Now that you have chosen the right stallion and your mare is bred, it is time for the foal to be born. You have anticipated this moment through a long gestation period, and you are anxious to see if your hard work and research have paid off to add the perfect asset to your program. In this article I am going to discuss the birth of the foal and what proper care to do once the foal is born.
A foaling area should be prepared to allow for a safe birth. The area should be at least 12 feet by 14 feet, dry, have proper bedding, and be free of anything that can cause infection in the foal. Feed and water containers should be placed out of the way to prevent injury to the mare or the foal. Check for any protruding nails, splintering wood, etc. to prevent injury as well.
A mare will go through a few phases when she is foaling. The first phase involves the mare preparing to foal. She will almost look "colicky" as she will look at her flanks, swish her tail, stretch, and even possibly roll. She will begin to sweat, have an increase in pulse and respiration, as well as become restless. This phase can last anywhere from a few minutes to several hours, but on average last about an hour. If you are examining the mare to see the progress of the positioning of the baby make sure you have proper lubrication such as petroleum jelly to do so. The forefeet and muzzle of the foal should be present in the birth canal. If they are not, then you should contact your veterinarian immediately as to prevent dystocia (difficult birthing).
The next phase is the actual birth of the foal and on average this phase only last 15 to 20 minutes. Usually a mare will lie on her side and sometimes will turn to her hindquarters and nicker. At least once during the birth a mare will return to standing, however if a mare consistently stands and then lies down, this can be signs of a problem. The mare will strain with 2 to 3 minutes of rest in between. If 10 minutes of strenuous labor occur with no results, examine to see where the foal is in the birth canal. If the foal's forefeet and muzzle are not in the canal, contact the veterinarian.
A bluish-white membrane called the amnion should appear at the vulva after a series of strong contractions. Within the amnion the forelegs should be together with one leg slightly behind the other. If the amnion has not ruptured by the time the pregnancy is complete, break the sac away from the muzzle to allow the foal to start breathing. Once the foal is born, 3.4% iodine solution should be applied to the naval. The last stage involves the passing of the placenta. The placenta should pass within 3 hours of the birth of the foal. If the placenta does not pass within 8 hours, contact your veterinarian as this could lead to toxemia or laminitis.
Now that you have your new bundle of joy, you should make sure the foal nurses to get colostrum (first milk) within a few hours of birth. Give the foal an enema to help pass the meconium (first feces) to prevent infection after a few hours of birth or when the foal is standing. Within 2 to 24 hours of birth have your veterinarian examine the foal for any abnormalities and have a concentrated immunoassay technology (CITE) test ran to determine the adequate absorption of the colostrum. If the CITE is low then a plasma transfusion may need to be done or other forms of colostrum may need to be given to the foal. The mare should also be examined as well to make sure there was no damage during birth. Also deworm the mare with ivermectin which will be passed to the foal via milk to decrease parasite transmission.
The foal should not have to be seen again by your veterinarian until 3-4 months of age when the foal should be started on a vaccination schedule. At 3-4 months the foal should be vaccinated against Rabies, Influenza, and Rhinopneumonitis. Two more doses should be repeated once a month there after. Tetanus Toxoid and Encephalomyelitis should be vaccinated against at 4-5 months and again at 5-6 months. Strangles should be vaccinated against at 6 months and 7 months. At two months of age the foal should be dewormed with ivermectin, pyrantel pamoate or a benzimidazole dewormer. Deworm the mare with moxidectin or ivermectin. After 4 months of age the foal should be dewormed every 60 days.
If any abnormalities arise within your mare or foal do not hesitate to call your veterinarian. By finding problems early can help prevent long-term defects.
Angela Chenault, DVM; La Paloma Equine Clinic; (936) 931-9100