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This video shows a thoroughbred mare delivering her first foal. I will explain how we care for a foaling mare. This is not a veterinarian's description, and there are many theories on foaling. This is only what we have found to work well for us.
We put the mare in a large, heavily bedded straw stall a week or so ahead of when we plan to start monitoring her. We strip the stall and disinfect it with a Clorox solution between foalings. The water buckets are hung high (you will usually want to give a foaling or lactating mare two buckets of water at all times), and the feed tub is rounded or rubber for the protection of the foal. We watch the mare at night on closed circuit TV. During the day, she goes out as usual, but we keep an eye on her, especially if she separates herself from the other mares. When we feel the mare will foal soon (based on her behavior), we wash under her tail well using Betadine scrub, washing from the top down and using a new wad of cotton as we progress. If the mare is cooperative we wash her udder now as well. We wrap her tail to keep it out of the way. In this video, the tail is inside an examining glove. It also works well to put the mare's tail in a tube sock.
Although some do not like to help the mare in any way, we feel that it is important to know immediately if the foal's nose and two feet can be felt indicating a normal foaling. As soon as the water has broken, the bubble of amniotic fluid is presented and the mare has gone down to foal, we break the bubble and feel inside it to make sure the foal is arriving in the proper position. We wash our hands well in Betadine scrub, or you can use an examining glove. If we can not feel both feet and the nose, we get the mare up and keep her walking until a veterinarian can arrive. Because the foal has not yet started to be pushed all the way into the vaginal canal, the vet has more room to correct its position. Sometimes the leading hoof is pointed either straight towards the ceiling or perhaps at an angle, but definitely not down as the textbooks say it should be. As long as you have ascertained that it is not a hind foot and the foal is being presented backwards (in which case you will have to really pull and help the mare to foal as fast as possible), watch and wait and most mares will get up and down a few times to correct the position on their own. The foal has to turn over to dive out.
We also like to be right there to deflect the leading foot down if it is being pushed too high and risks tearing through the rectum. It is easy to simply deflect the hoof down with a cupped hand and this also tends to send the rest of the foal in the right direction. We then hold the foal's legs and pull, as the mare pushes, in a downward (towards the hocks) direction. It is more of a support than a hard pull unless there is reason to try to help the foal to be born faster. Sometimes the mare will present the inner "red" bag first which indicates that it has separated early from the uterus. If this happens, break it (it can be tough) and try to help the mare foal as quickly as possible, by pulling as she pushes. This foal may arrive slightly deprived of oxygen. We have rigged up an oxygen tank with a long hose attached to a large funnel. This works well to place close to the foal's nose to give it a few whiffs of oxygen.
If all is going normally, as the foal's head and neck are born, we try to support the head on top of the front legs, although in this video it drops down. As the hips are born, the foal will rush out with a flop. We push it up onto its chest and strip liquid from its nose. This helps it to breathe more easily than lying on its side. You might ask your vet what he suggests if the foal is not breathing right away.
Since our mares know us so well, we have never had a problem with one leaping up immediately. We pour 7% iodine on the place where the umbilical cord will break (there is a lighter band of tissue). The foal usually breaks the cord flopping around. We dip it in 7% Iodine and then follow this with 3 or 4 dippings in Betadine antiseptic solution within the first hour or so. We continue dipping several times a day for about 3 days. You can just pour if the foal is still down. Once it is up, we use a baby food jar full of Betadine and reach under the foal to dip the stub of the umbilical cord in it. It is very important that the stump dry up. We also give the foal an enema to help it eliminate meconium. For some reason colts seem to need this help more than fillies. It is much easier on everybody to give this before the foal has gotten up.
When the mare gets up, tie up the placenta (easier said than done) and when the placenta passes (don't pull it), spread it out to make sure there are no pieces missing. We also weigh it to make sure it is under 20 pounds. If it is heavier, that might be an indication of infection. If the mare does not pass the placenta within an hour or so, call your vet as the retention of any part of the placenta is dangerous for the mare.
Following the foaling, we pick the wet spots out of the stall and rebed with more straw if necessary. We usually have the straw shaken out ahead of time to avoid dust. We also either at this time or prior to the foaling bank the stall with flakes of straw to protect the foal as it flops around trying to get up. You can watch the foal's ears and see its coordination improving, as it is able to hold them up better and better. The hindquarters are the last to be controlled, and then suddenly with a lurch the foal is up tottering around. Don't worry if it falls, just try to protect it from hurting itself on the stall partitions.
Next comes the frustratingly wonderful wait for the foal to nurse. There is a new theory that the faster the foal can nurse and get colostrum, the better. We try to help, but often you can't do much other than to lurk on the other side of the mare and push a nipple in the foal's direction. If a foal gives up and lies down, we often milk the mare out into the outer case of the largest sized syringe, tip the colostrum into the syringe itself (without the needle of course) and offer this to the foal. It will usually slurp it down and then when it gets up again, often make a beeline for the udder.
Once the foal has passed meconium and peed, you know "all systems are go". We call the vet to make a farm call about 12 to 18 hours after the birth to draw blood to test for passive transfer of antibodies from the colostrum and to check over the foal in general. If the foal's immune system is not functioning properly yet, the vet can give it Plasmate to give it a jump-start.
We believe in handling the foal when it is first born and a great deal when it is very young. We find it easier in the long run. For the first 24 hours or so we leave the mare and foal inside. Then we get them out in a small paddock for short periods of time at first. Particularly if the foal is down on its pasterns or knock kneed, you don't want it running around too much. It is hard to balance the needs of the mare to exercise and clean up her uterus and the foal's need to develop strength gradually. Foals have been known to end up with sesamoid and other fractures from too much early exercise.
I hope this has been of some help to those considering breeding a mare. Please check with your vet before following any of the suggestions we have made here.
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