting horses be horses with as much outdoor time as possible—but cold rain and whipping wind aren’t safe for newborns, especially those still recovering.
💕 Ditto’s Progress (and Setback)
Yesterday brought great news: Ditto was cleared by the podiatrist for full turnout! It was a huge milestone considering everything she’s overcome so far.
But just as she got the green light to explore the world, Mother Nature hit the brakes with days of rain.
To complicate matters, Ditto is still kicking the tail end of a mild case of pneumonia, discovered earlier this week. Thankfully, it was caught early and is being treated—but the best way to support recovery is to keep her warm and dry. Standing out in a soggy paddock is the last thing her lungs need right now.
📌 What is pneumonia in foals?
Pneumonia is a bacterial or viral infection of the lungs, and foals are especially vulnerable due to their developing immune systems. Symptoms include cough, nasal discharge, labored breathing, fever, and in early stages, sometimes just mild fatigue. Quick treatment and keeping the foal dry and stress-free are key to recovery.
So while she had a short turnout window today between showers, Ditto will remain mostly indoors until the skies clear.
Don’t worry—once the sun returns, she’ll be out there racing circles around Thirteen in no time. 🐎💨
🛏️ Bedding Strategies: Mixing Comfort and Cleanliness
With the wet weather keeping everyone indoors, the team made a few stall bedding adjustments to keep the mares and foals cozy and dry.
Here's what they shared on social:
“Maybe mixing bedding materials is a type of fashion faux pas, but I’ve always believed there’s a bedding type for every purpose—and it’s worth adjusting based on each horse’s individual needs and the weather.”
They typically use dust-free cardboard bedding because it’s ultra-absorbent and excellent for protecting sensitive airways. But with all this rain, they added a layer of straw on top to create a soft, insulating cushion that encourages horses to lie down and rest.
📌 Why mix bedding?
Cardboard bedding: Great for moisture control, low dust, and respiratory health
Straw: Inexpensive, soft, and great for warmth—but not very absorbent
Blending the two gives the best of both worlds: dry stalls that still feel inviting.
“What bedding strategy do you use? Do you stick with one material or mix and match? I’d love to hear what’s worked for your horses.”
🗳️ Name That Foal: Final Round for Thirteen, Last Day for Ditto Submissions!
Two exciting name milestones today:
✅ Final voting round is now OPEN for Thirteen’s official Jockey Club name!
Cast your vote and help decide which name will appear on his official registration papers.
👉 Vote now
⏳ Last chance to submit name suggestions for Ditto!
Her naming contest closes tonight, and voting rounds will begin tomorrow.
👉 Submit your name idea here
Let’s find names as bold and memorable as the foals themselves!
We’ll be back tomorrow with updates on Audi’s progress and Ditto’s recovery as we wait for the skies to clear and foaling to begin!
Thirteen outside during the break in the rain.
Ditto outside during the break in the rain.
Last night’s storm
Ditto during the storm dreaming of running in the big field
