Foals & Foaling

Last updated February 19, 2021

So you’ve decided to breed your mare, or maybe your mare is already pregnant. Well, you’ve arrived at the best place! Let’s have a foal together.

We know firsthand that most of the time the experience is a great one and ends with the arrival of a healthy, strong foal. But we also know things can go wrong and it’s good to know what to do when it does.

To get you started we’ve included this foaling calculator to predict just when that precious little foal will arrive.

Before Breeding

There are so many horse rescues and auctions of unwanted horses out there, it’s important that you don’t just breed because, gee, a foal would be just so cute. You may think that this foal is going to be a forever horse, but life happens. A young horse with no training and no pedigree has a high risk of ending up falling on hard times. Breeding quality, registering the foal, and at the minimum getting the foal to do all the basics in halter is the responsibility you take on with this adventure.

Clean bill of health

Now to the fun stuff. Before breeding your mare it’s important to have her checked by a vet. If you are paying for a live cover, your contract probably requires documentation your mare is clean and healthy. If breeding with artificial insemination (AI), this is probably not in the contract, but I highly recommend it. AI can be expensive. I would estimate your veterinary expenses plus semen shipments to range around $900 to $1500 by the time you have your 15-day ultrasound to confirm pregnancy. If your mare has any type of infection or abnormality, it’s good to know before getting the process underway.

Vaccination

Another important step before breeding is to have your mare vaccinated. This should be done before the mare is bred and no vaccinations should be given during the first 90 days after breeding.

Broodmares

A mare will carry her foal for 11 to 12 months. We want her to be happy and healthy on delivery day.

Nutrition

Let’s start with the basics here. Broodmares require the same 24/7 access to fresh water and salt as any horse. Nutrition is critical in the first and third trimester of pregnancy. In the first month, malnourishment can result in the loss of the foal. But your mare probably won’t be needing a lot of additional groceries until the third trimester. This is when the foal will be growing rapidly.

At about 5 months your mare is going to need additional mineral rations. This can be accomplished with a mare and foal pelleted feed or supplement designed for broodmares.

During the third trimester, gradually increases the mare’s roughage by about 30% and at the same time, you will want to slowly increase the supplemented nutrition through a mare and foal feed. Her fetus is now getting big and will absorb a lot of nutrients nearing its 10th month of development.

The table below is adapted from Badger Equestrian Veterinary Services and shows the % of body weight to feed your mare.

Vaccinations

Earlier, we recommended vaccinating your mare before breeding. Now we need to discuss vaccinations while pregnant. The timing of vaccinations will ensure your mare stays healthy and you foal arrives healthy.

All typical annual vaccines should be administered 4 – 6 weeks before your foal arrives. This is tricky to time since mares can swing a couple weeks either way on foaling dates.

The most important vaccines are your Tetanus, West Nile, and Eastern and Western Equine Encephalomyelitis. Some locations also consider the Rabies vaccine to be grouped with these.

EHV-1 vaccine (Pneumabort) 

I wanted to give the EHV-1 (Pneumabort) vaccine special attention. This is not a required vaccine but could mean life or death for your foal. EHV-1 is an equine herpesvirus that can cause abortion in otherwise healthy broodmares. The schedule for Pneumabort is to administer it in the 5th, 7th, and 9th month of pregnancy. I have not always used this vaccine but it can be like rolling the dice. You might get lucky, or you might lose your foal.

Foaling

Are you excited? I bet you are. But there is still a lot to do to be ready for the big day. Odds are that mare of yours is going to foal and everything will go just fine. But are you ready if it’s not?

Getting ready for foal

Where is your mare going to foal?

Mares will foal in a place they feel comfortable and safe and sometimes if they don’t have this, they will hold off on the big day. Sounds a little far-fetched but I’ve heard of it happening on more than one occasion. We don’t have a luxury foaling stall like some facilities. Our stalls are about 14′ x 14′ and seem plenty big for the event. If I had my wish, I’d have a 20′ x 14′ stall with a 24′ x 24′ foal-safe paddock.

I should mention that mares can foal right out in an open field as well. If they have a nice grassy area or a place you can lay some bedding down this is just fine. If your horse has access to a stall with an attached paddock, you can even leave the location up to the mare.

What is safe foal fencing?

Hot wire is not foal safe. I’m telling you from experience. foals lack coordination in their early few days and have no concept of fences. They will, I promise you, run into your electric fence and fall right through it. Now you will have a panicked foal on one side of the fence and a panicked mare on the other! Foals will learn to respect that electric fence but it shouldn’t be the fencing of choice for the first few weeks.

No climb horse fence would be ideal. Foals will be able to run into it and not cause themselves any harm. A second option is a 3-4 rail solid wood fence. There is a chance a foal could roll out but it is not likely.

I used to have a large pen with 5 foot no climb fence. The only weakness was the gate. The gap under the gate was about 2 feet off the ground. One morning I came out to feed and found my foal standing on the outside of the fence. The only thing I can think of is he fell asleep next to the gate and somehow woke up on the other side. I was lucky the mare was very seasoned and really was not that concerned about what her foal was up to.

