Department of Veterinary Medicine

Cambridge Veterinary School

The Queen's Veterinary School Hospital

Equine Reproduction and Perinatal Medicine

An Owner's Guide to Foaling and Care of the Newborn Foal

This has been designed for the horse owner, to help them prepare and manage a normal foaling and care for the newborn foal.

Most mares will foal without problems. However, you must be there to watch just in case. Most mares foal between 10pm and 6am - so be prepared for some sleepless nights! Observe your mare quietly, without disturbing her.

When is your mare due to foal?

The normal pregnancy ranges are:

Ponies: 315-340 days (use 330 days as a guide)
Thoroughbreds: 320-360 days (use 340 days as a guide)
Donkeys: 360-380 days (use 370 days as a guide)

Being prepared

  • Inform your vet of your mare's expected foaling date.
  • The 'foaling box' should ideally be 4mx4m for a 500kg mare.
  • The box should be bedded down deeply, preferably with clean wheat straw.
  • It is best to acclimatise the mare to the box ideally for at least 4 weeks prior to foaling.
  • The mare should be vaccinated against tetanus and equine influenza 4 weeks prior to foaling.
  • If your mare has a 'Caslick' suture in her vulva speak to your vet about this.

Ensure you have to hand:

  • Tail bandage
  • Disinfectant for naval (ask your vet)
  • Access to warm water
  • Clean towels - to dry the foal, if necessary
  • Thermometer

Your mare is preparing for foaling - when?

In the next 3 weeks:

  • Increased size of the udder
  • Possible 'running' of milk - collect and freeze
  • Mild relaxation of the tail-base

In the next 24-48 hours:

  • Obvious relaxation of the tail-base and vulva
  • A waxy secretion may appear on the teat ends
Waxy secretion at teat ends

Stages of foaling

Stage One:

  • Restlessness (may show colic like signs), looking round at flanks, getting up and down
  • Increased heart and respiration rate
  • Sweaty patches
  • Lasts 2 - 6 hours (however, this is very variable)
  • Apply a tail bandage (this allows you to observe without disturbing the mare)
CALL YOUR VET IF
these signs become constant and more exaggerated and yet nothing appears to be happening.

Stage Two:

  • The 'waters' will break (straw/brown coloured fluid)
Breaking waters
  • Abdominal contractions
  • Your mare will get up and down and strain at this point
  • Within 5 minutes of the waters breaking the foal's hoof, covered in a whitish membrane, will appear
The hoof appears
  • The foal will appear with one forefoot first, with the other forefoot just behind, followed by the nose
  • As the foal is expelled the white membrane will burst and uncover the foal
  • From the 'waters' breaking to the foal being on the ground the time should not take more than 20 minutes
Delivery of the foal

 

CALL YOUR VET IF:
1. Any of the above don't occur within the expected time frames.
2. If a thick, red membrane appears at the vulva, contact your vet IMMEDIATELY
Appearance of thick red membrane

Stage Three:

  • Once the foal is out the mare will lie down for up to 20 minutes - do not disturb the mare at this point. However, there are 2 things that are important to ensure:
    1. That the foal's nose is clear of the white membrane
    2. That the foal has lifted its head and moved off of its side
Mare and foal
  • Expulsion of the placenta - in the majority of mares this will occur within 30 minutes of foaling (no longer than 2 hours)
  • The placenta should be checked to ensure it is complete (place in a sealed plastic bag and store in a cold room and ask you vet to examine it)
CALL YOUR VET IF
your mare has not expelled her placenta within 6 hours after foaling.

Care of the newborn foal

  • The foal should be kept warm and dry
  • As soon as the umbilicus has broken the stump should be dipped with an antiseptic solution (ask your vet)
  • The foal should be attempting to stand within 20 minutes and be up within an hour
  • Your foal should have sucked from the mare within 2 hours of birth
  • Once the foal has sucked - things to check on your foal:
    1. Nose, mouth, eyes
    2. Limbs
    3. Smooth rib cage
    4. Umbilicus
    5. Anus, genitals
  • Within 12 hours of birth your foal should have passed urine and faeces
  • It is routine to give the foal a tetanus antitoxin injection after birth, this should be discussed with your vet
  • Call your vet and ask for a 'routine foal check', which will ensure the health of the foal and include a blood test essential to determine the foal's immunity against disease. Your vet will also check your mare for any vulval tears or damage due to foaling. They will also examine the expelled placenta.
CALL YOUR VET IF:
1. The mare has 'run milk' before foaling
2. The foal has not performed the above in the expected time frames
3. You notice any abnormalities

 

Suckling foal

If you have any questions or are worried about any aspect of foaling or care of your newborn foal, then please do not hesitate to contact Dr Nicky Holdstock and the team at the Equine Hospital on 01223 337647 or email nbh10@cam.ac.uk

Further information
Client information
Equine Hospital