Any benefit to extra time in the womb?

[Altanbarr]

My mare is a week overdue. I remember reading when my son was three weeks late being born that extra time in the womb may have a positive effect on development of the child. He did turn into a pretty good athlete which cannot be attributed to my genetic contribution. Are there any equine theories on what effect the length of the gestation period may have on performance of the foal?

[LB]

Short answer: no.

Some foals just take longer to develop than others. As I said in another thread "normal" gestation for mares is anywhere between 320 and 370 days. So at this point, your mare is not overdue, she just hasn't foaled on the "average" number of days.