Foaling Horses: 101 to 911

During and after foaling are two of the most critical times in a neonate and his mother's lives. One little thing gone wrong could set off a potentially life-threatening cascade of events for either horse. Rissa Parker, BVSc Pret, from Glen Austin Equine Clinic, in Gauteng, South Africa, has had a special interest in mare and foal care for the past 24 years and shared her first-hand knowledge of how to identify normal vs. emergency situations with attendees at the 2014 Cape Breeders Club Seminar, held Jan. 27-28, in Stellenbosch, South Africa.

Parker first described the three stages of foaling:

Stage 1 begins when the foal starts to position itself for birth within the mare's womb. Parker said signs of this first stage of impending parturition in the mare include restlessness, kicking at the abdomen, lifting the tail, sweating, urinating, and rolling as if colicking. While these signs might be distressing to an owner, Parker said there's nothing to fear unless they carry on for more than an hour. At this point, consider it an emergency and call your veterinarian immediately.

Stage 2 is the presentation of the foal. At this time the mare's water breaks, and she delivers the foal. This stage occurs rapidly, said Parker—within about 10 to 30 minutes. Consider anything longer to be an emergency requiring veterinary attention, Parker said. After 30 minutes, "for every 10 minutes that go by, there's 10% less chance of the foal surviving," she noted.

Source: TheHorse