AFTER all the anticipation and excitement a pending foaling brings, your precious foal is finally on the ground safe and sound.
Your vet’s phone number - always kept handy - thankfully went uncalled. Both mare and foal seem to be doing well ... or are they?
Any veterinary surgeon will tell you that the first few hours of the foal’s life require careful monitoring and we have compiled a checklist of the key points to keep at hand this breeding season.
The checklist below has been largely compiled from the many expert advice articles veterinary professionals have kindly contributed to The Irish Field’s extensive breeding coverage, past and present.
Main checklist points
Any sign of delayed foaling or dystocia (difficult foaling), call your veterinary surgeon straight away. Time is of the essence for the best outcome in such cases.Once the foal is born, apply iodine to his/her navel twice a day for the first two-three days or until the navel stump is dry.Check the placenta which should be passed by mares within two to three hours of foaling. Mares even retaining a small portion of placenta are at risk of severe infection and laminitis. Mares holding onto their placenta for six or more hours need to be seen by a veterinary surgeon.Observation and monitoring of newborn foals and freshly foaled mares is key to their wellbeing - keep brief but concise records.Without stressing them, monitor their breathing rate, temperature, nursing patterns and manure.Within one hour of their birth, foals should be standing.If a foal does not stand, don’t delay calling in your vet as these early hours are crucial.Within two-three hours of their birth, foals should be up nursing and must have taken in colostrum.One to two pints of good quality colostrum should be taken in by the newborn foal in the first six to 12 hours of life.Failure to take in adequate colostrum compromises the foal’s immune system as through it, foals receive the vital passive transfer of antibodies from their dams.Foals should be observed frequently nursing - between three and five times per hour as a guide.Meconium (first dung) should be passed by the foal in the first 24 hours of life. Note the colour of it for your records.Some studs will administer an enema to each foal to ensure the meconium passes easily.Signs of a lethargic foal can be the first sign that all is not well.A check on the mare’s bag should not see her udder overly big or running milk. Make sure you observe the newborn foal passing urine in a normal (not strained) way.The normal foal temperature range is 38.8 degrees Celsius or 101.84 Farenheit.The normal foal heartbeat should be between at least 60 beats per minute. Take it for 20 seconds and multiply it by three. At 24 hours old, the foal heart rate should be between 70-100bpm.Newborn foal breathing rate can be 80 breaths per minute but should settle to 40-60 within hours.An IgG test to check immunity levels - which comes from colostrum intake - should be done by your vet between 12-24 hours after the foal’s birth. It should not be done before 12 hours to make sure the reading is accurate.Vets like to see an IgG concentration of at least 800 milligrams per deciliter. Foals with less than 400mg/dl will most likely be administered supplemental colostrum or given a plasma transfusion to ensure they receive the vital antibodies necessary to stay healthy.Good hygiene is essential. Ensure stables, foaling areas, all utensils, clothing and boots etc are kept as clean and safe as possible.