A Foal Has Been Born!

Taking good care of a foal can be one of the most delightful aspects when working with a horse. From the moment the foal is delivered into the world, there are many things that you need to do to make sure they are well-protected and cared for.

Once the foal is born, be sure to check its breathing. You need to remove fetal membranes or any mucus that could obstruct the nostrils. If you see that the foal is not breathing, gently slap its face, twist its ear, or perhaps, insert a straw into the nostrils to promote sneezing. Then, wrap towels around the foal to dry it up.

Such a beautiful miracle.

Foals are susceptible to infections as their immune systems have not developed fully yet. Septicemia, or severe infection of the blood, may result if you do not do something once the little one is born, especially about its umbilical stump as this can be the gateway for bacteria. Dip the stump with iodine to prevent septicemia.

As for feeding, the foal needs 4 ounces of the mare’s colostrum every 15 minutes. Make sure that the newborn foal is successfully nursing. If he is successful in latching on to its mother’s nipples, then you should be able to hear it slurping the milk. For the first few hours after it is born, the foal should attempt to nurse all by itself and after the first two hours, it should be already successful. If not, intervention may be necessary.

Make sure that the foal will be able to defecate in the first few hours. Enema may be given to a foal that is nursing for the first time and it may be given repeatedly if there is no success with bowel movement. Observe for any signs of colic from unsuccessful bowel movement within 24 hours after it is born.

When you think about it, horses really do not need assistance from you because if they are in the wild, they can simply give birth without any problems as nature will set its course. However, for a domesticated horse that has lived in stables and controlled pastures, you can always offer assistance to make sure that the birthing process is successful. Still, you need to leave the mare and its foal alone for the natural parenting instincts sets in. There are times, though, that the mare may react aggressively towards the foal, so when this happens, be sure to remove the foal and keep it somewhere else safe.

Foals are susceptible to equine parasites
especially roundworms. Fight them off with
fenbendazole horse wormer, AbFen.

Foals are susceptible to different diseases but with the power that comes from the mare’s colostrum, the foal can acquire immunity rather quickly. For this reason, it is vital that the foal should nurse shortly after being born. After nursing has been successful, contact your local veterinarian for the vaccination processes. Remember, all throughout the foaling process, a veterinarian should be present or should be ready whenever you need one to be around in case of any problems.