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Mare & Foal Care Factsheet

This article is from the October 2019 Horse Deals magazine.


What do I need to prepare when my mare is due to foal?

• Coverall for yourself (you may get wet/dirty)
• Tail bandage
• Clean buckets of water
• Scissors
• Towels to dry the foal
• Diluted (1%) iodine or chlorhexidine solution


Nursing

A healthy foal usually nurses 5-7 times per hour. It's important that he ingests 2 litres of colostrum in the first 24 hours of life, that's when his intestine absorbs the antibodies (IgG) contained in it. If he doesn't receive the IgG from the mother (failure of the passive transfer of immunity) he will be predisposed to infections and septicaemia.

Sleep

Foals lay down frequently to sleep in lateral recumbency. Foals that appear sleepy or hang their heads while standing are not resting properly and are showing early symptoms of illness.


When should I call my veterinarian for assistance?

• The foal cannot be roused
• The foal cannot stand/nurse
• The foal doesn't show the behaviours listed in the following table within the correct time
• Milk comes out of the nostrils when the foal nurses
• The foal shows colic signs or tail flag (it means he's straining to pass hard faeces)
• The mare doesn't allow the foal to nurse or has no milk
• Mare doesn't pass the placenta within 3 hours from foaling

Checklist for the newborn foal

Breathes/moves - Immediately after birth
Sternal recumbency - 1-5 min after birth
Suck reflex - 15-30 min after birth
Stands - 1-2 hours after birth
Nurses - 2-3 hours after birth
Passes meconium - 4-6 hours after birth
Urinates - 9-12 hours after birth
His IgG levels are > 800 mg/dL - 12-24 hours after birth

Umbilical Care

The first day it is recommended to disinfect the umbilicus with a diluted solution of chlorhexidine or diluted betadine (2%, like a light tea) 2-3 times per day. During the first days of life of the foal it is important that no discharge, bleeding or infection is observed around the umbilicus. If, when the foal urinates, some drops of pee fall down from the umbilicus, the condition is called "patent urachus" and warrants veterinary attention.

Written by Dr. Valentina Vitale and Dr. Gaby van Galen from Camden Equine Centre

Dr. Valentina Vitale graduated at the University of Pisa. She started a PhD in equine physiology mainly on heart rate variability. During her last year of PhD she began an internship in equine medicine and surgery. After working for 6 months as anaesthetist and internal veterinarian in Italy and 6 months in Africa for a UK charity society, she then returned to Barcelona to do a residency in equine internal medicine, that she just finished. During her residency she developed a strong interest in neonatal care.

Dr. Gaby van Galen graduated from Ghent University. She then continued in a residency in equine internal medicine and PhD at Liege University. She became boarded in equine internal medicine and veterinary emergency and critical care. She has worked for 6 years in Scandinavia and since 2018 has led the internal medicine section of Camden Equine Centre. She has a strong interest in neonatal care and is leading several research projects.


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