A HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR YOUR FOAL !                    

Jeske Noordergraaf, VMD

March 2005  

Mares are pregnant for a long time with the average length of gestation being 338 – 343 days or 11 months and 10 days.  Being prepared before foaling and making sure that the mare is vaccinated, dewormed and in good condition will help both the mare and foal. 

What to do during the pregnancy: 

The most common cause of abortion in mares is Rhinopneuminitis, a herpes virus.  Mares should be vaccinated at 5, 7, and 9 months of pregnancy to prevent this virus.  Then 4 – 6 weeks before the mare’s due date, vaccinate her for Tetanus, Eastern and Western Encephalitis (sleeping sickness), Influenza, the respiratory form of Rhino, West Nile and other vaccines as directed by your veterinarian.  By vaccinating the mare at this time, she develops high blood levels which she passes on to the foal through the colostrum.  Foals are born without any immunity and need to nurse within 12 hours to become protected.   

Foaling: 

Now it is finally time for the foal to arrive.  Where should your mare foal?  We prefer in a safe, clean stall at least 14’ by 14’.  The mare needs to be away from other horses so she can concentrate on her  foal  and not be busy protecting her newborn from the others.  The fence or wall  where the mare delivers needs to be solid so that the foal won’t end up on the other side from the mare.  It occasionally happens that the mare ends up on one side of the fence and the foal on the other.  The mare becomes very upset, the foal is unable to nurse and the mare-foal bond may not develop. 

Mares provide clues that they will soon give birth.  However, the timetable is far from absolute.  Some mares may show all the signs like clockwise; others show practically none.  The following is a general guideline, but be prepared for surprises: 

1. The mare’s udder begins filling with milk 2-4 weeks prior to foaling.

2. The muscles of the vulva and croup relax.  The tailhead may become more prominent a
    few days prior to foaling.

3. The teats become engorged 4-6 days prior to foaling.

4. “Waxing” of the teats occurs.  A yellowish, honey-like secretion appears 1-4 days prior
     to the foaling.  The secretion may drip, and the udder may even drip milk several days
     prior to the birth.

5. The mare becomes anxious and restless.  She may appear to be colicky.  She may kick
    at her belly, pace, lie down and get up, look or bite at her flank, and sweat.  She may
    frequently raise her tail and urinate.  Generally, this is the first stage of labor.
    (However, be aware that colic remains a possibility.  If such behavior is prolonged for
     more than an hour or two without progress towards foaling, contact your veterinarian.) 

Most mares foal without difficulty.  It is usually best to allow the mare to foal undisturbed and unassisted.  If a problem becomes apparent, contact your veterinarian immediately.  Wrap the mare’s tail with a clean wrap when you observe the first stage of labor being careful that the wrap isn’t applied too tightly.  Wash the mare’s vulva  and hindquarters.   

Labor is divided into 3 stages: 

Stage one begins with the onset of contractions and generally lasts 1-2 hours.  During this phase, contractions move the foal into position in the birth canal.  The fetal membranes may become visible at the mare’s vulva.  When the sac breaks, signaled by a rush of fluid, stage one ends.   

Stage two is the actual expulsion of the foal.  If it takes more than 30 minutes for the mare to deliver, there could be a problem.  Call your veterinarian immediately.  If labor seems to be progressing, wait and watch.  Even in a normal delivery, the mare may stand up, lie down and roll several times in an effort to properly position the foal for delivery.

Normal presentation of the foal resembles a diving position, with front feet first, one slightly ahead of the other, hooves down, followed closely by the nose, head, neck, shoulders, and hindquarters.  If you notice hoof soles up or any deviation from the normal position, call your equine veterinarian immediately. 

Stage three begins after delivery and this is the phase during which the placenta (afterbirth) is expelled.  Most placentas are passed within 1-3 hours after the foal is delivered.  If the placenta has not passed within 3 hours, call your veterinarian as a retained placenta can cause serious problems, including massive infections and laminitis.

 In the excitement of birth, it is important to remember some tried and true guidelines.

o       Allow the foal time to break the fetal membranes.

o       Make sure the foal is breathing.

o       Allow the umbilical cord to break on its own.  If it has not broken during delivery, it will usually break when the mare or foal gets up.

o       Encourage the mare and foal to rest as long as possible and bond.

o       Treat the umbilical cord with antiseptic several times.

o       Observe the mare and foal closely for the next 24 hours.

o       The foal should attempt to rise within 30 minutes.

o       The foal should nurse within 3 hours.

o       The mare should be non-aggressive, curious and accepting of her newborn.  Occasionally a mare will reject her newborn and needs to be restrained to allow the foal to nurse.  This is more common with maiden mares.

o       The foal should pass meconium within 12 hours of birth and should not be constantly straining to defecate. 

We recommend having a veterinary exam on the mare and foal done  within the first 24 hours of birth.  The temperature, pulse and respiratory rate are checked on both mare and foal, we check eyes, lungs, legs and all the parts of that beautiful newborn.  The placenta is examined to make sure that all of it was passed and we recommend an IgG test on the foal which measures that the mare had quality colostrum and that the foal absorbed it.  By catching a potential problem early, we can hopefully prevent it. 

Congratulations!