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9
EQUINE MATTERS
GUIDE TO FOAL HEALTH
A
step-by-step
guide
to foal health
Lucy Holmes REVN MBVNA and Catherine Luke REVN
Minster Equine Veterinary Clinic
THE PROCESS OF PARTURITION
(giving birth)
●
Your mare will usually lie down once she
is ready to give birth and after some strong
contractions the amniotic sac (a transparent
bluish-white membrane) will quickly
become visible.
●
Foaling usually occurs at night and can
take between 15 minutes and one hour
(it should not exceed one hour).
●
Soon after birth the foal will start sitting
up in sternal recumbency (on its chest).
●
The foal will quickly start to try to stand -
the mare encourages this by licking and
nudging the foal. Foals normally stand
within 1-2 hours.
●
It is important that the foal should nurse
from the mare within three hours as it needs
to get the vital colostrum (first milk) from the
mare in order to fight any infection. The
foal’s ability to absorb the antibodies from
colostrum declines rapidly after 12 hours.
●
The placenta (afterbirth) will normally be
passed within 1-2 hours. It is important to
check it is passed intact as the mare can
become seriously ill if any of the placenta
is retained.
●
The foal should pass urine and meconium
(first droppings that are dark green, brown
or black in colour and can be very firm)
within 12 hours.
TIPS FOR ENCOURAGING A FOAL
TO SUCKLE
Interference with the above steps must be kept
to a minimum to avoid disrupting the bond
between the mare and foal. Sometimes a
gentle ‘push in the right direction’ for a foal is
all it needs to start sucking. If further help is
needed you may need to direct the foal to the
udder and gently scratch the top of its rump
which mimics the nuzzling of its mother. A
gentle pull down of your thumb on the teat
whilst cupping it with your hand will release
some milk which you can guide into the foal’s
mouth (ensure someone is holding the mare
when you do this).
Your foal should be bright, aware of its
surroundings and have a close contact with
its mother at all times.
It is advised to have a vet check over your
mare and foal within 24 hours of birth.
FEEDING YOUR FOAL
To begin with, the foal relies entirely on
the mare for all of its nutritional needs. You
therefore need to make sure the mare is on
a high protein diet (stud nuts/stud mix and a
good quality hay or haylage). It is advisable
to monitor her weight visually, and adjust the
feed accordingly. The foal will start to nibble
at the mare’s feed (concentrate and hay)
around 10-21 days but it can be as early as
a week. When the foal reaches 8-12 weeks
you should consider feeding a young stock
concentrate which is high in protein, vitamins
and minerals.
Veterinary Nurses
Lucy Holmes
Catherine Luke
XLVets Equine Practice
Minster Equine
Veterinary Clinic
As foaling season is fast approaching
there are many questions a first time
breeder wants to ask. This article
should help put your mind at rest by
giving you a guide on what a healthy
‘normal’ foal should be doing and
when to call the vet.