If I was going to use the breeding dates given to me by her previous owner, I'd have to say Diana is 354 days pregnant. Since that's probably unlikely based on her physical condition, I'm going to go with the theory that she was bred later, the following month. So we're changing the due date to be around May 7. That makes her 325 days. She went to 342 days last year and 336 is what I usually calculate with.
She does have some udder development. Instead of feeling like the shape of a taco shell, I'd say she's got the tops of two hamburger buns down there. Okay, so I'm a little weird. But that's what came to mind! lol

Last night when I checked on her I thought her belly had started to get a little more rounded and lower. She doesn't show her baby because she's got that long body. But I did notice some changes. And this morning she has some edema in from of her bag, and her bag seems a little more "poofy" than usual. I have a driving clinic this Sunday and it's a couple hours away. I was hoping I could go... but maybe I'll have to stay home and watch her and send my daughter alone.

Nothing has changed- her bag isn't any bigger. She's shedding quite a bit though and I've been brushing her. I put the hair outside for the birds to grab for their nests. :-)

Her bag is still pretty small- tiny- and her tail muscles are still tight. If she's going to have a year like the past, she's got more time. If she's going to be different this year then it's going to be a complete surprise.
I still can't watch her during the day, except in images FTPd to my Webcam page. It is very frustrating. Bought a phone with Internet access but it won't play the marestare cam yet. For the price I paid it should actually wash the dishes and vacuum the floor.

As I was watching last night Diana started doing some typical mare-in-foal behaviors: looking at her sides, pressing her butt against the wall, pacing, and standing in her poo area. She's very particular about where she poos and pees-- day after day it's in the same spot. If she's standing in her poo spot and she's not poo-ing, then something tells me she is feeling that pressure from the foal.
But then again, this can be all my imagination! LOL Humans tend to see patterns in things where there is no pattern. Usually that refers to images, but I suppose that can also refer to a pattern of behavior!
Her bag is still flabby and I don't think it's any bigger.

She seems to be content to be right where she is. Her bag was flabby this morning and I couldn't tell if it was bigger or not. She did some dramatic rolling in the night and got my attention! lol But it was just normal horsey stuff.

Her bag seems to be getting bigger, though not huge. Her hips are more pointy too. I think we're getting there. Which makes me even more nervous! Two dear friends have had tough and horrible experiences this week. Breeding miniatures can be so risky! I'm glad I only have one mare to watch this year.

She still doesn't have a bag but I caught her doing activity that looks more like a mare about to foal. She stands with her butt pressed against the wall, she looks at her side and she's been yawning.
Okay, so I know that means nothing. But with mare-stare you see all kinds of "signs" LOL
Yesterday I tried to give her a candy cane. I'd been carrying it around in my purse for a week but kept forgetting to give it to her. I held out my hand and she mouthed it for a couple seconds and spit it out. Then she moved to the other side of the stall. Hmmm... she's trying to tell me something... Well I held out another piece and she took a step or two and stretched her neck toward me to see what I was offering. She smelled it and turned away. I offered it again. She checked it out again. Then promptly rejected it.
I got the message and retrieved her dish for her supper. I decided to drop off the candy cane pieces in the bowl with her grain. Just in case.
Went to the house, looked through the mail, talked to my husband and daughter and sat down to the computer. About 5 minutes later I looked at the monitor and there she was, still licking her bowl. It was all shiney with her drool! lol I guess she liked the candy cane afterall!

Diana let me feel the foal kick tonight! (I think she trusts me more.) She stood there while I gave her a bear hug from above and poked her belly to get the foal to move. I can't imagine that felt all that comfortable-- I guess I'm lucky she didn't kick me. But she's so sweet that I just can't imagine her kicking anybody!
Then I did the ring test with my ring and a piece of her tail hair. It said filly! (circle) Let's see if it comes true. :-)
Oh, and her bag is no bigger. sigh

Diana's bag is still very small. We're about 2 weeks out and nothing! Doesn't seem like she even wants to have this baby! Come on, girl, work with me!! LOL
My daughter did some clipping around her belly so when the foal nurses it doesn't get a mouth full of hair.
I did notice that her belly has changed just a little. It looks a little more rounded.

Her bag feels even smaller this morning!
The wind is howling outside today-- 25-35mph sustained, with gusts to 50mph. The electricity flickered a couple times here at work so I wouldn't be surprised if we lose power at home sometime today.
We did the ring test on her and got Colt-- and so did her previous owner. I'm actually hoping for a filly.
The ring test is an old wive's tale. I remember doing this on myself at my first baby shower in my grandmother's living room. It's supposed to predict the sex of the foal and to confirm pregnancy.
Directions:
1) Tie a ring to a string and hold it over the horse's rump. A stoneless wedding band is best, although some people will use a nail. You need a string like the one that is sewn in along the top of some grain bags. Baling twine is too thick and inhibits the natural movement of the ring.
2) Hold the ring as still as you can, hanging over the horse's back. It should stop moving and then start to move again.
3) If it moves in a circle, it is a filly.
4) If it moves in a line back and forth, it is a colt.
5) If it doesn't start moving again after stopping, your mare is probably open.

I have had some success with this. But it's just for fun and I'd never bet the farm on it! lol

Diana is a very sweet horse. If you watch her when we come in she will back away and even jerks in reaction to us moving too close. She hasn’t been here very long and I wonder if she’s still adjusting. I've been giving her carrots, which she loves and speaking softly to her.
I’m not sure how many foals she’s had, but I do know that she has lost two when they couldn’t get out of the sack. She’s got a very thick amniotic sack. So we’re hoping that the web cam will help with lots of willing watchers in case we doze off. Please call us. I will try to update you all here so you'll get a sense of when she starts getting closer. She is predictable as far as the usual progression, but her milk pH may not indicate how close she is.
I put her under cam 30 days before she was due, just in case. A miniature horse usually foals around 336 days. Last year she was at 342 and the year before at about 336. Right now she’s got a small bag, but it’s about the size that an experienced broodmare might have all the time.
She was palpated this winter so we know she is bred. Her belly looks pretty small but the previous owner is sure of her breeding dates.
We have 2-3 feet of snow on the ground in most places. We're *just* beginning to see bare ground here and there. The snow is old and dirty and crusty. We've had a long, long winter with record level snow fall. Last count we had 21 winter snow storms between Thanksgiving and the beginning of March. I think most us here in the northeast are more than ready for spring!