Equine Foaling HandbookEllensburg Animal Hospital 1800 Vantage Hwy Ellensburg, WA (509) 925-2833
Equine Foaling: General Information
Foaling is normally a rapid and efficient process and occurs at night in nearly 80% of cases. Mares, if allowed, will seek quiet and secluded places, and will deliver rapidly, and will encourage the foal to stand and nurse as soon as possible.
If disturbed, the mare may delay foaling, or worse, may do serious damage to herself or to her foal. Under natural conditions mares most commonly foal in late spring when temperatures are most likely moderate and optimal feed will be available for the post-natal period. Management of the foaling mare must consider the factors mentioned above.
Mares have foaled successfully without human intervention for thousands of years. Although natural foaling accidents do occur, more commonly problems are ironically caused by some caring person who just wants to help.
Equine Foaling: Common Problems Prior to Foaling
Listed below are some common problems mares may experience:
False Colic: Many mares will experience false colic, especially later in pregnancy, and may be associated with periods of fetal movement. Signs vary in severity, and may easily be confused with Stage 1 labor.
Ventral Edema: Enlargement of the mammary glands, combined with the weight of the developing fetus on abdominal vessels frequently causes large plaques of edema. The swelling on the lower abdominal wall may be more than an inch thick, and may extend forward to between the forelimbs. Finger pressure will cause a depression.
Loss of Colostrum: Colostrum, or “first milk”, contains substances needed to insure a healthy foal. Among these are the passive antibodies necessary for initial immunity, as no antibodies reach the fetus in the uterus. These may be lost if the mare drips milk for an extended length of time. If this seems to be occurring, it is best to collect the colostrum and freeze it in a plastic bottle.
Signs of Impending Foaling
Many factors determine the exact time of foaling, most of which are still poorly understood. Signs are unreliable, and at best provide a guess as to when the event will occur. Consequently, many sleepless nights are spent watching and waiting, only to find a happy healthy foal on the ground when least expected.
Gestation nearing 330 days: “Normal” gestation is 305 to 365 days. Foals delivered at the low end of normal may be premature while many healthy foals have been carried for more than a year.
Attitude Changes: During the last few weeks, most mares will reduce their activity level, will often seek isolation, and many will reduce their feed consumption until very near term.
Mammary Development: Mammary glands may enlarge a month or more before foaling. Mares carrying their first foal frequently delay mammary development until very near term.
Pelvic Relaxation: In preparation for foaling, the pelvic ligaments soften and stretch, resulting in flabby gluteal muscles.
Waxing: Typically, during the last 6 to 48 hours, small amounts of colostrum drip from the teats and collect, giving the appearance of dripping wax. In first foal mares, this may occur very late or not at all.
Vulvar Relaxation: The vulva may relax and tighten several times, but when foaling is imminent. Vulvar relaxation will be marked and persistent.
Equine Foaling Preparation
Although a mare may foal without complication on clean, open pastures, the economics and logistics of horse production currently dictate that most mares now are foaled out in stalls.
Stall Corners Rounded: During hard labor the mare produces tremendous force. Should the foal happen to be forced into the corner, delivery will be much more difficult. Simply rounding the corners with small pieces of plywood would allow the foal to slide one way or the other.
Warm Environment: Extremes in temperatures should be avoided. Heat may be supplied with heat lamps, but care must be taken to keep them safely from the horse’s bedding.
Proper, Dry Bedding: The best bedding is a thick layer of straw over shavings. Straw will provide insulation, while shavings absorb more moisture. Care should be taken to discourage the mare from eating straw.
A Clean Mare: In preparation for foaling, excess dirt and debris should be washed from the mammary glands and perineal area. Tail hair may lacerate the foal, and is difficult to keep clean unless controlled, either by clipping or by tail wraps. If tail wraps are used, they should be cleaned and changed daily, and not too tight.
