 The
birth of a foal is a highly anticipated event for
many horse owners. Good management practices are essential
to a successful breeding program. A live, healthy
foal represents the investment of considerable time,
money and effort. Management is especially important
prior to the time the foal is weaned. The mare and
foal should be on a regular worming, exercise, vaccination
schedule along with an adequate nutritional program.
It is also best to establish a relationship with a
veterinarian who will be available for advice and/or
emergency calls. Early management can impact future
health throughout the foal's life.
The gestation period of the individual mare may change
from one year to the next. The "normal"
length of gestation is 340 days; however this is an
average, "normal "pregnancies range from
315 to 365 days.
PRE-PARTURATION
FOAL PROTECTION
Approximately
four to six weeks prior to the anticipated foaling
date, the mare should be boosted with vaccines to
provide high levels of antibodies in her colostrum
(first milk). Consult your veterinarian for recommendations
on which vaccines to administer, but as a minimum,
the mare should be boosted with tetanus toxoid.
PREPARING
THE STALL
The
foaling stall should be prepared well in advance.
It should be at least 12 by 14, clean, located in
a quiet area of the barn and maintained at a comfortable
temperature. The stall should be checked over very
closely for protruding nails, splintering wood or
anything else that could damage the newly born foal.
Feed and water containers should be positioned in
such a way that they cannot interfere with foaling
or injure the newborn foal as it struggles to it's
feet and learns to walk. Be sure to have the stall
disinfected prior to the mare being introduced.
Before the mare is brought to the foaling stall, the
floors and walls should be cleaned thoroughly. Remove
any bedding and lime the floors, scrub the walls,
feeder, water bucket and manger with soapy water using
a wire brush. After the stall has dried it should
be disinfected with povidone-iodine, pine oil or some
other product recommended by your vet. Leave the stall
open to dry for several days, then spread fresh bedding.
If
possible the stall should contain foaling rails (
boards mounted to the inside of the stall about 10"
off the wall and about 10" above the ground for
the lowest ) to keep the mare off the wall and out
of corners. Straw or shredded paper is the bedding
of choice over wood chips or sawdust which can adhere
to the wet newborn and may irritate the foal's eyes,
mucous membranes or interfere with its respiration..
Many
farm managers, owners and veterinarians prefer to
foal on clean pasture where there is minimal exposure
to infection, but to have the mare inside where she
can be closely watched is often much easier. In a
stall, assistance can be provided more readily when
necessary.
During
the last month of pregnancy the signs observed will
help determine when to change feeding practices and
when to move prepare foaling stall.
SIGNS
OF APPROACHING FOALING
Mares
may exhibit all or none of the following signs:
- Musculature
around the tail head becomes soft and flaccid 2
to 4 weeks before foaling.
- The
genitalia relaxes
- The
udder begins to fill during the same period.
- The
mare may show signs of uneasiness during the last
two weeks of gestation
- Waxing
of the teats (sticky droplets on the ends of the
teats) occurs 24 to 28 hours before parturition.
- Milky
fluid may leak from the teats for hours or days
before labor onset.
- Protrusion
of "Milk Veins" along the lower side of
the abdomen.
- Some
mares, especially maiden mares, might not produce
milk until after foaling.
- Tail
or Hindquarters rubbing.
ONE
WEEK BEFORE EXPECTED FOALING
Move
the mare to a foaling stall and change the feed ration.
It is recommended that the grain be reduce and a more
bulky ration be fed. A mare should be switched to
a ration which includes bran at least 1 week before
foaling. One pound of oats and two pounds of bran
morning and evening is recommended to decrease the
likelihood of constipation before and after foaling.
This ration will also discourage heavy milk flow,
thereby decreasing the chance of scours in the foal
and mastitis in the mare. After foaling, the grain
can be increased gradually over a ten day period until
a full grain ration is resumed.
FINAL
PREPARATIONS
Keep
the mare in the foaling stall. If possible, an experienced
person should attend her. This attendant can be helpful
if problems arise but must know his or her limitations
and call a veterinarian without delay when problem
signs appear. Please look at our list of commonly
used items to have on hand at foaling. Wash the mare's
the udder and genitalia with a mild soap. Wrap the
tail and readjust wrap (remove and reapply) several
times each day until foaling is complete.
THE
THREE STAGES OF LABOR
STAGE
1 - During the first stage of labor
which will last from 2 to 24 hours, the muscles of
the pelvic girdle relax, allowing the bones to spread
so the foal can be positioned toward the birth canal.
Movement is often noticeable as the foal turns into
position. The abdominal wall above the flank and behind
the ribs becomes concave, and the tailhead becomes
more prominent. Uterine contractions cause nervousness,
erratic eating, sweating, pacing, tail switching and
frequent urination. Colic can also cause these signs,
and it is possible for a mare to become colicky from
constipation prior to foaling. If the colic signs
become severe or the signs continue for hours, call
a veterinarian.
STAGE
2 - The second stage of labor can last
from a few to 30 minutes and include contractions
and delivery. It is important to leave the mare alone
at this point if birth is progressing normally. Disturbances
may interrupt or prolong the birth process. The mare
has very powerful uterine contractions, and when the
unborn foal is positioned in the birth canal properly,
delivery can occur in a relatively short period of
time (10 to 15 minutes). Birth usually occurs shortly
after the outer water bag ruptures.
