YOUR FOAL

Protecting your Investment

    Last spring you invested your time, veterinary bills, and breeding/stud fees all into getting your mare(s) pregnant.  You fed high quality feeds all winter long, and at $14-18 a bale and $ 18-23 a bag of grain that’s a significant investment.  Now what?  The hard part is done, right? You sit back and let the mare do her thing and pop out your investment?  Maybe not.  The goal of this article is to outline things you should be considering, thinking about, and learning more about--- all to protect that precious investment.

What we want – a healthy foal, that can grow up beautifully and sound, which doesn’t cost, or call for more investment.

What we fear – a sick foal, a poor doing or developing foal, or neonatal death from sepsis (bacterial infection of the blood), neonatal asphyxia (not enough oxygen to the brain  or dummy foals) and colic to name only a few.  We fear a weanling with crooked legs and lameness.  All of which create a huge loss in our investment and a sad heart.

What we do – fuel ourselves with knowledge.  Preventative medicine or early detection of disease is the key to protecting our investments.

First, the foaling needs to be attended and report to your veterinarian as soon as you notice something out of the ordinary.  The key to early detection of many neonatal problems is all in the timing.  Events of the birthing process should adhere to the following timeline, so make sure you look at your watch, and frequently.   Sitting sternal by 1-2 minutes ; suckle reflex, sucks on your figure by 2-20 minutes ; Begin attempting to Stand  by 1 hour;    standing unassisted by 2 hours ;  successfully nursing the mare in 3 hours;  Urination  by  6 hours for colts, 10 hours for fillies; passage of meconium or first black feces by 12hrs.   The experienced breeder may think these times seem prolonged, and really many foals are up and suckling within minutes, but it’s a signal that something is wrong when these times are exceeded.

Second, assure your foal as had adequate passive transfer, or has gotten enough good quality colostrum to provide a competent immune system to fight infection and disease.  Your veterinarian will need to perform a simple blood test.  Dipping the umbilicus in chlorhexidine antiseptic every 4 hrs for the first 24hrs is another must in prevention of infection and neonatal illness.

Third,  provide a safe, clean environment.  A no-brainer, right?  An important fact to keep in mind while preparing:  a foal’s vision is not completely developed until 2 days of age.

Finally, some remarks on soundness.  If a foal is born with tendon contracture or laxity, this issue needs to be addressed by your veterinarian with in the first 12hrs, particularly if the timeline is prolonged.  Foals with angular limb deformities should be evaluated by your veterinarian within the first 2 days to develop a plan which will prevent long term deformities or lameness.

Protect your investment with knowledge.  Discuss preparations for foaling or neonatal concerns with your veterinarian. 

Cheryl Rahal, DVM ACVIM - Published in Bridle & Bit - 2/24

Phone: 623-581-1558    Email: DesertHillsAnimalClinic@hotmail.com