Meagan Phelps finishes the morning chores at the SIU stables at about 5 a.m. in April, 2009, the last hour of her foal watch. A foal watch requires a pair of equine science students to stay at the stables from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. to watch any of the horses that are pregnant and due to foal-foal being what a newborn horse is called, and refers to the pregnant horse being very close to and giving birth. Horses have an 11 month pregnancy cycle, and usually only give birth at night. So, to ensure that the horses have as few complications as possible, towards the end of the pregnancy, students are set on 24 hour watch of pregnant horses.