A leading equine veterinary practice based in North Yorkshire.
For breeders early Spring brings excitement as after many months of planning and waiting, we are eagerly anticipating the arrival of our foals. For less experienced breeders this can often be tinged with a little apprehension.
The first week after birth carries the highest risk of mortality of anytime in your foal’s life.
Signs of problems can be subtle and things can deteriorate far more rapidly than with older foals or adults. If you are able to pick up early signs of things going wrong and call us without delay, you can make a really significant difference to the outcome.
Top Tips
- Be well prepared before your mare’s due date.
- Keep clear records of the timing of events around foaling; after nights of sitting up it can be hard to remember the details once the foal finally arrives!
- Ensure that your foal receives plenty of good quality colostrum within the first 4 hours after birth.
- Please don’t hesitate to ask us for help and advice both with preparations or if you are concerned about either your mare or her foal.
The graphics below help to display the usual timing parameters for each stage of foaling and for the early hours of a newborn foal’s life. Owners are advised to seek veterinary advice once parameters fall within the yellow zone. Once the parameters are in the red zone prompt veterinary intervention is likely to be required.
Don’t forget to think about what you are going to do if things don’t go according to plan as even short delays can reduce the chances of your foal’s survival. For example, when stage 2 labour is longer than 40 minutes, the foal’s survival chances start to fall. In the event of significant problems with foaling, rapid admission to the clinic will be needed to provide appropriate care for your mare and foal. You can save precious time with a transport plan in place, ensuring that if we ask you to bring the mare to the clinic you are able to do so immediately. This will help to maximise the chance of a good outcome.
A leading equine veterinary practice based in North Yorkshire.
