Are mule pregnancies really longer than equine pregnancies? Comparison between mule and equine pregnancies

In equine management, it is important to predict the approximate foaling date of mares to monitor parturition and allow early identification and intervention of problems during the perinatal period. There are no studies comparing accurate gestational length (GL) when mares are carrying mule foals and no controlled comparisons between GL of mares pregnant with equine or mule foals. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to compare GL of mares pregnant with equine or mule foals and establish normal reference values for GL of mares pregnant with male and female mules. Gestational length of Mangalarga Paulista breed mares pregnant with equine (n = 54) or with mule (n = 54) foals during the breeding seasons of 2007 to 2016 was evaluated. The mean GL was 347.2 ± 1.4 days (range of 326-368 days) and 341.1 ± 1.6 days (range of 307-360 days) for equine and mule pregnancies, respectively. The normal GL reference for mule pregnancies was 316.9-365.3 days. Therefore, GL of equine pregnancies was longer than of mule pregnancies. Gestational length was not different when pregnancies resulted in females or males within each group. This study established an important reference value for normal GL of mule pregnancies, which can be used by practitioners to estimate and predict foaling dates more accurately.