How to Deliver a Foal
Find a place where the mare should foal., Be prepared if the mare decides to foal early., Sometimes it may help to get a foaling prediction kit to determine when the mare is really about to foal., Give the mare privacy.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Find a place where the mare should foal.
This can range from out on pasture or in a small enclosure like a shed, corral or box stall.
A foaling stall should be at least 14' by 16' or larger to minimize the risk of the mare lying too close to the wall during her labour.
If the mare has to foal in a stall or shed, it must be thoroughly cleaned.
Take out all old bedding and scrub down the entire stall (floor, walls, everything) with disinfectant.
Then sprinkle the floor with lime before putting on new bedding.
Straw is best as bedding, because it won't stick to the foal as easily as wood chips or sawdust will, nor will it get into his/her nostrils and get sucked into his/her air passageways, nor get swallowed by the mare when she cleans him/her off.
Wood products may carry a bacteria called Klebsiella which can cause uterine infections.
Remove all obstacles from the stall, from feed tubs to buckets or anything else that may get in the way of the mare during her labour.
Clean the mare's udder, belly, rear and upper legs or any place that a foal would nuzzle when trying to find the udder, with warm water and chlorhexidine to reduce contamination to the foal.
This is especially useful if there has been any cases of E. coli and other foal-hood diseases on the farm.
Washing her just before foaling also greatly reduces risks of diarrhea and septicimia in the foal.
Pick up all manure several times a day so the mare has no chance of getting dirty.
A level grassy pasture is a good place to consider, especially if the mare is foaling during the time of year where the pasture isn't muddy or full of snow or both.
Make sure the pasture is free of brush, rocks, old nails, machinery, ditches or even puddles of water.
Foals have been known to drown in tiny pools of water, and get stuck on their backs in a dry ditch.
Foals can even die if they have their backs under a fence and can't get up; mostly because the mare choose to foal right beside the fence.
Consider the advantages and disadvantages of foaling out on pasture:
Advantages:
Less risk of infection More natural environment where mare can seek her own privacy and be less upset and nervous Better exercise and muscle tone for the mare More natural bowel movements than a confined mare would have on grass hay and grain because she won't be as constipated when giving birth.
Disadvantages:
Difficult for you to keep constant watch on her Foaling on pasture not advisable in bad weather or in winter. -
Step 2: Be prepared if the mare decides to foal early.
Usually mares that foal for the first time may start labour earlier than those mares that are more experienced.
Mares that foal in the spring or summer may have a shorter gestation period than those who foal in winter months (January, February or March).
Most vets believe that the time of year is the largest factor affecting length of pregnancy in all mares.
Some mares are set on their own schedules, and this can be more reliable than her age, how many other foals she's had, and the time of year.
Illness or infection can cause a mare to foal earlier or later than normal, if the fetus has been nutritionally deprived due to poor placental attachment in the uterus.
If she's 3 or 4 weeks past her due date, have your vet check her out to make sure there's nothing wrong. , Things like test strips for checking the mare's milk before foaling, TV or security cameras installed in the stall to monitor the mare 24/7, Baby Buzzer (Locust Farms, Kirkland OH), the Birth Alarm (Kincardine, ON) or the Foal Alert (Foalert Inc., Acworth, GA) are some things to try out if you don't want to be spending nights in the barn waiting for the mare to pop. , It is best to observe her quietly from a place where she cannot see nor hear you.
A mare can get easily upset of people are always hovering around her, and naturally would rather have her foal where it's quiet, secluded and peaceful.
This is why most mares like to foal at night. -
Step 3: Sometimes it may help to get a foaling prediction kit to determine when the mare is really about to foal.
-
Step 4: Give the mare privacy.
Detailed Guide
This can range from out on pasture or in a small enclosure like a shed, corral or box stall.
A foaling stall should be at least 14' by 16' or larger to minimize the risk of the mare lying too close to the wall during her labour.
If the mare has to foal in a stall or shed, it must be thoroughly cleaned.
Take out all old bedding and scrub down the entire stall (floor, walls, everything) with disinfectant.
Then sprinkle the floor with lime before putting on new bedding.
Straw is best as bedding, because it won't stick to the foal as easily as wood chips or sawdust will, nor will it get into his/her nostrils and get sucked into his/her air passageways, nor get swallowed by the mare when she cleans him/her off.
Wood products may carry a bacteria called Klebsiella which can cause uterine infections.
Remove all obstacles from the stall, from feed tubs to buckets or anything else that may get in the way of the mare during her labour.
Clean the mare's udder, belly, rear and upper legs or any place that a foal would nuzzle when trying to find the udder, with warm water and chlorhexidine to reduce contamination to the foal.
This is especially useful if there has been any cases of E. coli and other foal-hood diseases on the farm.
Washing her just before foaling also greatly reduces risks of diarrhea and septicimia in the foal.
Pick up all manure several times a day so the mare has no chance of getting dirty.
A level grassy pasture is a good place to consider, especially if the mare is foaling during the time of year where the pasture isn't muddy or full of snow or both.
Make sure the pasture is free of brush, rocks, old nails, machinery, ditches or even puddles of water.
Foals have been known to drown in tiny pools of water, and get stuck on their backs in a dry ditch.
Foals can even die if they have their backs under a fence and can't get up; mostly because the mare choose to foal right beside the fence.
Consider the advantages and disadvantages of foaling out on pasture:
Advantages:
Less risk of infection More natural environment where mare can seek her own privacy and be less upset and nervous Better exercise and muscle tone for the mare More natural bowel movements than a confined mare would have on grass hay and grain because she won't be as constipated when giving birth.
Disadvantages:
Difficult for you to keep constant watch on her Foaling on pasture not advisable in bad weather or in winter.
Usually mares that foal for the first time may start labour earlier than those mares that are more experienced.
Mares that foal in the spring or summer may have a shorter gestation period than those who foal in winter months (January, February or March).
Most vets believe that the time of year is the largest factor affecting length of pregnancy in all mares.
Some mares are set on their own schedules, and this can be more reliable than her age, how many other foals she's had, and the time of year.
Illness or infection can cause a mare to foal earlier or later than normal, if the fetus has been nutritionally deprived due to poor placental attachment in the uterus.
If she's 3 or 4 weeks past her due date, have your vet check her out to make sure there's nothing wrong. , Things like test strips for checking the mare's milk before foaling, TV or security cameras installed in the stall to monitor the mare 24/7, Baby Buzzer (Locust Farms, Kirkland OH), the Birth Alarm (Kincardine, ON) or the Foal Alert (Foalert Inc., Acworth, GA) are some things to try out if you don't want to be spending nights in the barn waiting for the mare to pop. , It is best to observe her quietly from a place where she cannot see nor hear you.
A mare can get easily upset of people are always hovering around her, and naturally would rather have her foal where it's quiet, secluded and peaceful.
This is why most mares like to foal at night.
About the Author
Carolyn Wood
Dedicated to helping readers learn new skills in home improvement and beyond.
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