If your mare has made it through 11 months of pregnancy, you’re almost home free. Labor and delivery, while momentous, are generally uncomplicated. Every effort should be made to be present during foaling. In most cases, you will simply need to be a quiet observer. Mares seem to prefer to foal at night in privacy, …
Few things in nature are more inspiring than new foals frolicking around their mothers on a crisp spring morning. The fact that a foal can be up and running within short hours after birth is but one in a long series of miracles. Conception is miraculous in itself. Development in utero, in the womb, begins …
Recognizing Critical Illness in Foals: Is He Sick, or Just Napping?Read More »
Identifying the Signs of Impending Parturition The normal gestation period of mares varies from 320 to 360 days. As a mare approaches parturition, the udder begins to enlarge and may leak small amounts of colostrum, which dries over the ends of the teats, and it is called “waxing”. Other signs of impending (less than 48 …
If your mare has made it through 11 months of pregnancy, you’re almost home free. Labor and delivery, while momentous, are generally uneventful. In most cases, you will simply need to be a quiet observer – if, that is, you are lucky enough to witness the birth. Mares seem to prefer to foal at night …
A healthy foal will grow steadily – gaining in height, weight and strength almost before your eyes. From birth to age two, a young horse can achieve 90 percent or more of its full adult size. Feeding young horses is a balancing act, as the nutritional start a foal gets can have a profound …
A thorough veterinary examination will help detect any abnormalities so that they may be treated promptly. The following checks are performed during our post-natal exam. Placenta – Has all the placenta been expelled and is it intact ? Meconium – Has the foal passed its meconium or is it straining to defecate ? Nursing – …
YOUR VET’S NUMBER. Always have this handy so you can call immediately if you suspect a problem. Clean Towel – large, clean towel Headlamp – A decent powered headlamp (min 500 lumens). I like headlamps as it allows you to have your hands free. A sharp, clean pair of scissors or scalpel blade Betadine …
