Twins

[acorn]

I am very interested in what people have been saying about twins on the "To scan or not to scan" thread. I thought the subject deserved its own thread and I have a few questions.

We had stillborn twin fillies from our grey mare a couple of years ago but until I read Valerie's post I had not heard that there was an increased incidence of twins with any particular colour. Is this well known?

I have heard of a few sets of living Fell pony twins but what about Dales ponies? Is there a definite family tendency towards twinning?

Thanks

[anna85]

I know one of a twin Dales pony down in Essex at a RDA school but I'm not sure how common they are really.

[mabel]

I suppose it's difficult to answer how often it happens if most mares are scanned and a twin pinched out. I'd been told by Jazz's breeder and a few other knowledgeable Dales people that the likelihood of twins is higher in the grey line.

[dalesvic]

I knew of 1 dales pony that was a twin, but normally in the majority of cases twins will be aborted I think, due to there not being enough space in the uterus.

[vjjjebony]

I agree with mabel on this.
I was told there is a slightly higher risk in the grey lines.
but hold up your hand and go back in your ponies lines and who has not got a grey here or there
Even in the greys it is only a small percentage but to us here be it any colour combination scaning to me is a small price to pay for a mares well being.
We have had mares here (maiden at 15) peter/she loved one another she was so easy but did not 'take' so the vet apeared and she was so full of lumps and bumps in her womb there was nowere for an egg to settle. the owner asked us to try again and the couple abligingly did so but the mare did not take ever.
So if she had been scanned in the first place would the owner have brought her. After all she got nothing but feed/service/transport and vets bills
With having also had the luxury of peter giving AI (mr and mrs Barker from the USA paid) we found out a lot about him and his AI. percentage of AI etc!
Valerie.