Common Problems Mares May Experience
Some individual mares may experience problems peculiar to pregnancy, including attitude changes, which may be for the better or worse. Frequent mild colic signs and preparturient ventral edema. Especially during the final few months, many mares will show mild colic signs, including laying down, looking at the abdomen, poor appetite, general malaise (not feeling well), and possible mild sweating. Most often clinical signs will resolve spontaneously or with minimal treatment.
Ventral edema is a common finding, especially in mares carrying large foals. Obstruction of blood flow due to the weight and size of the fetus causes water to escape the blood vessels, and flow between the cells to the lowest site. This results in large plaques of edema on the ventral abdomen and cool swelling of the hind limbs, diagnosed by pitting following digital pressure.
In mild to moderate cases this may pose no problem, and resolve spontaneously after foaling. In more severe cases, the abdominal muscles may be weakened to such an extent as to cause difficult or slow foaling. Careful treatment with diuretics is helpful.
Foaling Stages
Stage 1: This is the stage of initial uterine contractions and fetal repositioning.
Usually the fetus is carried in a dorsopubic position, (with the fetus spine towards the ground), and needs to rotate to a dorsosacral position, (with the fetus spine to the mare’s spine). During this initial phase, the fetus rotates and extends its fore-limbs so that the front hooves are presented with the head soon to follow. A mare in stage 1 labor will appear colicky, will be up and down, will usually sweat, may seem anxious, and will experience uterine contractions, which show cramping. Stage 1 turns in to Stage 2 with rupture of fetal sac, (“breaking water”). This may be confused with episodes of false colic followed by urination. Mares that are disturbed during this stage may stop, and delay foaling for hours to days.
Stage 2: Most mares foal while lying on their side. Fetal fore-limbs, still covered by amniotic membrane, should be presented at the dilated vulva, typically one slightly ahead of the other, and followed 5 to 6 inches later by the muzzle. Active contractions are followed by 2 to 3 minutes of rest. The biggest problem occurs with bringing the fetal shoulders or fetal hips through the maternal pelvis. Sometimes, the fetus is delivered in an intact amniotic sac, which is ruptured by movement of the foal’s head limbs. The umbilical cord should remain intact for 8 to 30 minutes to allow fetal blood in the placenta to return to the foal. Stage is rapid, usually lasting between 12 and 15 minutes.
Stage 3: Expulsion of fetal membranes may occur within 10 minutes but commonly take up to one hour. This is accomplished by continued uterine contractions, manifesting variable abdominal discomfort. After Stage 3 is completed the placenta should be expelled.
The Danger Signs of Foaling are the Following
Stage 1 Longer Than 4 Hours: It may be difficult to differentiate Stage 1 from possibly many occurrences of false colic, and a mare in Stage 1 may stop with no ill effects.
Stage 2 Longer Than 20 Minutes: Strong contractions, frequently characterized by heavy sweating, and straining so as to lift and separate all limbs, should be rewarded by progression of the fetus outward. Extra effort will be required as the fetal shoulders and hips move through. If Stage 2 labor continues without advancement of the fetus, the constant straining can be reduced by forcing the mare to walk. This can buy some time until help arrives, and possibly prevent uterine tears. 3.
Abnormal Presentation: The most common abnormal presentations are retained fore-limb, retained head, or posterior presentation fetal hooves should be directed downward. If this is not the case, the fetus is either upside down or backwards. One fore-limb is typically a few inches behind the other, and these should not be made even, as such would make it more difficult for the fetal carpus (knee) without the other, or both limbs show to the carpi without some view of the muzzle. Some attempt must be made to locate the retained parts. Any internal manipulation must be made with strict attention to cleanliness.
Some Tips on Neonatal First Aid
Allow the umbilical cord to break on its own. At birth, 400 to 500 ml of the foal’s blood remains in the placenta. Some time is required for this to return to the foal’s circulation, at which time movement by the mare or foal will rupture the umbilical cord, and the smooth muscle cells of the cord will constrict and prevent bleeding.
Remove the clear membranes from the foal’s head. The amniotic sac is usually torn by combined efforts of the mare and foal. If this does not occur, the foal may suffocate soon after birth. The nasal septum may be stimulated with a small stick or piece of straw to encourage sneezing, thereby helping to clear the lungs.
