The string thing...to determine sex of foal

[vickie gee]

This evening while feeding the herd I was temporarily a barn prisoner due to several brief sessions of hail passing through. So what better way to pass the time than do the ole string thing to determine the sex of upcoming foals. There was a thread on here recently that discussed this (most people tie a nail onto twine). My past experience was always on humans using a threaded sewing needle stuck into the eraser of a pencil to determine boy/girl in humans. Same visual though. Swings in circle for girls. Back and forth for boys. BUT, when doing this little ritual on humans, we were always under the impression that it would begin with the very first pregnancy, stop, start again, over and over until all pregnancies were covered. I have seen this work with old ladies that birthed 8 and 10 children! It also always shows EVERY CONCEPTION, whether it be birthing, abortion, or miscarriage. Hokey, hokey, hokey. But I was a prisoner in the barn and had little to entertain myself with. My one and only mare that is in foal for 2010 (anyday now) should be getting a girl this time ( as well as the next, and she was so FERTILE MYRTLE I finally stopped on her...whew!) Her five year old filly, maiden mare, old maid, male hater daughter should have a colt (someday, probably with much regumate). My little 29" that one and only so far was an angel colt (c-section in 2008) should have a filly next time. The way the pencil was orbiting in fast motion it must be going to be one heck of a girl! My mare that had her first foal last year (filly) should filly up again next time. Stallion does not ever show to birth.

 

[little lady]

Filly vibes headed your way. I keep forgetting to try this on my girl, been busy brushing and brushing and brushing, as far as I'm concerned she should be furless by now

but she sure is enjoying it. Maybe I'll remember to try it tomorrow night.

 

[cretahillsgal]

I did this on my 3 preggo mares the other day. Just tied a nail onto a long tail hair. We are supposed to be getting one colt and 2 fillies. Will be interesting to see if it works or not.

 

[ruffian]

I had a guy come to buy a mare and did the string test and said the mare wasn't in foal. So he didn't buy. Glad he didn't because she foaled a beautiful filly. I tried it on several other mares with about a 50% accuracy. I don't have much faith in the string test. Be interested in seeing your results.

 

[spindleberry]

I dont have any pregnant mares to try that on but someone from another horse site has done that with her mares and it's always been correct. It's weird, because it'll work for some people and not work for others.

 

[MindyLee]

WOW Dana! You had someone actually use the string test to see if your mare was prego or not which in resault keeped him from buying your mare!

Sounds like that was a good thing he did'nt buy her in my eyes. Makes you wonder what other ole wives tail trickes he would have used on her if he did purchas her....

 

[uwharrie]

I wonder if it is like dowsing for water, some folks can do it, others not. ( I can find water or sewer lines but never tried dowsing for a well)

guess I need to go out and do the string test on the girls!

I dont have any pregnant mares to try that on but someone from another horse site has done that with her mares and it's always been correct. It's weird, because it'll work for some people and not work for others.

 

[RobinRTrueJoy]

I did a ring /string test for the very first time today, after all these years! Felt kind of dumb but tried it any way. The mare is 305 days. Pulled a long hair, tied my wedding band to it, and all it did was spin in place. Didn't go back and forth or in a circle. I wonder what people will say that means...... I worry about angel foals, and this year has sucked big time already, having lost a 2009 perfect filly from an ulcer in November and an abortion after Pneumabort last month

Robin

 

[uwharrie]

Just did the string test on my two girls. Annie was back and forth straight line ( even though I tried to make it go in a circle)

Dreamie was a circle (and I started it out straight just to see)

 

[JoyJ]

If you are doing a woman, hold the string over her belly to see the sex. If you want to know how many she will have, hold over the palm of her hand. It will start & stop for each baby & will show miscarriages to.

For the horse make sure you hold it over her right hip. It is not always true on sex, but should be right to see if in foal. I used it for my dog when she was pregnant both time & it was always right on how many she had. I have used it on baby chicks to see the sex to.

 

[vickie gee]

If you are doing a woman, hold the string over her belly to see the sex. If you want to know how many she will have, hold over the palm of her hand. It will start & stop for each baby & will show miscarriages to.For the horse make sure you hold it over her right hip. It is not always true on sex, but should be right to see if in foal. I used it for my dog when she was pregnant both time & it was always right on how many she had. I have used it on baby chicks to see the sex to.

Oh, I believe you. Especially about the women. I just had never heard of holding it over the belly. We always held it over an upturned wrist and yes, it will show every pregnancy.

Now I did try this on my dog when when she was pregnant recently and honestly I got tired of keeping up with it. Way too much activity. She did birth a total of 12.

I think I will re-do the horses because I was just holding it (needle threaded and stuck in eraser of a pencil) in up over the center of their mid section. Any idea why it would show "girl" on my little 9 month old filly? Would that mean she is a girl or her first future foaling is a girl? By the same token my maiden mare showed "boy" so I took that to mean her first foaling will be a colt. My preggo mare showed girl, girl, boy, girl...and then I stopped because this will be her fourth and the first three were girl (2004), girl (2005) boy (2007), and NOW. Gotta wonder. Do you think everybody can do this or just certain people? I can also wick for water. And grandpa passed on to me his "secret" for wart removal. If it is a gift of some kind I sure do wish I could hone it into success in mining for diamonds, panning for gold, and determining where oil reserves are on property.

 

[Skylight_minis]

When you do it do you assume the first one is the foal they already had or the foal that they are prego with now?

 

[vickie gee]

When you do it do you assume the first one is the foal they already had or the foal that they are prego with now?

I am assuming that it will begin with first pregnancy ever and then go forward from there. At least that is what it always does on humans. My children's grandma on their dad's side had 8 children and one miscarriage and it showed them all in perfect sequence. I am assuming that it works with horses the same way. At least that is how it appears to me.

 

[JoyJ]

I bought 6 baby chicks today & hoped I picked all girls, I took my wedding ring & string to check. 4 showed girls & 2 boys, so put the boys back & check the others till I got girls, I hope anyway. I have never had any of the animals show anything, but what they are caring, only humans. When I worked I checked one of the nurse's & told her she was carrying twins & she had the ultrasound & it showed twins.

 

[spindleberry]

The old wives tale that I have always heard was if the nail didn't move, the mare was not pregnant. If it cirlced it was a filly and if went back and forth, it was a colt.

So for kicks and giggles, I tried the nail test on both mares and it did not move. I tried it on 3 goats to... Honey~ It didn't move. Misty~ It didn't move. and Leah~ It circled. (Leah is confirmed pregnant via blood test and she's about to kid (due next week). Misty I believe is pregnant and due in April. Honey, she's not due on her first date but possibly due for May.