Best bedding

The most common recommendation for foaling is straw. It’s very safe and if the foal eats any, they won’t get sick. I will honestly say that I only used straw in my early breeding days. I found it hard to keep the stall clean and slippery for the foal. Now I use large flake shavings. When the foal is only hours or days old, I may spread grass hay around as well. Just for safety. I’ve only found the shavings worrisome when I’ve had a less than healthy foal that is spending a lot of time laying down. Then I worry about it getting into their nose and mouth.

A Piece of Straw Saves the Day – Story from the ranch

Our very first foal was a beautiful bay thoroughbred cross. He was delivered with no problems and sitting up on his own quickly. Then all went downhill. He seemed to get drowsy and start to fade. Soon he was limp. We shook him and nothing happened. Being new to this whole foaling thing we were in a panic! Here we are in the middle of the night and it seemed our foal was dying. Our first call was to the vet where we left a message. Our second call was to the thoroughbred breeding farm we bought the mare from. We were in luck and the owner answered his phone! After telling him what had happened, his advice to us was, “You need to piss him off. He has not had enough stimulation. Take a piece of straw and shove it up his nose.” We did as he said and within minutes our foal, later named Indy, was awake and well. That was our first bit of advice to put in the file of good to know.

Foaling – the big event

The odds are, your mare is going to foal at night when it’s nice and quiet. I’ve had a couple of daytime deliveries but generally, they are early in the morning before any normal human thinks about getting up.

Signs your mare will foal in the next few days

If you are going to breed your mare again, my recommendation is to document the signs you see daily and use that timeline for the next breeding. I say this because some of you are going to be up constantly for weeks. There are a few signs to look for but mares don’t always follow the rules. Here are a few signs your mare is getting ready to foal:

• 2 – 4 weeks prior to foaling the Mare’s teats will begin to swell.
• 4 – 6 days out the Teats will become engorged. This might not be as obvious in a maiden mare.
• 2 -4 days prior to foaling the vulva and croup muscles relax. The tail bone may look more prominent. I know my mares wonder what this strange human is doing poking them in the butt cheeks all the time. Hey, even I get baby fever and think those muscles are looking a little soft weeks before they really are.
• 1 – 4 days before delivery the teats will ‘wax-up.’ As foaling nears you may even see a bead of honey-like fluid on the teats. This is the colostrum. If your mare leaks colostrum for several days before delivery, be sure to tell your vet. The foal may need extra care if they do not get enough colostrum in the first hours of life.

My opinion: Every mare is different and what I’ve just advised you is a very vague outline of timing. When foaling time gets close I find myself online reading article after article on tricks to know just when that foal is coming. I will get more desperate the more sleepless nights I have. I remember one site stating that the mare’s milk will get sticky and the taste will change. Yep, I was out there sampling my mares milk. It’s not very good.

Signs your delivery is imminent

You are now seeing all the signs your horse is nearing her due date. And, you are now on night watch, trying to catch the important event. One night she is going to seem agitated. She may pee more than normal, pace her stall, or snatch and kick at her belly. These are all signs labor is coming.

What to expect during foaling

Stage 1 of foaling is usually when you are trying to figure out if she is really in labor. Some mares will put up false signs for a couple of days and you will be on edge. During stage 1 she may lay down, only to get back up again. She may even role. The sack generally breaks in this phase and a gush of placental fluid might be mistaken as pee. This stage can last a short time and up to a couple of hours.

In stage 2 the foal will be delivered. This stage is quick. If it lasts more than 30 minutes, a call to your veterinarian is in order. As the foal emerges, you should see one foot first, followed by the second, and then the nose. The foal is almost in a diving position. Mares may lay down to fully deliver the foal or they may deliver standing.

The membrane over the foal should be milky white and translucent. If you see a red membrane alarm bells should be going off and the membrane must be ripped open to give the foal access to oxygen. They are no longer receiving oxygenated blood from their mother.

After the birth of the foal, stage 3 will expel the placenta. This may take a couple of hours. It’s important to retain the placenta for your veterinarian to inspect for any abnormlities. As you have more foals, you will become accustomed to the color and shape of a healthy placenta and will be able to inspect it yourself for signs of trouble.

The first hours of your foals life

If your mare is moving and breathing, my recommendation is to sit back and watch these first few moments. Let your mare, especially a maiden mare, get used to the idea she’s got a baby.

At some point, the mare or foal will get up and the umbilical core will break. This will more than likely be about one inch from the foal’s belly. If it does not break on its own. Do not cut. Instead, pull and twist it apart about 1 inch from the foal’s belly. The tearing will start the constriction of the blood velsels and the bleeding will subside shortly.

Remember, let your mare and foal rest. Soon the foal will gain enough strength to attempt standing and after a few tries should be on its feet.

