Handy foaling tips – Peter Kavanagh

FOALING TIPS

  • Keep mare in clean environment and well-bedded, preferably 10 days prior to foaling so that she is relaxed and used to her environment.
  • Keep notes of each mare’s regular foaling habits and obtain same from previous owners if necessary.
  • Cause as little upset to the mare as possible. Bandage her tail and sponge down. In a normal delivery, the white sack should appear first, then feet, with hooves facing down, and nose.
  • Interfere as little as possible. Assist gently, pulling one limb in front of the other to avoid the shoulders blocking the canal. When the hind limbs appear, do not pull or risk breaking the umbilical cord.
  • Treat the cord with iodine, 2% solution (any higher will burn) and examine the placenta. Tie it, knot it and retain.
  • The placenta should be passed within one to two hours, if not, the mare should be given an injection by a veterinary surgeon to help her pass it.
  • Bonding is important, guide the foal to the mare’s head. Make up a light mash to feed the mare before she gets up.
  • Check the mare’s colostrum levels before the foal suckles and analyse.
  • A foaling kit is essential and should be placed in every foaling box in preparation:

    • Basic Foaling Kit

  • Scalpel blade
  • Long plastic gloves
  • Tail bandage
  • KY jelly
  • Scissors
  • Pulling ropes
  • Iodine & 10cc syringe (fill when mares goes down so that it’s to hand when foal is delivered and once umbilical cord is severed apply same to foal’s navel)
  • Refractometer measures colostrum. Most mares have a reading of 21 or greater.
  • If reading is 15-20 or less, get advice from your veterinary surgoen as foal will need bottled or tubed colostrum.
  • Enema
  • A small cylinder of oxygen is also useful to have in case the foal should have difficulty breathing.