February means start of spring and a time for foals

Winter often seems a cold and dormant time, but February brings a hint of the spring to come. It is also when the first of the foals of the new year are born.

Well before foaling, the mare should be on a vaccination program for tetanus and rhinopneumonitis and on a program for the treatment of blood worms and round worms.  

She should be given good hay (always) and given grain at least during the last three to four months of pregnancy. The mare should be given an equine vitamin supplement that is high in selenium during her pregnancy. Some mares will need a selenium injection two weeks prior to foaling.

When foaling is close, the mare will usually show a swollen udder and will often have a waxy discharge at the ends of the teats. If milk is seen dripping or squirting from the mare’s udder, foaling will almost always occur in less than 24 hours.

Many mares, however, will show very few signs prior to foaling and will wait until they are alone before they begin labor. Once a mare begins the real contractions of labor, the foal should be born in less than four hours. When the foal starts to become visible at the back of the mare, it should be born in less than 45 minutes. Any delivery times longer than these are signals that the mare should have prompt professional assistance. The mare should be in a clean environment.  The stall should be at least 12-by-12 feet.

As the foal is presented in delivery, he must have his face clear of the fetal membranes (or afterbirth) to allow him to breathe.  After he has been delivered and the umbilical cord has been ruptured by his movement or by the mare’s movement, it may be ligated and trimmed to a three-inch length and dipped in Betadine or iodine. It is good for the foal to have at least two ounces of a Fleet brand enema since many foals are born with an intestine packed full of meconium.  

The new foal may also benefit from injectable selenium, as well as an antibiotic, but these are best given by a qualified person.

The foal should be on his feet and nursing during the first few hours of life. If this does not occur, then the foal should have help before it becomes weaker.

The mare must be checked to see if she has milk for the foal. And, the afterbirth should be examined to see whether it has passed out intact. Any time that the mare’s afterbirth does not all come out, she is in danger of colic, founder or toxemia.

Since many mares become overly protective and even savage when they have a new foal, only a qualified person should attempt to work with them.

Many foals are blind for the first few days of life and therefore it is important that they are in safe surroundings. Quite a few types of wire fences are hard for foals to see and can result in severe injuries to foals of all ages.

It is good to handle the foal as much as possible as soon as it is safe. The foal imprints those he trusts during the first days of life. This not only makes future training easier, but is one of life’s most treasured moments.

(Dr. Fred Conkel is veterinarian at Westgate Clinic.)