Here are a couple milestones to be aware of:

• Foal rises about 30 minutes after birth.
• Foal nurses within two hours of birth. After three hours, if the foal has not nursed, it’s time to call the vet.
• The foal’s first bowel movement will be sticky and thick (meconium). This should be passed within 12 hours.
  • Enema: Many vets will recommend giving the foal an enema after it’s up and about to help pass the meconium. This is the general one you find and the drug store.
• The umbilical cord should be dipped in diluted (1:4) chlorhexidine solutions for the first few days to avoid infection.
• Watch the mare for any signs of discomfort or fever. Fluid may leak from her vagina for a couple of days. This is normal. Keep her clean.
• We generally call our veterinarian the very next day, after delivery, to set up an appointment. The vet will check the mare and foal for any abnormalities and inspect the placenta.

Signs not everything is going well – Story from the Ranch

One year I woke to find our stall camera was malfunctioning. After my husband woke, I asked him if he could fix the camera when he went out to feed. We had been waiting for that foal to come for so many nights I’d just about given up.

When my husband arrived at the stall, he found my mare standing there with what looked like a dead foal hanging out of her. The foal was lifeless and his tongue all blue. As soon as my husband started pulling, the mare dropped and the foal came right out. At that point he started to come alive and within an hour we had a strapping strong foal. All seemed well.

That is until day 2. The next day the foals legs seemed to be a little swollen but everything else seemed just fine. The vet arrived and looked over the two with a little concern about the legs. It was then I learned that the legs were a sign my little guy was septic. We think he probably ingested bacteria while he struggled to be born and did not get colostrum in time. He is truly our miracle baby. Six weeks of wrapping the legs and giving fluids and antibiotics through a port in his neck every 6 hours. But that little foal eventually grew to be 16.1 hands. His mother was only 14.2!

It’s not your fault – Story from the Ranch

I still get a little choked up over this loss of this newborn foal. We tried so hard to save her. She was born quick and my theory is it was too quick. I could see on the camera the mare was going to foal and by the time I got my boots on and to the barn that beautiful baby was already on the ground. But right away I knew things were not right. She wasn’t moving. I quickly checked her vitals and her heart was beating but she was not breathing. Vigorous rubbing was not helping either. Our vet instructed us to hang her over the stall door to drain her lungs. We did. Nothing happened. We started CPR, breathing in her nostrils. After 30 minutes we had revived her. Relief washed over us all. It was my daughter’s first foaling experience and it was traumatic. My daughter named the baby Miracle right then and there.

But Miracle was not to be. She eventually got to her feet but just didn’t seem to know where the milk supply came from. She was wandering the stall trying to nurse. We were able to milk the mare and get some colostrum into her and the next day my vet located someone with extra colostrum for her. But she was still running into the walls and damaging herself. We had a full team of vets out and tried various methods to bring her out of her stupor. At a day and a half, we had to make the decision to put her down. There was not a dry eye that day, not even the vet’s. But my point is not pity. It is to make sure you know that sometimes, even when you do everything right, bad things happen. And it is not your fault!

Emergency

You can expect everything to go right. But you should also be ready for things to go wrong.

What to have in your emergency foaling kit

There is only 1% chance your mare is going to have an issue when it comes to foaling. But being prepared can ensure you are ready if things do go wrong. Here is a list of items to have ready incase you need them.

• Hand sanitizer
• Pen and notebook
• Blunt end scissors
• Palpitation Gloves – These are the ones that go all the way up the arm.
• Sterile Lubricant
• String
• Towel
• Tail wrap
• Clean bucket
• OB Handles and chain

Common emergencies to be ready for

At the first sign of an emergency, call your vet. Every minute matters. These emergencies are rare but they are the most common of emergencies experienced during foaling.

Dystocia

Dystocia means the foal is not presenting in the way it should. In a normal birth, one foot will be followed by a second, and then the foals nose. If the foal presents in any other way, you will need to get the foal repositioned. If the foal is completely backwards, it is imperative that foal gets out as soon as possible physically pulling it out the the O.B. Chains may be the only option.

Retained Placenta

Although not a life-threatening situation for the foal, it can be for the mare. Retained placenta requires attention from a veterinarian. An obvious presentation of retained placenta is when the placenta is partially hanging out of the mare. But, it may not be obvious if only a piece of the placenta is left inside the mare. Untreated, this can be life-threatening to the mare. For this reason, the placenta should always be saved so the veterinarian can inspect it.

Periparturient hemorrhage

Ruptures of the mares middle uterine, external iliac, utero-ovarian, or vaginal/vestibule-vaginal arteries can occur before labor but mostly happen during labor. Without treatment, a rupture like this can kill a mare within 24 hours or less.

Dummy foal syndrome

Dummy Foal Syndrome usually presents itself as a foal that seems lost. It will wander around the stall and may even try to nurse on the wall or a bucket instead of its mom. They may be sensitive to noise and cut off from what is going on around them.

There is hope for these foals now. The Madigan Foal Squeeze Procedure uses a rope and attempts to mimic the birthing process on the foal. The idea is that the neurosteroids that keep the foal passive while in the womb did not shut off at birth. Normally the squeezing of the foal through the birth canal triggers the neurosteroid production to stop. The Madigan Foal Squeeze Procedure mimics the squeeze during birth and attempts to stop reset the foal.

Here is a video of the procedure. Other videos and literature can be found online.

Recommended Resources

All The information you could learn would take more than one website page. Since you have a few months to prepare, I’d like to recommend these resources: