Pregnant Mare and Foal Care
Having a healthy foal born to your mare starts with having a healthy mare!
Nutrition
Mares are most fertile and able to support a pregnancy best at a body condition score of 5 - 7 out of 9. See our 'Body Condition Scoring' section for more information on how to determine your mare's body condition score. If your mare is too thin or too fat, it is best to adjust her body condition before breeding.
Mares do not require extra energy for the first 8 months of pregnancy. The fetus is very small during this time, and its development is concentrated on forming the correct structures in the correct locations. Starting at about 9 months of gestation, however, the mare's energy requirements do increase. During this last trimester, the fetus grows very rapidly. Also, the mare will begin to prepare for lactation. Lactation requires large amounts of energy and water, and during this time your mare will need extra nutrition.
A forage-based diet with a vitamin/mineral mix made for broodmares is usually adequate during the first part of pregnancy. Depending on her metabolism and body condition score, your mare may require some grain during this time as well. From 9 months of gestation through lactation, your mare's grain should be gradually increased in quantity. You may also want to change the type of grain she is getting, to a broodmare-specific or youth feed.
Why would you want to feed your pregnant mare a youth feed? The growing fetus needs more minerals, especially calcium and phosphorus, than an adult (non-growing) horse. Youth feeds are designed for growth, and have the proper calcium-phosphorus levels for good bone formation. Also, as your foal grows, he will start to share Mom's grain and/or you may creep feed him. If the mare is already eating youth feed, this is very easy to do and will provide the growing foal with the nutrients he needs.
Vaccinations
Broodmares should receive their annual vaccines before breeding. This will protect them for the year, as well as prevent the need to vaccinate the mare during the first 60 to 90 days of pregnancy. This first 2- 3 months of pregnancy are the time when the fetus is the most sensitive to any drugs, vaccines, or toxins which the mare may be given or encounter. This is the time when the major organ systems are developing in the fetus.
Equine Herpes Virus - Type 1 (EHV-1), or Rhinopneumonitis, is a contagious viral disease of all classes of horses. Most horses are exposed to the virus during their first year of life; it causes mild to moderate upper respiratory disease in most cases. Typically, the virus stays in the body in a dormant state, and is available to reactivate during periods of stress later in the horse's life. This virus can also cause abortion in pregnant mares. To protect your broodmare against abortion caused by EHV-1, she should receive EHV-1 vaccine at the beginning of the 5th, 7th, and 9th month of gestation. This series of 3 vaccines should be repeated during every pregnancy.
The risk of an EHV-1 abortion is greatly reduced if your broodmare's contact with young horses, traveling horses, and horses new to your barn is restricted. These groups of horses are most likely to be shedding EHV-1. Also, if another pregnant mare aborts (for any reason), your mare should be kept away from the aborted fetus, placenta, and uterine secretions. To further protect your pregnant mare, make sure other horses she is in close contact with are also vaccinated for EHV-1.
Pre-foaling Vaccines
Your mares should receive booster vaccination for Rhinopneumonitis (EHV-1 and -4) , Eastern and Western Encephalitis (sleeping sickness), Tetanus, Influenza, West Nile Virus, and Rabies 4 - 6 weeks before her due date. This will protect both the mare and the foal. The foal is protected when he nurses the antibody-rich colostrum that his dam produces.
Deworming
Your pregnant mare should continue on a regular deworming program throughout pregnancy. Check to make sure each wormer you use is labeled for pregnant mares, and try to avoid deworming her during the first 60 days of pregnancy.
Your mare should also be dewormed with ivermectin on the day she foals. One particular parasite (Strongyloides) can be dormant in the mare's muscle tissue and reactivate during birth. This parasite is then passed to the foal in the milk, and causes diarrhea. A dose of ivermectin on the day your mare foals will prevent transmission of this parasite through the milk.
Signs of Parturition (foaling)
1. Udder development - gradual increase in size over the last 2-5 weeks before foaling
2. Waxing - drops of mammary secretions / colostrum become apparent at the tip of the teats hours to several days before foaling
3. Thickness of secretions - mammary secretions change from watery to thick and sticky
4. Decreased appetite - mares may decrease their feed intake in the 24 hours before foaling
5. Restlessness or isolation from the herd - many mares will seem restless or go off by themselves in a herd situation hours before foaling
Preparation for Foaling
1. Braid and/or wrap your mare's tail to keep it clean and out of the way.
2. Prepare a safe foaling environment - this may be a large stall or a clean grassy paddock depending on the weather. Straw is the best bedding for foaling, as it is less likely to get stuck in the foal's eye, nose, or mouth than shavings.
