Allegheny Equine Associates
Preparations Before Your Mare Foals: It should come as no surprise that in order to produce a healthy foal, the mare herself should be healthy and provided with appropriate nutrition and pre-foaling vaccines. Your mare should receive her pre-foaling shots 4-6 weeks before her due date to ensure the transfer of immunity in the colostrum. It is important to discuss pre-foaling vaccines with your veterinarian, as the recommendations can vary depending on where you live. These vaccines are important, as your foal will typically not receive its first set of shots until 3-4 months of age, and will be dependent on the transfer of immunity from the mare’s milk.
Talk with your veterinarian about a de-worming plan for your expectant mare, or having a fecal performed, as this is also an important step for your impending foal, since they will not receive their first dewormer until they are at least one month (approximately 30 days) old. Foals will typically receive an Ivermectin product as their first dewormer, but it is important to consult with your veterinarian before administering.
The Foaling Process: As your mare gets near to parturition, you will start to see changes in her body and attitude. The mare will have softening of the tissue around her tail head, elongation of her vulva region and udder development with “waxing” of her teats. As she gets closer to foaling, she may display discomfort such as a crabby attitude, lying down more frequently, not eating as well and not moving as much in the pasture.
Typical duration of pregnancy in mares is 335-340 days but can range anywhere from 320-370. At Allegheny Equine, we calculate the approximated due date as 342 days post-ovulation of their last breeding. However, this is only an approximation, and your vet may calculate differently. Each mare and each pregnancy can be different, and it should not be a cause for alarm if your mare goes past her due date. It is not uncommon for a mare to go past her due date, although if she goes more than 2 weeks past the average gestation date, an exam by your vet may be warranted. If you have any concerns, it is always recommended to discuss these with your vet.
Foaling most commonly occurs during late night to early morning hours, but it is not uncommon for mares to go during the daytime if the barn/foaling area is quiet and calm. It is important to be observant if your mare begins demonstrating any of the symptoms previously mentioned, in the event intervention may be necessary. It is important to note that intervention should only occur if there is a problem, as unnecessary intervention could cause issues to the health of the mare or foal, or both.
Foaling occurs in three stages. The first stage can very commonly go unnoticed, as the mare will begin having uterine contractions and may not display any obvious signs that this is happening. Sometimes, these symptoms can also mimic colic, such as getting up and down, pacing or pawing. This stage typically lasts between 1-2 hours.
The second stage begins when the fetal membranes become visible and her water breaks. Your mare will begin delivering the foal, a process which should not exceed 30 minutes. This stage of the process is fast, and time is of the essence. If your mare has not given birth within 20-30 minutes, or if you see abnormal position of the foal (ie. Headfirst, only one leg) it is important to contact your veterinarian.
Another concern would be a redbag delivery. This happens when the placenta separates prematurely from the uterus, and the oxygen supply to the foal is compromised. In a redbag delivery, you will notice a bright red, “velvety” sac being expelled from the mare as opposed to the thin, white-to-clear membrane sac associated with a normal delivery. In this scenario, direct intervention is necessary to save the foal, as the placenta is covering the foal’s airways and it could die from asphyxiation if the sac is not broken immediately. All redbag delivery foals should be examined by a veterinarian immediately, even if they appear healthy (see “Dummy Foals” below).
Once the foal has been born, try not to disturb the mare and foal too much by going in and out of the stall. The initial period after birth is very important for mare and foal bonding. There are sometimes that entering the stall may be necessary and include:
Amnionic sac (white-clear sac around the foal) does not break open – You will need to go in and break the sac manually with your fingers so the foal can receive oxygen.
Cold weather – if it is very cold outside, go in after the foal is born and rub it down with dry, warm towels
Placenta – if the mare is in the process of passing the placenta but it is hanging and dragging on the ground in a manner that she could step on it and rip it, tie it up on itself several times. Do NOT cut it off, try to pull it out or tie anything else to it. The mare will pass it when she is ready and the weight of it tied upon itself is all you need.
