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Foaling Support and Foal Checks
Our team provide an emergency service 24hrs a day, 365 days a year. This includes providing veterinary assistance if your mare is having trouble at foaling. Our dedicated hospital team are available for your mare or foal at any point throughout pregnancy or after birth.
What is a normal foaling like?
There are 3 stages of labour.
Stage 1 - typically lasts from 30 minutes to a few hours and may or may not be noticed by the owner. In this stage the mare becomes progressively more unsettled as the foal moves into the birthing position. She may call out to other horses, become more active, show mild signs of colic. The 'water' breaking marks the end of stage 1 labour and start of stage 2.
Stage 2 - After the water has broken the foal should be fully delivered within 30 minutes, often it is significantly quicker than this. The mare will start to have active abdominal contractions, usually laying down. The foal's front feet usually appear first at the vulva followed by the nose. Once the foal is fully delivered this marks the end of stage 2 labour.
Stage 3 - Stage 3 labour is delivery of the afterbirth, otherwise known as the placenta. This should take no longer than 3 hours but is often much quicker. Once the placenta has been passed it should be examined for any tears or missing pieces. You can do this yourself or if you place it in a clean bucket it can be done by us at the new foal check.
Dystocia (difficulty in foaling)
Dystocia is a rare, serious and potentially life-threatening situation for both the mare and foal, and requires immediate veterinary intervention. This possibility should be considered by any owner thinking of breeding their mare. Sometimes the foal will be able to be delivered vaginally (i.e. normally) with an assisted/controlled technique. This may involve a general anaesthetic and then hoisting the mare’s hips up to re-align the foal. However, occasionally the foal cannot be delivered via the vagina and a Caesarian section will be required.
RVC Specialist Mare and Foal Facilities
Our team work with the RVC Equine Hospital in complex cases if needed. We have
- an intensive care unit for treatment and monitoring for premature and sick foals
- Mare and foal boxes so mare and foal together or separately, if foals are unable to stand
- Mares can see and smell their foals over special barriers, so natural bonding is not disrupted.
Foal health checks
The foal is also checked for any neonatal conditions such as cleft palate, broken ribs, hernias. We recommend a blood sample at this visit for IgG. This checks the foal has received enough antibodies from the dam’s colostrum. This is the only way for mare’s immunity to be transferred to foals whereas in other species, these antibodies also cross the placenta.
If your foal hasn’t met the below guidelines, you will require an urgent visit:
- The foal should stand within 1 hour of birth
- The foal should nurse from the mare within 2 hours of birth
- The mare’s placenta should be passed within 3 hours of foaling
- Within 4 hours the foal should have passed the first faeces, known as meconium
- Once settled, the foal should nurse at least 5 times per hour
