Katie Van Slyke Spots Mr. Ruler Breeding Coco — And Two Miniature Mares Could Be Expecting Foals Next Summer
Katie Van Slyke may have another exciting chapter of miniature horse foaling season beginning to take shape.
During a routine stop to check on everything, Katie noticed some unmistakable activity between Mr. Ruler and Coco. What started as a quick check unexpectedly turned into an important breeding update — and potentially another reason for fans to look forward to next summer.
Katie explained that she had been noticing Mr. Ruler showing interest in Coco for roughly two or three days. Now, she has confirmed seeing him breed her.
Even more exciting, Coco isn’t the only miniature mare involved.
Katie has also previously seen Mr. Ruler breeding Janice.
That means there are now two miniature mares to watch closely.
Mr. Ruler Has Now Been Seen Breeding Both Janice and Coco
According to Katie, Janice appeared completely unbothered by what was happening with Coco because Mr. Ruler had already finished breeding her a couple of weeks earlier.
With confirmed sightings involving both mares, the next question is whether either one returns to heat.
If they don’t, that could be an encouraging sign — although Katie will still need veterinary confirmation before knowing whether the breedings were successful.
Fortunately, miniature horses provide an advantage when it comes to checking.
Katie explained that, unlike her miniature donkeys, the miniature horses can be palpated and examined by ultrasound similarly to her full-sized horses.
That allows pregnancy to potentially be checked much earlier.
Katie said that if the veterinarian is at the farm in approximately three weeks, she may have the mares examined.
For now, though, it’s a waiting game.
Could Janice and Coco Both Have Mid-July Foals?
Katie was already thinking ahead about what successful breedings could mean for next year’s foaling calendar.
Both Janice and Coco tend to carry their pregnancies to around their due dates, which Katie described as a little over 340 days.
Based on the current breeding timing, she believes both mares could potentially have mid-July due dates next year, although their expected dates would be a couple of weeks apart.
Of course, that depends entirely on whether the current breeding cycle was successful.
If both mares are confirmed pregnant, however, fans could have two miniature horse pregnancies to follow toward the middle of next summer.
And Katie already knows one thing about that possibility: it’s going to be hot.
A Successful Breeding Would Also Mean Mr. Ruler Can Head Home
There’s another reason Katie is hoping these breedings worked.
If both Janice and Coco successfully settled, Mr. Ruler could return home to Mr. Chandler in Ocala.
For now, Katie is crossing her fingers and waiting to see whether either mare comes back into heat.
A future veterinary examination could ultimately provide the answer everyone is waiting for.
Jack Is Preparing for His AMHR Nationals Debut
The breeding update wasn’t the only miniature horse news Katie shared.
While her miniature horses have recently taken somewhat of a backseat to the full-sized horses and Katie’s horse-show schedule, that is about to change.
Jack, Janice’s yearling son, is preparing to make his AMHR Nationals debut in the coming weeks.
Katie plans to attend in person, although she won’t be the one showing Jack.
Her trainer, Emily Conder, is expected to show him.
That should give fans another opportunity to see one of Janice’s offspring step into the spotlight.
Could Katie Show Gretchen Herself?
Katie also reminded newer followers about Gretchen, her three-year-old daughter of Mr. Ruler.
Gretchen has been away in training for approximately eight or nine months and, according to Katie, looks remarkably similar to her sire — only in a different color.
Katie wasn’t making any promises, but she left open an interesting possibility.
If she’s there and everything goes well, she suggested that she might even show Gretchen herself.
For fans who haven’t seen much of Gretchen recently, that could make the upcoming event particularly interesting.
Now the Waiting Begins
What began as Katie simply stopping to check on the animals turned into an unexpectedly eventful visit.
Mr. Ruler has now been seen breeding both Janice and Coco. The possible timing points toward mid-July foals next year if the breedings are successful, and Katie may be able to get an early answer through ultrasound.
Meanwhile, Jack is preparing for his AMHR Nationals debut, and Gretchen could potentially make an appearance with Katie as well.
There are still plenty of unknowns, especially regarding Janice and Coco.
But that’s exactly what makes the next few weeks worth watching.
If neither mare returns to heat and a veterinary check brings good news, Katie Van Slyke could have two more miniature foals officially on the way.