3. Wash your mare's udder, hind legs, and area under her tail. These areas are likely to be sucked on and prodded as your foal searches for the udder. Washing them will reduce environmental bacteria that your foal may accidentally ingest during udder-seeking behavior.
4. Prepare your umbilical dip for the foal: dilute chlorhexidine solution (1 part chlorhexidine to 4 parts water) or dilute iodine (betadine) solution (1:4)
Normal Foaling
Once your mare's water breaks (rupture of the fetal membranes), delivery of the foal should progress rapidly with birth occurring within 30 minutes. Normal presentation of a foal is both forelimbs extended, one slightly ahead of the other, and the head outstretched on top of them.
Allow the umbilical cord to break naturally when the mare or foal rises. Blood will continue to flow through the umbilical cord until it ruptures on its own; cutting the cord may increase bleeding and deprive your foal of needed nutrients and blood cells.
Dip your foal's umbilicus in the diluted chlorhexidine or iodine solution you have prepared, and continue to dip 2-3 times per day for the first few days, or until the umbilicus is dry.
Placenta
Your mare will normally pass her placenta 30 to 60 minutes after the foal was born. It is okay if she does not pass the placenta for up to 2 hours after parturition, but if it is longer than this, you should call immediately for veterinary attention.
Save your mare's placenta in a bucket or plastic bag for examination. A normal placenta should be approximately 10% of your foal's birth weight. A very heavy placenta can be a sign of placentitis, an infection of the placenta which may predispose your foal to early health problems which will need immediate treatment.
A normal placenta is red and velvety looking on one side - this side was in contact with the uterine wall. The other side is blue to white looking, smooth, and shiny - this was the "inside" of the placenta, where the foal floated in several gallons of fluid. We will examine the placenta for size, color, consistency, and completeness. There should only be one hole where the foal emerged. Multiple holes in a placenta may indicate that some portions of it are left in the uterus. This is an emergency situation (retained placenta) for the mare and should be addressed immediately. It can lead to uterine infection, systemic infection, and laminitis.
Well-baby Exam
All new foals should be examined within 24 hours of birth. This exam will include a thorough physical exam with particular attention paid to the umbilicus, circulatory system (heart & lungs), eyes, and legs. We will also examine the placenta and the mare at this time.
IgG
IgG is the primary antibody found in colostrum. It can be measured in the foal's blood 12 - 18 hours after birth to ensure adequate antibody levels. These antibodies absorbed from colostrum will protect the foal from infection for the first several months of life. We have a "foal-side" test available which requires a few drops of blood; results are available in about 7 minutes. This tool is essential in insuring your foal's health.
We may also administer an enema to help your foal pass his meconium. Meconium is the "first feces," but it is really made up of ingested fetal fluids and dead cells that have accumulated in the gastrointestinal tract during gestation. It is dark colored, pasty or pelleted, and sticky. Some foals have great difficulty passing the meconium, and strain excessively. You will know your foal has successfully passed his meconium when the feces you observe are soft and light tan in color ("milk feces.")
Normal Foal Parameters
Time to standing : 1 hour after birth
Time to nursing : 2 hours after birth
Temperature: 99 to 102 degrees F
Heart Rate: 80 - 100 beats per minute
Breathing Rate: 20 - 40 breaths per minute
Time to meconium passage: 12 - 24 hours
Nursing frequency: 3-5 times per hour
First Signs of a Sick Foal
Lethargy
Decreased nursing frequency or duration
Enlarged udder (indicating reduced nursing)
Deworming Your Foal
Foals are much more susceptible to parasites than adult horses. The most dangerous parasite to young foals are ascarids (roundworms). Signs associated with ascarid infections in foals include: depression, respiratory disease (coughing), stunted growth, diarrhea, constipation, poor hair coat, and colic. The immature larvae migrate through the lungs (causing the respiratory signs) and liver of the foal. The mature worms live in the intestines, and can become so large and numerous that they cause intestinal blockage. The safest way to deal with roundworms in foals is to regularly deworm them so that a large population of adult parasites never develops.
