If you are a seasoned horse breeder, preparing for foaling season is relatively straightforward. Knowing what to expect when your mare is expecting makes the whole situation much less stressful. If you are new to foaling out a mare, the whole experience can be intimidating.
When your mare has made it to 320 days of pregnancy, you know you will soon be the proud owner of a newborn foal or foals. But are you ready? The good news is that labor and delivery generally go off without requiring much help from you. Instead, you get to be a quiet observer. It is usually best to allow the mare’s natural instinct and abilities to handle the delivery. You are just there in the event of trouble or an emergency. Being knowledgeable of normal labor and delivery will allow for quick action and recognition if abnormal events should occur.
There are also a few things you can start getting ready in the weeks leading up to her due date that will aid in making for a safe and memorable foaling.
Caring For The Mare Before Foaling
Your mare should have routine veterinary health checks throughout her pregnancy, including all necessary vaccinations, with recommended booster shots four to six weeks prior to foaling. These are important not only for the mare’s health, but to maximize the antibodies in her colostrum so she can pass this protection on to her new foal when they nurse that first day. Talk with your veterinarian to schedule vaccines at the right time.
Keep up with your mare’s normal hoof care routine.
The last trimester of pregnancy (months 9–11) is vital as the foal is rapidly growing, so your mare needs a nutrition program designed around gestation.
Daily requirements of mare during last trimester of pregnancy:
- 1 to 2% of body weight in forage
- 0.5 to 1% of body weight in concentrate
Signs Your Mare Is Ready to Foal
Mares usually foal about 330 to 345 days after successful breeding, but they may foal a week or so earlier or later than this window. Experienced broodmare managers know some of the usual signs that show a mare is close to giving birth. However, first-time breeders may not be familiar with these signs. In order to be more prepared for delivery of a foal, anyone keeping a pregnant mare should watch for these indications.
The visual signs of a mare’s readiness to foal are:
- Udder distension begins 2-6 weeks prior to foaling.
- Relaxation of the muscles of the croup 7-19 days prior to foaling; relaxation around the tail head, buttocks, and lips of the vulva.
- Teat nipples fill 4-6 days prior to foaling.
- Waxing of the teats 2-4 days before. Waxing (or wax beads) refers to the colostrum (first milk) which appears at the end of the teats.
- Dripping of colostrum 24-48 hours before foaling. Loss of colostrum may result in an inadequate supply for the newborn foal.
- Prior to foaling, the mare’s body temperature will be equal to or drop lower than her normal morning temperature.
Where Will She Foal?
Keep in mind that the majority of mares will prefer foaling at night, when they are isolated and surroundings are calm, quiet, and dark. Allowing her to feel safe in an environment where she is comfortable enough to lay down is key to a low stress foaling. Take into consideration your mare’s breed and size when choosing the location. Be sure to provide a stall that is no less than 14 X 14 feet (14 X 28 feet being ideal), or consider adding a hinged foaling wall that gives you the ability to make two regular sized stalls into one large stall, this will allow ample room for mare and foal during and after foaling as well as protection from the elements and wind.
Clean and disinfect the foaling stall in plenty of time so it is ready when you need it. If possible, leave it empty until right before the mare is ready to foal. When foaling is imminent, bed the stall with clean straw or bedding hay. Avoid shavings for foaling, which will stick to the wet newborn and possibly get in its nose.
If you have stall mats, you may want to pull them out for foaling and the first few days after the foal is born. They can be slippery, especially for a wobbly-legged new foal, making it harder for the baby trying to stand and get around.
Vaccinations
You should discuss with your veterinarian which vaccinations to give your mare during her pregnancy and specifically in the last 6 weeks. Getting this right will optimize the passive transfer of specific antibodies from colostrum to the foal once born. Routine yearly vaccinations can be given 6 weeks before foaling, and specific maternal vaccination such as Rota-virus, should be a key consideration due to the significant impact rota-viral diarrhea will have on the young foal.
Foaling Kit
No mare is the same when it comes to foaling out, though year after year it is found that mares will follow a similar foaling pattern. That said, it is good practice to have all the supplies ready well in advance and ideally waiting outside the designated foaling stall. You do not want to be scrambling around when your mare is in labor or be unprepared in the event of an emergency. Some important items to have on hand include:
Foaling Supplies
- Terry cloth towels—bath towel or half-size bath towels
- Small blanket or old down vest (should you have to keep the foal warm on a cold night)
- Stainless steel bucket
- Liquid soap such as Dawn or Ivory
- Baling twine or strong string
- Scissors
- Phosphate Enema
- Iodine for dipping navels
- Small containers for dipping foal’s navel
- Umbilical clamps or rubber bands in case foal’s navel bleeds more than normal
- Obstetrical sleeves
- Disposable tail wrap or gauze bandage for wrapping tail
- Disposable latex gloves
- Lubricant or K-Y Jelly (not mineral oil)
- Flashlights & batteries (in case of power failure)
- Cell phone or cordless phone
- Phone numbers of vets, experienced foaling person (post near phone!)
After Foaling
During the second stage labor, things will get messy. This stage should last no more than 45 minutes. With luck, it will be less than that. But, when things are not proceeding well, call a vet sooner rather than later. Here are some important time windows:
- Foal should be standing, within two hours.
- Foal should be nursing, in less than three hours.
- If the mare kicks at the foal, or refuses to let it nurse, you will need to step in right away.
A few simple precautions and a lot of common sense on the part of the owner can help most mares have a safe and successful pregnancy and produce a healthy, vigorous foal. Although some mares start the foaling season in early January, the majority will foal in April and May. So, now is the time to select a foaling location, begin assembling necessary supplies and chart a plan of action. Unlike human babies that can acquire immunity in their mother’s uterus, a foal must ingest colostrum (the yellowy substance in a mare’s first milk) within eight to 12 hours of birth in order to acquire protection against disease.
Most mares will pass their placenta within an hour after birth. After two hours, the mare’s placenta is considered retained, which is a medical emergency requiring veterinary intervention. As the mare approaches four to six hours of placental retention, she is at risk of becoming extremely ill and even dying. The retained placenta allows bacteria to overgrow in the uterus and release deadly toxins. A retained placenta can have several adverse effects on the mare: Her immune system can be severely compromised, she can founder, and she can develop endometritis that can compromise her reproductive future. Contact a veterinarian anytime your mare retains her placenta in the uterus for longer than two hours. The veterinarian will likely recommend she receive anti-inflammatories, a uterine lavage, and possibly antibiotics.
Normal Newborn Foal Check
- Heart rate: 60 to 100 beats per minute (should be about 80 to 100 beats per minute by 24 hours old)
- Respiration: 40 to 60 breaths per minute; noticeably shallow, slow or irregular breathing is cause for concern (should be about 30 breaths per minute by 24 hours old)
- Temperature: 99 to 102 degrees
- Gums: pink
- Suckle reflex: by 30 minutes after birth
- Standing: within 60 minutes of birth; taking longer than 2 hours to stand is not normal
- Time until first urination: colts about 6 hours, fillies as long as 11 hours
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