Foaling

Written by Dr John Simpson
BASICS
  • Do not rush the mare: her uterus is not a feed sack - open the top and the foal falls out!
  • No hurried or panicky movements,
  • No raised voices,
  • No unnecessary interference
  • No hesitation in calling assistance if you sense a problem.

FOALING OUTSIDE (under lights) - the better option in a mild climate
or FOALING IN A STABLE - the better option if there are complications

PREPARATIONS
  • A conveniently close telephone
  • A list of emergency numbers (vet, assistant(s), etc.)
  • Clean hands and arms, short finger nails and no jewellery!
  • Bucket - with cover - for afterbirth + source of hot water
  • Soap + clean tail bandage + clean towel + roll of cotton wool
  • Iodine + Thread/string soaked in iodine + Surgical scissors (with rounded ends)
  • Syringes + needles + vaccines
  • A colic remedy + an enema bag with soft rubber hose + a twitch
FOALING OUTSIDE
  • In driving rain mares foaling outside will hold on, but likely to foal immediately rain stops.
  • Mare ready to foal will be taken to a clean adjoining paddock with perhaps a companion to keep her settled.
  • Mares will often roll to right the foal’s delivery position.
  • A little bag of amniotic fluid appearing out of the vulva is the sign that foaling has started.
BREAKING OF THE WATERS
  • The membranes rupture under pressure.
  • Foaling attendant makes a manual check on foal’s presentation:
  • a muzzle between two front legs, one more forward than the other
  • A clean tail bandage may be applied to the mare
PRESENTATION PROBLEMS
  • Should be correctible provided problem picked up before foal has reached the pelvic arch
  • foal upside down and needing 180 degree rotation
  • Head and/or front leg turned back
  • Head under chest and/or knees bent
  • Normal breech presentation
  • foal jammed in pelvic arch, dorsal and abnormal breech presentations
    CALL THE VET AND AT LEAST ONE ATTENDANT
ASSISTING
  • Two forelegs appearing, one slightly in advance of the other
  • Position yourself behind the mare, grasp the leg that is slightly behind and gently pull it level with the other leg in a downward direction towards the mare’s hocks
  • Remember that you are guiding as well as pulling - the mare is doing the real work.
  • The foal’s muzzle comes into view lying across its forearm just above the knee
  • The shoulders are the widest part and require the greatest effort for expulsion
  • Once shoulders are through, the hips and hindlegs usually slip out easily and quickly.
  • Try to ensure that umbilical cord does not break immediately as a result of the foal’s position and…
  • That the mare stays down - though you cannot stop her if she wants to jump up.
  • make sure the membranes around the foal (the caul or placenta) are clear of the head (or the foal could suffocate or drown in amniotic fluid).
  • Ensure that foal has started breathing
BREATHING (first minute)
  • With foal sitting up on its haunches, gently squeeze out fluid from nose and mouth
  • Normally, breathing (respiration) begins promptly and continues smoothly without assistance
  • IF NOT, give a brisk massage with a towel or handful of hay/ straw
  • IF RESPONSE STILL POOR, mouth to nostril inflation of lungs (OR give oxygen through canister with care so as not to over-inflate foal’s lungs)
NAVEL (up to 5 minutes)
  • Blood transfers from mare to foal for up to five minutes after delivery
  • Optimum period for rupture of chord is probably around 2 minutes after delivery
  • There is a natural weak point about 4 cms. from foal’s abdomen.
  • On rupture there will be some bleeding: no worries from mare’s end but if from foal’s end, use strong cotton or narrow gauze soaked in iodine to tie tightly around stump
  • Soak stump of umbilical chord in a strong iodine solution. This disinfection of an open highway for bacteria to enter foal’s body is vital.
BONDING
  • A good idea to grasp foal round front legs and bring it round to mother’s head
  • Take care not to get foal too close to mare’s legs in case she accidentally stands on it if she jumps up.
  • Mare will nuzzle and lick foal; foal may give a few high-pitched whinnies of recognition or appreciation
FOAL STANDS (15 - 65 minutes)
  • A few will stand in 15 minutes but the majority take some 50 minutes or more.
  • If, after over one hour there have been unsuccessful attempts. ASSIST by
  • stretching its front legs out before it
  • encourage it to put weight on these and push its forequarters up
  • assist by lifting outside of haunches (NEVER handle round rib-cage as fractures can occur during foaling and a broken rib can puncture a lung or the heart - but ribs heal quickly on their own)
  • steady the foal from behind - it will probably incline to tip over sideways otherwise
SUCKLING
  • Colostrum is the mare’s first milk - yellowish coloured and carrying antibodies. It is usually gone after 48 - 72 hours so a mare running milk before foaling may have little or no colostrum for foal.
  • Colostrum reading of 24 -30 is good.
  • IF colostrum is poor quality or absent, thaw a pint of good frozen colostrum to blood-heat and bottle-feed foal.
  • IF foal having difficulty finding mare’s udder and/or mare is being uncooperative, steer foal from the haunches towards mare’s udder
  • foal has better chance of success if it is steered at an angle of about 30 degrees to mare’s body
  • foal needs to learn to drop its head and raise its muzzle
  • foal must, of course, have a sucking reflex; using a finger as a substitute teat can help foal get the idea, but some foals can be frustratingly slow.
AFTERBIRTH (30-40 minutes after foaling)
  • Will be hanging down. Often best tied back up to itself above the level of the hocks with the piece of baler twine, trapping fluid for increased weight. Two reasons:
  • mare may be irritated by afterbirth and kick out, with risk to her foal
  • mare may stand on afterbirth and give it a violent jerk causing injury and haemorrhage to mare’s uterus
  • afterbirth should come away with gravity in its own good time partially as a consequence of the foal’s suckling
  • BUT if placenta is retained for more than 3 hours after foaling, it may be necessary for the vet to give an injection of oxytocin
  • If placenta is unduly heavy (perhaps over 6.5 kgs.) it may be better to miss the foal heat when breeding mare.
INOCULATIONS (after an hour)
  • Injections can be given to the foal after an hour and should include Tetanus antitoxin
  • Injections are best given in the gluteal muscle, noting which side
  • Any subsequent injections should be given on the opposite side.
© Dr John Simpson. Dr Simpson heads the Equine Diploma and Certificate courses at the Waikato Institute of Technology (WINTEC). For more details phone 834 8806 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it