30-45 days of age : deworm with fenbendazole (Panacur or Safeguard) at the 10mg/kg dose (this is double the adult dose of 5mg/kg) - use a weight tape to estimate your foal's weight
Repeat every 6-8 weeks until 6-7 months of age, then use ivermectin or ivermectin + praziquantel.
Continue a rotational deworming program every 8 weeks.
Have a fecal sample tested for parasites every 6 months in weanlings and yearlings to insure proper deworming.
Do not use moxidectin (Quest) in foals as serious side effects can occur.
Do not use daily dewormers in foals or yearlings, as this prevents the youngster's naturally immunity to parasites from developing.
Foal Vaccines - Starting Out Right!
We vaccinate our horses, foals included, as an aid in preventing contagious diseases. Some vaccines are very effective and others are less effective. It is important to remember, no vaccine is 100% effective in all cases at preventing disease. In all cases, we are relying on the animal's immune system to recognize and respond to the vaccine, so that the immune system could respond faster and better in the event that the horse was exposed to the disease.
This presents a unique problem for foals. Foals are protected from disease by the antibodies they absorb from their dam's colostrum. These are pre-formed whole antibodies that the mare's immune system produced in response to vaccinations and disease exposure during her lifetime. These antibodies will bind to bacteria and viruses that can cause disease and thereby prevent your foal from getting sick. This process does not require the foal's immune system to be a working partner. These same antibodies will also bind to the vaccines we use to induce the immune system to respond. Therefore, in young foals, vaccines are useless because the preformed antibodies from the mare will bind and neutralize the vaccine. We have general guidelines to help us decide when to vaccinate a foal, based on when we expect the preformed antibodies from the mare to be gone or nearly gone. It is only then that the vaccine will be effective. This is also one of the reasons why foals must receive several sets of booster vaccines.
The following table lists the common vaccines used in our area and the timing of foal vaccines. Individual foals may vary from this schedule depending on their situation.
Having a healthy foal born to your mare starts with having a healthy mare!
Nutrition
Mares are most fertile and able to support a pregnancy best at a body condition score of 5 - 7 out of 9. See our 'Body Condition Scoring' section for more information on how to determine your mare's body condition score. If your mare is too thin or too fat, it is best to adjust her body condition before breeding.
Mares do not require extra energy for the first 8 months of pregnancy. The fetus is very small during this time, and its development is concentrated on forming the correct structures in the correct locations. Starting at about 9 months of gestation, however, the mare's energy requirements do increase. During this last trimester, the fetus grows very rapidly. Also, the mare will begin to prepare for lactation. Lactation requires large amounts of energy and water, and during this time your mare will need extra nutrition.
A forage-based diet with a vitamin/mineral mix made for broodmares is usually adequate during the first part of pregnancy. Depending on her metabolism and body condition score, your mare may require some grain during this time as well. From 9 months of gestation through lactation, your mare's grain should be gradually increased in quantity. You may also want to change the type of grain she is getting, to a broodmare-specific or youth feed.
Why would you want to feed your pregnant mare a youth feed? The growing fetus needs more minerals, especially calcium and phosphorus, than an adult (non-growing) horse. Youth feeds are designed for growth, and have the proper calcium-phosphorus levels for good bone formation. Also, as your foal grows, he will start to share Mom's grain and/or you may creep feed him. If the mare is already eating youth feed, this is very easy to do and will provide the growing foal with the nutrients he needs.
Vaccinations
Broodmares should receive their annual vaccines before breeding. This will protect them for the year, as well as prevent the need to vaccinate the mare during the first 60 to 90 days of pregnancy. This first 2- 3 months of pregnancy are the time when the fetus is the most sensitive to any drugs, vaccines, or toxins which the mare may be given or encounter. This is the time when the major organ systems are developing in the fetus.
Equine Herpes Virus - Type 1 (EHV-1), or Rhinopneumonitis, is a contagious viral disease of all classes of horses. Most horses are exposed to the virus during their first year of life; it causes mild to moderate upper respiratory disease in most cases. Typically, the virus stays in the body in a dormant state, and is available to reactivate during periods of stress later in the horse's life. This virus can also cause abortion in pregnant mares. To protect your broodmare against abortion caused by EHV-1, she should receive EHV-1 vaccine at the beginning of the 5th, 7th, and 9th month of gestation. This series of 3 vaccines should be repeated during every pregnancy.
