Foaling is an impressive event. Within minutes of delivering a baby that is roughly 10% of her weight the mare is up on her feet, attending to her foal. A few minutes later the foal is up trying out its legs, nursing and ready to follow wherever mom leads. This month we'll look at preparation for foaling and review the normal foaling process.
PREPARATION
Environment Acclimation- The mare should be moved to the foaling location (i.e. farm) 4-6 weeks prior to her due date. Foaling is stressful, so it's important for the mare to be comfortable and confident. Moving the mare to the foaling location well in advance will allow her ample time to adjust to the sights, sounds, and smells of her new surroundings. Along with vaccinating, it will also allow her immune system to respond to varieties of pathogens present in that specific environment. In turn, this immune response will be passed on in the colostrum, the first secretion produced by the mammary gland shortly before and for a day or so after birth, providing the foal with protection from these pathogens.
Vaccinations - Vaccinate the mare 4-6 weeks prior to her due date. Consult your veterinarian about just what vaccines to use. All mares should be vaccinated for influenza, rhinopneumonitis, and tetanus. Other vaccines to consider include encephalitis, strangles, and botulism.
Schedule Adjustment - The daily schedule that will be enforced near the mare’s due date also should be started 4-6 weeks prior to foaling to help her adjust mentally and physically to her new surroundings. It should include feeding, turn-out schedules and regular nightly checks done at the same time each night. Start with one or two per night, gradually increasing until, as she gets close to foaling, make them every 2-3 hours. It usually does not help to sleep in the barn because that tends to disrupt the mare’s routine too much.
Caslick’s - If the mare has one, it should be opened soon enough to allow the tissues to heal before foaling. Try to have this done 2 to 4 weeks prior to the mare’s expected due date.
Foaling Stall - The stall should be at least 10 ft X 10 ft, preferably 12 ft X 12 ft., and in a quiet location. Good footing is important. The mare may be up and down several times near the time of the delivery, not to mention the gymnastics the foal will go through to get up on its feet. It also needs to be as dry as possible, since with the delivery there will be a great deal of fluid discharged. I prefer straw for bedding to sawdust for this reason because straw doesn’t stick to wet surfaces and it allows moisture to seep through. Sawdust sticks to everything wet and can make a real mess. Thorough and regular cleaning of the stall is important. This will help keep pathogen levels down, which will reduce the chance of infection for the mare and especially for the foal. Keep water buckets up off the floor.
Monitoring Progress - As the mare moves onto the final stages of her pregnancy, the following changes can be used to monitor her progress:
In the last few weeks the mare’s abdomen seems to enlarge dramatically, due in part to the foal's growth and in part to relaxation of the mare’s ligaments, resulting in a more pendulous abdomen. The area next to the tailhead becomes much softer, spongier and sunken.
Examine the udder by looking at it and feeling it for development, especially with a maiden mare whose udder may not look particularly full until her milk lets down the first time, (which happens after the foal is born). It will, however, become quite tight, hard and rather uncomfortable as it develops. Feeling her udder also helps her tolerate contact in that area, an advantage when the foal nurses for the first time. Check carefully – don’t get kicked! Once the udder development is well under way, check for wax. This is the thick secretion from the teat that beads up and sticks to the tip. The presence of wax indicates that the mare is primed for delivery and it could happen soon – anywhere from the next few hours to the next few days. If she stays waxed for many days or if she starts dripping milk, call your veterinarian.
Keep to your schedule regular (by the clock) in checking on the mare's attitude, expression, and the amount of manure in and condition of her stall. This helps recognize differences, such as an anxious look in her eye, slightly flared nostrils, more numerous fecal piles, turned up bedding, etc.
Sample the mare’s milk to check for changes in the electrolyte levels that will occur in final days of pregnancy, which can help predict when the mare is likely to foal. There are several commercially available kits. Their value is limited to the final couple of days of pregnancy but are fairly reliable in predicting whether or not the foal is coming within the next 24 hours. There is not much point in using these tests until the mare appears to be getting into the final week or so of her pregnancy. It helps limit your sleepless nights and may help you decide when to stay home. Check with your veterinarian about where to get them, how to use and how to interpret the results.
