All About
Foaling
Your
mare is within weeks of foaling and time passed quicker than you imagined. The day is quickly approaching and you
realize you are NOT ready. Take a deep
breath, relax and get prepared!
Stall
preparation: If the plan is to have
your mare foal in a pipe corral or pen instead of a barn stall you’ll need to
make a few changes. Foals can easily
slip through between the lower rail and the ground thus getting separated from
their dam. Both foal and mare will suffer….foals
won’t get to drink right away which could be disasterous and mares will be
going crazy which can lead to injuries.
Therefore we need to foal-proof the pen. This is easily done by either securing ½” plywood to the corral
panels making sure the edge comes all the way to the ground. Securing can be done by drilling holes in
the plywood and using zip ties around the vertical poles. You must include gate
panels too. The added benefit is it also allows privacy if there are other
horses nearby. The other way to make a
pen safer is to use bales of straw (placed on their edge) around the inside
perimeter of the pen. This works well
for both pipe corrals or chain link (wouldn’t want baby to catch a foot through
or under the chain link). A shelter is also
imperative. It is no fun and unhealthy
to have a foal out in the rain. We’d
hate to have to have you clear out the garage to serve as a nursery (yes, it
has been done)! Make sure it is tall
enough for your mare and that there is
enough room for mom and baby to lie down. A 14X14 shelter is adequate for most
average size mares.
Safety
check: Make sure all bolts are to the
outside of the pen and there are no stray wires, hooks etc. Water placement: It is dangerous to have a large tub of water on the ground as the
foal could drown in it. Hanging a
bucket or an automatic waterer is much safer.
Creature
comforts: While a mint on the pillow is
not necessary there should be plenty of straw bedding in the pen. Make sure you clean this daily. Yes, it’s a bit of a pain but it’s less
dusty than shavings. Dust can irritate
the foals respiratory passages and predispose it to infections. While you’re at
it make sure you have some creature comforts for yourself nearby…i.e. lounge
chair and sleeping bag, stocked cooler, pillow, a good book etc. or a nice
travel trailer or better yet a monitoring system with video and sound! There
are foaling alert systems available as well that alert you when the mare goes
into labor.
You’ll
also want to gather a foaling kit: a
plastic tool box works wonders. It
should include: 1)Vets phone number 2) towels 3) Nolvasan or betadine solution
to dip the naval 4) shot glass (for the nolvasan not you!) 5) a watch 6)
timeline for normal foals 7) Fleet enema 8) Land O’ Lakes Mares Match milk
replacer (incase your mare does not produce enough milk) 9) flashlight and
extra batteries. 10) camera. A bucket
with a lid should also be nearby for the placenta ( and rubber gloves for the
squimish).
Whew,
now that the hard part is over…you get to look for clues of impending foaling:
1)
Beginning
of udder filling 2-4 weeks prior. Some
sneaky mares don’t fill until just before or even after foaling.
2)
Distension
of the teats 4-6 days pre-foaling. (except in those sneaky mares mentioned
above).
3)
Waxing
of the teats 1-4 days pre-foaling (does not always occur)
4)
Softening
of the muscles of the croup (look around the tail head)
5)
The
mare may get anxious/restless or even appear colicky. She may kick at her belly, bite her flanks, lie down and get up. This should not last more than an hour or
two. This would be first stage labor
and can occur for several days. Usually
these signs diminish and your horse will go back to eating or she will progress
to actual labor. If this does not occur it may be a true colic instead and you
should call your veterinarian.
If it appears that all is proceeding, have your cell
phone and watch handy. The end of the
first stage is the water breaking.
Contractions are strong and the foal should be expelled within 30 minutes,
call your vet if it is taking longer.
If there has been no progress (no portion of the foal is showing) within
15 minutes call your vet for help.
Otherwise sit back, be quiet and wait.
Mares appreciate quiet and no bright lights.
Avoid the urge to “help” unless instructed by a
veterinarian.
Wow, that was fast! Now what? The mare and foal should lay quietly for
several minutes. Don’t go in until the
umbilicus breaks (usually after the foal struggles a bit or the mare gets
up). Get the nolvasan in the shot
glass, if it’s cold take some towels with you to dry the foal a bit. Dip the naval in the nolvasan. Repeat the dip every 12 hrs for the next few
days. It is ok to do a little
imprinting (5 min or so), touch the foal all over including ears and nose. Then leave the foal alone. The timeline for normal foals is:
1) starts
attempting to rise in 30 min.
2) stands
and nurses within 2 hours (call vet if longer). Watch for actual latching onto the teat and swallowing. Make sure
your mare stands for these attempts.
Foals get discouraged quickly.
If necessary halter the mare and restrain as necessary. If you are not comfortable with restraint
(i.e. a twitch or lip chain) make sure you have someone with you that is, just
in case.
3) passes
meconium (dark sticky first stool) within 12 hours post birth. If not or you
see straining call your vet.
4) Mare should pass the placenta by 3 hours, if not
call the vet. A retained placenta can
be life threatening. Save the placenta
in a bucket and cover with water and a lid (dogs think placenta is a lovely
treat) for the vet to check later.
5) Allow the
mare access to food and water
I
cannot emphasize enough the importance of having your foal nurse successfully
in the outlined time. Foals must have
that first milk (colostrum) starting at 2hrs and continuing through the first
8-12 hours. This is the only way a foal
gets immunity to fight diseases early in life.
They are also susceptible to dehydration.
Call
your veterinarian or leave a message within the first few hours to schedule a
mare and foal exam. This is typically
done after the first 12 hours unless there are problems. The veterinarian will
tell you anything they are concerned about. A blood sample is collected from
the foal to run an IgG test which gives us a level of antibodies (immunity) the
foal has received from the colostrum.
If it is below an acceptable level the foal may have to be treated.
If
all this is overwhelming we can also help refer you to an experienced person who
can take your mare prior to foaling and do all the work and worry for you!
Most
importantly enjoy watching your foal and take lots of pictures….they grow up
fast!
A.C.E.S. wishes you a
healthy and happy foaling!