If for any reason you need to assist the foal in standing, you must NOT lift the foal by the abdomen, or put any pressure on it. This area is very easy to damage when the foal is young, and trauma or force to the abdomen can cause bladder rupture or damage to organs.
When lifting a foal, stand on either side of the foal and put one arm around their chest, and grip the base of their tail with your other hand and lift, allowing the foal to use its own legs to assist them. Sometimes, the foal will get their hind legs under them first and only require some minimal assistance or balance in standing.
Which brings us to the third stage, where the placenta will be expelled. This process can take up to three hours, but any longer than that is a cause for concern.
The Rule of 3: Three things should occur within the first 3 hours of your foal being born.
The foal should stand within the first hour of life
The foal should nurse within the first 2 hours of life
The mare should pass the placenta within three hours after giving birth
If any of these do not occur within the mentioned timeframes, you should contact your veterinarian immediately
Importance of Colostrum and Passive Transfer of Immunity: Within the first 12 hours of life, the foal should have consumed an adequate amount of colostrum (roughly 1000mL depending on the quality of the colostrum and size of the foal). It is important that the foal receive the adequate amount of colostrum as a newborn foal does not have an immune system at birth, and the transfer of immunity comes from the vaccinated mare’s milk and help them build resistance to infection. Foals that do not adequately receive enough colostrum from their mothers are at risk of infection and could die. There is a simple blood test that your veterinarian can perform called an IgG snap test, that can measure the colostrum intake once the foal is between 16 and 24 hours old. If the test measures a failure or poor passive transfer, it may be recommended by your veterinarian that the foal receive a plasma transfusion to help supplement their immune system.
Care of the Newborn Foal: Most of the care of your newborn foal will be provided by the mother, but there are a few things that will need attention from the owner. Foals should intermittently be bright, alert and nursing frequently, followed by periods of laying down and resting.
Mare’s Udder– One of the most important things to keep an eye on is the mare’s udder. If the mare’s udder is too full or too small, these could both be causes for concern. A too-full udder, or an udder that is dripping or spraying milk means the foal is not consuming enough and it should be noted if the foal is properly latching on when nursing, or if the foal is interested in nursing at all. A lack of interest in nursing can be a cause for concern and you should contact your veterinarian immediately. On the other hand, a mare that may not be producing enough milk will often have an udder that appears small and the foal may appear to be nursing more than necessary, as they are not getting an appropriate amount of milk. You can work with your veterinarian for instruction on what to do if your mare is experiencing either of these issues.
Nursing – As previously mentioned, it is important to keep an eye on the mare’s udder, but attention should also be paid to whether the foal is nursing properly and has a good suckle. If the foal is not latching onto the teat or seems to be searching for the udder, you may need to gently assist the foal in finding the teat and making sure they latch on well. You should notice the foal swallowing once they are properly latched on. Additionally, if you see milk coming from the foal’s nostrils when nursing, it is important to contact your veterinarian immediately.
Umbilicus – It is important to dip the umbilical stump every 8-12 hours for the first several days, until the stump dries up and falls off. A dilute chlorohexidine solution (0.5%) or dilute betadine solution are the most recommended by vets. Iodine is not recommended as it tends to be too potent and can cause irritation at least, and infection at most. If the stump appears wet after 48 hours, any signs of infection, or you see urine dripping from the naval, it is important to contact your vet immediately as these could be signs of a serious infection, bladder rupture, or hernia.
Colic – The most common cause of colic in the newborn foal is impaction colic, from the meconium. Meconium is the first feces a foal will pass after birth and can be sticky and difficult to pass. Foals will typically pass their meconium within the first 9-12 hours of life, and should appear orange-brown in color. Some foals will pass some meconium, and then later on become uncomfortable. Lying down, rolling, and frequent swishing of tail are signs that the foal may have a meconium impaction. It is important to call your vet if you notice any of these signs or symptoms in your foal.