Supplies - Have a tail wrap ready that will extend through the upper half of the tail. Use a stretchable material that won’t shrink or constrict when wet. A lot can happen with the delivery and a tail wrap can easily be left on for a long period of time. It would be awful if the circulation was cut off and she lost her tail. An ace bandage or 6 inch khaki gauze are suitable. Have a large, clean stainless steel bucket, roll cotton, and disinfectant soap ready for cleaning the mare’s perineal area and udder. It may be necessary to clean your own hands and arms if the mare needs assistance. Provide plenty of clean, dry towels. It is wise to have a hemostat available, but it should not be used routinely on navel stumps. The hemostat should be employed only if the stump is hemorrhaging excessively. Alternatively, umbilical tape could be used. Plan on using a proper umbilical dip such as dilute chlorhexidene or dilute iodine solution – 7% iodine solution should not be used. Have a clean scissors or knife on hand as well.
THE FOALING PROCESS
Stage One - Coordinated uterine contractions begin. Mares generally do not demonstrate many outward signs of these contractions, as if they’d rather not let anyone know. Look for subtle signs of discomfort, such as pacing, tail swishing, poor appetite, restlessness, slightly flared nostrils, frequent sighing or yawning, etc. Another frequent defecation with numerous but smaller fecal piles. She may drip milk or occasionally stream a bit of milk. She may have a distracted look in her eye. This stage may take hours and expect the discomfort to gradually intensify. Toward the end of this stage, the mare shows more obvious outward signs of labor. The veins under her skin may stand out more. When she begins to feel warm and break out in a sweat it won’t be long. Glance at your watch when this begins. She should "break water" in 10 or 15 minutes, which marks the end of stage one.
Stage Two - The uterine contractions become more frequent and intense, and the pressure eventually ruptures the outer of the two placental sacs. Its fluid discharge is called “breaking water” and begins stage two. The mare buckles in her hindquarters and then the water is released. Her posture is not the same as when she urinates nor is the fluid the same as urine but has a reddish or rust color.
After the water breaks, expect the foal to be born within the next 15 - 20 minutes. The first thing seen should be the pearly white inner placental sac, bulging from the vulva. Shortly after that, the feet and legs should appear. The mare may be up and down, even rolling over repeatedly. This is all natural and likely assists it getting the foal in the correct position. Eventually the mare will lie down and stay down. She generally will roll onto her side and lie flat out to do the incredibly forceful final pushes to deliver the foal. Usually she can do all this on her own without any interference. The attendant should remain a quiet observer in the shadows, ready to intervene if there is a problem.
Often after the foal is delivered and the pushing is over, the hindlegs of the foal are still in the birth canal. I think it's a sort of natural encouragement for the mare to stay still and rest. As she rests, vital blood pumps from the placenta back into the foal before the cord breaks. Avoid doing anything, even breathing, to disturb this critical few minutes.
There are two exceptions: 1) If the placental membrane is covering the foal’s face, occluding its nostrils, gently, calmly enter the stall and lift the sac off its face. 2) If the mare is experiencing tremendous pain and she starts roll violently, she could seriously injure the foal. It may be necessary to try and move it out of her way.
Stage Three - The delivery of the placenta, which may take up to a couple of hours. It generally takes longer if it is a maiden mare or if it was a difficult delivery. After stage two, the mare will eventually roll up onto to her chest and rest before getting up and search out her foal. At some point it is helpful to go in, towel the foal off and check and dip the navel. Gather up the portion of the placenta that is hanging out of the mare, if possible, and tie it up so it's not dragging on the ground. But avoid intruding very much. It is vital for mare and foal to bond, and the less that process is disturbed, the better off they'll be. Expect the foal to defecate within the first few hours of life. It will have to defecate several times to get rid of all the meconium. By 6-12 hours of age it should be playful.
When to Call the Veterinarian:
• If stage one is going on for longer than a day, or if the mare is sweating for more than 30 minutes or straining for more than 15 minutes without breaking water.
• If a scarlet red sac (instead of pearly white) appears out the vulva.
• If the water breaks but the foal hasn’t been delivered within 25-30 minutes.
• If the foal is not up within 2 hours or is not nursing within 3 hours.
• If the placenta hasn’t passed within 3-4 hours.
Copyright © 2008 The NW Horse Source, LLC
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