How long do horses gestate for, and can they carry twins.?

Question

B4 any of my contacts pipe up, no I didnt have a one night stand and Im not checking dates.....This is a proper question : )

Answer 1

well, i'm not sure exactly what you're going on about with the extra details, but i can only answer what i know bout the twin part of it. . . yes they can carry twins, but it's rare and very dangerous for the mare. i did at one point in time know bout the gestate time, but i'm too tired to go look those notes back up.

Answer 2

they gestate for 11 months and they can carry twins BUT it is VERY rare and more often then not one or both is still born, dies shortly after birth, or is rejected by the mother

Answer 3

Twins are VERY rare amongst horses!!!

11 months is the gestation period!

Answer 4

gestation usually some were around 11 months and it is possible for a mare to give birth to twins but the chance of all three (mare and twins) living is very rare as is having twins. hope this helped.

Answer 5

Usually about 11 months. Horses can have twins, though its VERY rare, and when it does occur, in most cases the dam, one of the foals, both foals, or any combination won't make it. Does anyone know if a horse has ever delivered triplets (alive or dead)?

Shannonx - awesome! I didn't think that was possible. You learn something new everyday. :)

Answer 6

for 11 months, and yes they can carry twins.

Answer 7

If given proper vet care, the mare should be palpatated to make sure she is in foal.  If the vet feels 2 embryos, they will normally terminate one of them so the mare will only have one foal.  It is dangerous for a mare to have twins.  That is why prenatal care is very important.

Answer 8

mares usually gestate for about 11 months, and yes, they can carry twins. twins, however, are pretty dangerous for a mare to carry. usually only one or none survive. most of the time, while the horse is still pregnant, the vet will 'pinch' one of the little egg things which is a very young feotusy foal and it is not alive any more. this gives a much larger chance for the remaining foal  and the dam to survive. the probability of a mare giving birth to healthy, safe twins is about 1 in 10,000 births. people say conception of equine twins is extremely rare, but, mares commonly have two babies inside them after about 35 days after conception, and one is naturally absorbed at about day 45. donkeys are ten times more likely to have twins than horses!!

Answer 9

The gestation of a horse is 11 months 11 days. And yes they can have twins. But they are very rare.

Answer 10

Usually, horses gestate for around 11 months.

It is possible for twins to happen, but very rare. Usually, one twin is living and the other is stillborn. If both twins are living, they will both be quite weak and need a lot of human care as well as from the mare.

horseofcourse - There have been a few instances of triplets where all three and the mare have survived. Though EXTREMELY rare, it has happened a few times.

Answer 11

http://www.australianwesternhorseshowcas...

http://horsegestation.com/

Links with specific information regarding equine gestational periods......................

http://www.oai.hu/kerekasztal/XIII./hura...

A link on gestational development in twins.................

Answer 12

around 11 months and they can but very rare there is much more chance the foals will tear the uteruas wall

Answer 13

I don't know how long they gestate but Yes they can have twins but its rare and also dangerous for the foals and the mother.

Answer 14

Average is about 11 months...about 343 days.  

Mine went around 10 1/2 months every single time....around 320 days.  

Another friend of mine had a mare go over 12 months every single time...about 375 days.

Many horses do twin.  Thoroughbreds and drafts more than other breeds.  Most horses reabsorb the extra embryo.  Ultrasound by a vet around 2 1/2 weeks after breeding will verify whether the mare has twinned or not.  Vet's will 'pinch off' the embryo so the other one can develope normally and with no competition for the other fetus.

Twins carried to full term are rare and usually one will either be stillborn or die soon after birth.  And the other one doesn't always fare well either.  Many times both will die.  Very rarely will you have a successful twin birth.  This is also dangerous for the mare.  Many complications can occur and the mare will die while she is trying to foal out.  Also resulting in the death of the twins.  It's not a good thing to want for your horse.

Answer 15

11 months yes they can carry and have twins but usually one dies...

Answer 16

Gestation usually lasts 11 months.  There are some signs of imminent labour, ie lax tail muscles, waxing and swelling of teats, signs of discomfort etc, but some horses can go out in the field one morning and come back in the evening with a foal at foot.

They can have twins, but it is rare and survival rate of both twins is a bit dodgy, but can be acheived if both are healthy, the mare has enough milk and they can be supplemented quickly, ie have a foster mare, but there can be complications I am afraid.

Answer 17

horses are in gestation for 11 months and 11 days, and horses can have twins but it is rare.

Answer 18

around 11months and 11days yes they can have twins

Answer 19

11 months, but i heard if it takes a little longer than that, it might be a boy, yes they can, i had a horse that was a twin, but normally they dont both survive, which was our horses sibings story, very sad

Answer 20

Unless a mare has been bred in the pasture, the exact breeding dates are usually known. Lisa Metcalf, DVM, Dipl. ACT, a board-certified reproductive specialist in Oregon, notes what an owner can expect as parturition (delivery) approaches: "Normal gestation length in a mare ranges from 335-345 days. Foals delivered prior to 325 days gestation are considered premature. If a foal is delivered prior to 300 days of gestation, it is rarely compatible with life, even with the support of our advanced neonatal intensive care units."

Answer 21

11 months....I have a friend whose horse had twins, a filly and a colt.  The filly was really small and actually lived 6 months before she died.

Answer 22

A horse normally gestates for 11 months. Yes, a horse can carry twins but it is not too common. Also if the horse is carrying twins, it is more likely that the horse looses one foal and gives birth to only one then have both foals. Or again if the horse is carrying twins, it is more likely the mare will loose both foals then give birth to 2 healthy foals. 2 healthy foals can happen though.