The umbilicus should be dipped in 7% iodine, which may be repeated several times during the first day.
Insure that the foal is nursing. Absorption of colostral antibodies by the foal’s digestive tract is most efficient during the first 12 hours of life. Consequently, it is important to get the foal to nurse as early as possible, preferably within the first 3 hours.
Observe the foal. Important considerations include presence or absence of urination and defecation, general attitude, and appetite.
Recap
Mares have foaled successfully without human intervention for millions of years. Although natural foaling accidents do occur, more commonly problems are ironically caused by some caring person who just wants to help.
Foaling is normally a rapid and efficient process and occurs at night in nearly 80% of cases. Mares, if allowed, will seek quiet and secluded places, and will deliver rapidly, and will encourage the foal to stand and nurse as soon as possible.
If disturbed, the mare may delay foaling, or worse, may do serious damage to herself or to her foal. Under natural conditions mares most commonly foal in late spring when temperatures are most likely moderate and optimal feed will be available for the post-natal period. Management of the foaling mare must consider the factors mentioned above.
Although a mare may foal without complication on clean, open pastures, the economics and logistics of horse production currently dictate that most mares now are foaled out in stalls.
Stall Corners Rounded: During hard labor the mare produces tremendous force. Should the foal happen to forced into the corner, delivery will be much more difficult. Simply rounding the corners with small pieces of plywood would allow the foal to slide on way or the other.
Warm Environment: Extremes in temperatures should be avoided. Heat may be supplied with heat lamps, but care must be taken to keep them safely from the horses bedding.
Proper, Dry Bedding: The best bedding is a thick layer of straw over shavings. Straw will provide insulation, while shavings absorb more moisture. Care should be taken to discourage the mare from eating the straw.
A Clean Mare: In preparation for foaling, excess dirt and debris should be washed from the mammary glands and perineal area. Tail hair may lacerate the foal, and is difficult to keep clean unless controlled, either by clipping or by tail wraps. If tail wraps are used, they should be cleaned and changed daily, and not too tight.
Many factors determine the exact time of foaling, most of which are still poorly understood. Signs are unreliable, and at best provide a guess as to when the event will occur. Consequently, many sleepless nights are spent watching and waiting, only to find a happy healthy foal on the ground when least expected.
Gestation Nearing 330 days: “Normal” gestation is 305 to 365 days. Foals delivered at the low end of normal may be premature while many healthy foals have been carried for more than a year.
Attitude Changes: During the last few weeks, most mares will reduce their activity level, will often seek isolation, and many will reduce their feed consumption until very near term.
Mammary Development: Mammary glands may enlarge a month or more before foaling. Mares carrying their first foal frequently delay mammary development until very near term.
Pelvic Relaxation: In preparation for foaling, the pelvic ligaments soften and stretch, resulting in flabby gluteal muscles.
Waxing: Typically, during the last 6 to 48 hours, small amounts of colostrums drip from the teats and collect, giving the appearance of dripping wax. In first foal mares, this may occur very late or not at all.
Vulvar Relaxation: The vulva may relax and tighten several times, but when foaling is imminent. Vulvar relaxation will be marked and persistent.
Listed below are some common problems mares may experience.
False Colic: Many mares will experience false colic, especially later in pregnancy, and may be associated with periods of fetal movement. Signs vary in severity, and may easily be confused with Stage 1 labor.
Ventral Edema: Enlargement of the mammary glands, combined with the weight of the developing fetus on abdominal vessels frequently causes large plaques of edema. The swelling on the lower abdominal wall may be more than an inch thick, and may extend forward to between the forelimbs. Finger pressure will cause a depression.
Loss of Colostrum: Colostrum, or “first milk”, contains substances needed to insure a healthy foal. Among these are the passive antibodies necessary for initial immunity, as no antibodies reach the fetus in the uterus. These may be lost if the mare drips milk for an extended length of time. If this seems to be occurring, it is best to collect the colostrum and freeze it in a plastic bottle.