If
birth does not occur within a reasonable length of
time (20 to 30 minutes) after strong contractions
begin or shortly after the rupture of the water bag,
malpositioning may be present, and a veterinarian
should be notified. Presentation of the foal's front
feet occurs first in a normal delivery, soles down,
relatively close together, one slightly more advanced
than the other to help reduce the circumference of
the foal's shoulders and easing passage through the
pelvis, the nose of the foal should be tucked between
the extended forelegs near the knees.
Most
mares position themselves on their sides, with their
legs fully extended during the delivery of the foal;
however, some insist on standing. Standing mares should
be held to prevent excessive walking. If the mare
delivers standing, someone should catch the foal and
gently lower it to the ground to prevent injuring
the newborn foal and to prevent the tearing of the
umbilical opening in the abdominal wall and predispose
the foal to a hernia. The urachus (tube leading to
the urinary bladder) may also tear, causing urine
leakage into the foals abdomen. If the mare lies down
next to a wall or fence, make sure there is plenty
of room for the foal's delivery, or cause the mare
to rise and allow her to select another location not
so close to an obstacle.
The
mare will usually rest after the passage of the shoulders
and again after the passage of the hips. Do not pull
on a foal progressing slowly through the vagina. If
birth progress stops for more than ten minutes in
one spot, apply gentle traction times with the contractions.
If the foal feels "locked in," rotate the
body one way, then the other; this might allow the
hips to slip through the pelvic opening of the mare.
Call a veterinarian if this technique is not immediately
successful. Walk the mare until the veterinarian arrives.
Suspect malposition of the foal and call a veterinarian
when:
- only
one foot is present
- more
than two feet are visible
- feet
are upside down
- the
nose does not appear
- the
nose appears without the front feet.
As
the foal emerges, the inner sac usually breaks. If
the sac does not break, free the foal from the sac
and wipe the nose and mouth. Foals not breathing well
should be rubbed vigorously with a towel to stimulate
breathing. Allow the foal to lie quietly behind the
mare for 10 to 25 minutes until the pulsation's in
the umbilical cord cease. This allows the foal to
receive the blood remaining in the placenta still
attached to the uterus. Then crush or cut the navel
cord and separate it three inches from the body and
dip in antiseptic to destroy bacteria, help dry up
the stump, and prevent infections. Dip the stump again
in a few hours. Some individuals also dip the feet
(a possible portal of entry for bacteria). Caution
should be used as a mare's disposition can change
quickly from friendly to aggressive at this time due
to maternal instinct.
STAGE
3 - The afterbirth is expelled during the
final stage of labor with the aid of uterine contractions.
This process usually occurs within three hours, with
normal range from 10 minutes to 8 hours. The placenta
should be tied in a knot that hangs above the mares
hocks to prevent her from stepping on it and tearing
it out prematurely. Premature pulling of the placenta
can cause irreparable damage to the mare's reproductive
tract and may cause part of the placenta to be retained.
Once
the membranes are expelled, these contractions continue
to decrease the size of the uterus. Colicky symptoms
may also appear at this time which are caused by contractions
of the uterine muscles. The placenta is expelled inside
out. Membranes which are not expelled within four
hours are considered retained. Do not pull on these
retained membranes. Tie them near the mare's vulva
to keep the mare from walking on them. A veterinarian
should treat a mare with retained afterbirth to prevent
possible uterine infection and founder (laminitis).
Membranes which are passed should be saved in the
plastic bag for the veterinarian to examine. Self
examination can be performed, you can fill the placenta
with water, any tears or missing parts may indicate
the mare has retained a portion of the placenta. Retained
placenta, even small pieces, could impair future breeding
ability.
During
this time, the mare will clean the foal which should
be trying to stand. Foals not standing within the
first 2 to 4 hours after birth may be weak or abnormal
and may require special treatment. The mare should
be "milked out" and the foal fed 4 to 8
ounces. This will stimulate most of the slow starters.
The foal also needs first milk (colostrum) before
6 hours pass to help combat disease and to aid in
eliminating fecal material which has built up in the
intestinal tract.
"Milking
out" a small amount of milk by hand will open
and clean the teat ducts. Check the teats for soreness.
Some mares will not accept their foal readily if their
udder is inflamed. Once on his feet, the foal will
generally find his way to the udder. Let the foal
find the teat himself; to help him by forcing his
head is futile. Maiden mares should be held during
this first nursing in the event they become anxious
and kick at the foal.
An
enema to help the foal pass meconium (sticky feces
in the rectum and colon) is a preventive step because
retained meconium in the intestine can harden and
become impacted, causing the foal to strain to defecate
and flag his tail back and forth. A word of warning
regarding the enema: lubricate the tip and gently
place no more than 1 inches inside the anus and all
care should be taken to prevent the perforation of
the intestine. The foal usually passes pieces of yellow-yellow
brown manure (meconium). If the foal fails to defecate,
becomes constipated or colicky, call a veterinarian.
Soon
after parturition a veterinarian should examine the
mare and foal for abnormalities such as cleft palate,
heart defects, cataracts and musculoskeletal disorders.
At this time, the veterinarian can also vaccinate
against tetanus and administer any appropriate antibiotics.
He should also examine the mare for damage to the
reproductive tract and palpate the udder to check
for mastitis. The mare should receive a tetanus toxoid
injection at this time. The placenta should be examined
to make sure it is completely intact.
Good
foaling management is an important aspect for optimum
health and survivability of both the mare and the
foal. |