The risk of an EHV-1 abortion is greatly reduced if your broodmare's contact with young horses, traveling horses, and horses new to your barn is restricted. These groups of horses are most likely to be shedding EHV-1. Also, if another pregnant mare aborts (for any reason), your mare should be kept away from the aborted fetus, placenta, and uterine secretions. To further protect your pregnant mare, make sure other horses she is in close contact with are also vaccinated for EHV-1.
Pre-foaling Vaccines
Your mares should receive booster vaccination for Rhinopneumonitis (EHV-1 and -4) , Eastern and Western Encephalitis (sleeping sickness), Tetanus, Influenza, West Nile Virus, and Rabies 4 - 6 weeks before her due date. This will protect both the mare and the foal. The foal is protected when he nurses the antibody-rich colostrum that his dam produces.
Deworming
Your pregnant mare should continue on a regular deworming program throughout pregnancy. Check to make sure each wormer you use is labeled for pregnant mares, and try to avoid deworming her during the first 60 days of pregnancy.
Your mare should also be dewormed with ivermectin on the day she foals. One particular parasite (Strongyloides) can be dormant in the mare's muscle tissue and reactivate during birth. This parasite is then passed to the foal in the milk, and causes diarrhea. A dose of ivermectin on the day your mare foals will prevent transmission of this parasite through the milk.
Signs of Parturition (foaling)
1. Udder development - gradual increase in size over the last 2-5 weeks before foaling
2. Waxing - drops of mammary secretions / colostrum become apparent at the tip of the teats hours to several days before foaling
3. Thickness of secretions - mammary secretions change from watery to thick and sticky
4. Decreased appetite - mares may decrease their feed intake in the 24 hours before foaling
5. Restlessness or isolation from the herd - many mares will seem restless or go off by themselves in a herd situation hours before foaling
Preparation for Foaling
1. Braid and/or wrap your mare's tail to keep it clean and out of the way.
2. Prepare a safe foaling environment - this may be a large stall or a clean grassy paddock depending on the weather. Straw is the best bedding for foaling, as it is less likely to get stuck in the foal's eye, nose, or mouth than shavings.
3. Wash your mare's udder, hind legs, and area under her tail. These areas are likely to be sucked on and prodded as your foal searches for the udder. Washing them will reduce environmental bacteria that your foal may accidentally ingest during udder-seeking behavior.
4. Prepare your umbilical dip for the foal: dilute chlorhexidine solution (1 part chlorhexidine to 4 parts water) or dilute iodine (betadine) solution (1:4)
Normal Foaling
Once your mare's water breaks (rupture of the fetal membranes), delivery of the foal should progress rapidly with birth occurring within 30 minutes. Normal presentation of a foal is both forelimbs extended, one slightly ahead of the other, and the head outstretched on top of them.
Allow the umbilical cord to break naturally when the mare or foal rises. Blood will continue to flow through the umbilical cord until it ruptures on its own; cutting the cord may increase bleeding and deprive your foal of needed nutrients and blood cells.
Dip your foal's umbilicus in the diluted chlorhexidine or iodine solution you have prepared, and continue to dip 2-3 times per day for the first few days, or until the umbilicus is dry.
Placenta
Your mare will normally pass her placenta 30 to 60 minutes after the foal was born. It is okay if she does not pass the placenta for up to 2 hours after parturition, but if it is longer than this, you should call immediately for veterinary attention.
Save your mare's placenta in a bucket or plastic bag for examination. A normal placenta should be approximately 10% of your foal's birth weight. A very heavy placenta can be a sign of placentitis, an infection of the placenta which may predispose your foal to early health problems which will need immediate treatment.
A normal placenta is red and velvety looking on one side - this side was in contact with the uterine wall. The other side is blue to white looking, smooth, and shiny - this was the "inside" of the placenta, where the foal floated in several gallons of fluid. We will examine the placenta for size, color, consistency, and completeness. There should only be one hole where the foal emerged. Multiple holes in a placenta may indicate that some portions of it are left in the uterus. This is an emergency situation (retained placenta) for the mare and should be addressed immediately. It can lead to uterine infection, systemic infection, and laminitis.
Well-baby Exam
All new foals should be examined within 24 hours of birth. This exam will include a thorough physical exam with particular attention paid to the umbilicus, circulatory system (heart & lungs), eyes, and legs. We will also examine the placenta and the mare at this time.
