Mother of invention: UNB student has new system to predict horse's due date

A student at the University of New Brunswick has developed a system to predict when a horse is about to foal.

It's a window that can last weeks, but by focusing on the chemistry of the mare's milk, Lisa Pfister has it down to hours.

"You can usually tell within a month or two of when they're going to give birth but that's still generally a long wait and you're anticipating a foal that you planned a year or more ago and you want everything to go smoothly," Pfister said.

Pfister is working on her masters in the Technology, Management and Entrepreneurship program at UNB.

Part of the course requires students to develop a business.

Inventor breeds horses

Pfister, who breeds and shows horses, knows from experience that waiting for a foal can be arduous.

"Right now, we just look at physiological factors on the mare and for the most part we just do foal watch, that pretty much means you're watching the mare 24/7," she said.

That made Pfister want to change things. With a background in civil engineering, she set to work developing a system to predict more closely when a horse will deliver.

She used a 3D printer to develop a device that reads the calcium and pH levels in a brood mare's milk.

System tests mare's milk

"You take a milk sample from your mare, then you put it through a preparation system, then that test strip goes through the device and then you get your reading of when your mare will give birth," she said.

That reading is sent right to your smartphone.

It's a simple system that she said can be used by anyone from stable hands to breeders to veterinarians.

Pfister said her system has been able to predict when a horse will foal within 12 to 24 hours.

She'll be running a pilot this summer on 11 brood mares in P.E.I., including one of her own.