Birth has occurred, what’s next?

No matter the desire, avoid rushing in to dry the foal. The mare is a scent animal and she needs to learn her foal’s scent. It is an important bonding event.

Rest. Ideally, mare and foal will be allowed 20-40 minutes of non-interrupted time after birth to rest. However, if the birth membrane is still covering the foal’s nose and mouth, quietly enter the stall to break the membrane gently with your hand and clear it away. Afterwards, if breathing is normal, move out of the stall to a distance. These early moments are critical for the mare and foal to bond and be left alone. Also, mares are protective and you must show utmost care and be non-threatening in order to avoid upsetting the dam.

First Breath. If the foal does not show signs of clearing its lungs of birth fluid, such as coughing or snorting, institute immediate aid to assist with breathing. Place the foal on its chest. Wipe its nostrils with a clean towel, making sure you are wiping away and not pushing fluid in. Rubbing the foal’s sides may help, as can tickling the nostrils or blowing gently into its mouth. Phone your vet if the foal does not begin to sputter or cough. Foals are often born with blue tongues, and that is not a sign of concern as much as lack of breathing is. Blue tongue or gums should start to disappear as the foal breathes. If the condition persists, seek immediate medical attention.

If breathing is fine, you can use the 20-40 minutes of rest time to complete your timeline/checklist. First, write down the exact time of birth. Calculate 45 minutes after birth for delivery of the placenta. Make another notation of 3 hours after birth as the final time by which the mare’s placenta should be delivered. Calculate 2 hours within which the foal should stand. Calculate 2-4 hours after birth for the foal to begin nursing. Although these are general guidelines, write down each event as it occurs, and call the vet if any event does not occur within the recommended time.

Placenta. Placenta is also called the afterbirth. Once the mare passes this large, blood-filled sac and the umbilical cord is broken, place the placenta in a bucket and remove it from the stall for your vet to examine. You want to determine if she has passed the entire afterbirth. If you are not sure what signs to look for, the vet can determine whether it is entire.

Never pull on the placenta to remove it from the mare. That can cause a serious, life-threatening infection for her. Only a vet is qualified to perform intrauterine removal of afterbirth. Again, if all of it does not emerge 3-4 hours after birth, call your vet.

Umbilical cord. Ideally, the mare will stand up on her own, causing the umbilical cord to break. Sometimes, the foal breaks it himself by moving along the stall floor. Remember that the cord is a lifeline for the foal. Do not rush the process or interfere at this stage.

After it is broken, dip the umbilical stump into iodine solution. A Dixie cup or other small, sterile container works well for this. If it has not broken after several hours, and the foal has gotten to its feet by itself, you may tie off a spot two inches from its abdomen with your cotton twine and cut one inch past that. Disinfect the entire stump after tying, as indicated above.

Nursing. The foal should be standing within one-two hours and nursing shortly after. While you can guide the standing foal to its mother’s teat, forcing a foal to stand when he is not ready is a bad idea. If the foal has not nursed by two hours post-delivery, try drawing some milk from the mare yourself onto your finger, then putting your finger in the foal’s mouth. Slowly work the foal onto the udder in this manner. Some mares may need to be tied to allow the foal a chance to nurse. If the foal still won’t suckle after these attempts, call the vet.

Finally, the foal should pass its first stool, the meconium, four-six hours after birth. There are foal laxatives available; however, I recommend a gentler alternative of a warm water enema. Mineral oil or a trace amount of mild soap can be added to 1-2 cups warm water and administered via an enema bag.

Even if everything goes perfectly, have your vet examine the foal and placenta the following day. Be alert to signs of distress in your new baby, and don’t forget the mare either. She will need plenty of good quality feed and water to nurse her young one.

Scientific study has shown that turned-out foals who are allowed to exercise at will (not forced) develop with far fewer tendon and cartilage problems. So, if the weather is good, turn that baby out and let it stretch its legs.

Foal-starting the right way, by John Lyons. Good information for establishing trust in horses of all ages, not just foals.