IgG
IgG is the primary antibody found in colostrum. It can be measured in the foal's blood 12 - 18 hours after birth to ensure adequate antibody levels. These antibodies absorbed from colostrum will protect the foal from infection for the first several months of life. We have a "foal-side" test available which requires a few drops of blood; results are available in about 7 minutes. This tool is essential in insuring your foal's health.
We may also administer an enema to help your foal pass his meconium. Meconium is the "first feces," but it is really made up of ingested fetal fluids and dead cells that have accumulated in the gastrointestinal tract during gestation. It is dark colored, pasty or pelleted, and sticky. Some foals have great difficulty passing the meconium, and strain excessively. You will know your foal has successfully passed his meconium when the feces you observe are soft and light tan in color ("milk feces.")
Normal Foal Parameters
Time to standing : 1 hour after birth
Time to nursing : 2 hours after birth
Temperature: 99 to 102 degrees F
Heart Rate: 80 - 100 beats per minute
Breathing Rate: 20 - 40 breaths per minute
Time to meconium passage: 12 - 24 hours
Nursing frequency: 3-5 times per hour
First Signs of a Sick Foal
Lethargy
Decreased nursing frequency or duration
Enlarged udder (indicating reduced nursing)
Deworming Your Foal
Foals are much more susceptible to parasites than adult horses. The most dangerous parasite to young foals are ascarids (roundworms). Signs associated with ascarid infections in foals include: depression, respiratory disease (coughing), stunted growth, diarrhea, constipation, poor hair coat, and colic. The immature larvae migrate through the lungs (causing the respiratory signs) and liver of the foal. The mature worms live in the intestines, and can become so large and numerous that they cause intestinal blockage. The safest way to deal with roundworms in foals is to regularly deworm them so that a large population of adult parasites never develops.
30-45 days of age : deworm with fenbendazole (Panacur or Safeguard) at the 10mg/kg dose (this is double the adult dose of 5mg/kg) - use a weight tape to estimate your foal's weight
Repeat every 6-8 weeks until 6-7 months of age, then use ivermectin or ivermectin + praziquantel.
Continue a rotational deworming program every 8 weeks.
Have a fecal sample tested for parasites every 6 months in weanlings and yearlings to insure proper deworming.
Do not use moxidectin (Quest) in foals as serious side effects can occur.
Do not use daily dewormers in foals or yearlings, as this prevents the youngster's naturally immunity to parasites from developing.
Foal Vaccines - Starting Out Right!
We vaccinate our horses, foals included, as an aid in preventing contagious diseases. Some vaccines are very effective and others are less effective. It is important to remember, no vaccine is 100% effective in all cases at preventing disease. In all cases, we are relying on the animal's immune system to recognize and respond to the vaccine, so that the immune system could respond faster and better in the event that the horse was exposed to the disease.
This presents a unique problem for foals. Foals are protected from disease by the antibodies they absorb from their dam's colostrum. These are pre-formed whole antibodies that the mare's immune system produced in response to vaccinations and disease exposure during her lifetime. These antibodies will bind to bacteria and viruses that can cause disease and thereby prevent your foal from getting sick. This process does not require the foal's immune system to be a working partner. These same antibodies will also bind to the vaccines we use to induce the immune system to respond. Therefore, in young foals, vaccines are useless because the preformed antibodies from the mare will bind and neutralize the vaccine. We have general guidelines to help us decide when to vaccinate a foal, based on when we expect the preformed antibodies from the mare to be gone or nearly gone. It is only then that the vaccine will be effective. This is also one of the reasons why foals must receive several sets of booster vaccines.
The following table lists the common vaccines used in our area and the timing of foal vaccines. Individual foals may vary from this schedule depending on their situation.
Foaling Information
|
Disease
|
First Dose
|
Second Dose
|
Third Dose
|
|
West Nile Virus
|
5 months
|
6 months
|
1 year
|
|
Eastern / Western Encephalitis
|
5 months
|
6 months
|
1 year
|
|
Tetanus
|
5 months
|
6 months
|
9 months
|
|
Rhinopneumonitis
|
5 months
|
6 months
|
9 months
|
|
Rabies
|
5 months
|
6 months
|
Fall of 1st year
|
|
Strep equi (strangles)
|
6 months
|
7 months
|
15 months
|
|
Influenza - intranasal
|
9 months
|
one dose
|
|
|
Influenza - intramuscular
|
10 months
|
11 months
|
For more information, or to download growth charts, vaccine record, etc., visit
