EQUIVET AUSTRAILA - EQUINE INFO - THE "NORMAL" FOALING

PREPARATION OF THE MARE:
Ensure mare's vaccination status is current. If previous vaccinations are unknown give a Tenanus Toxoid six and two weeks prior to the expected foaling date. If vaccination history is known, a single dose four to six weeks prior to foaling is sufficient. Consideration should be given to vaccination against Strangles, Salmonella, Botulism and Equine Herpesvirus at the same time.

Ensure mare is in good health i.e. not over fat or in poor condition and preferably on a rising plan of nutrition. Most mares will lose weight immediately after foaling.

Ensure that mare is up to date with worming schedule. Most wormers can be used up until foaling time with the exception of the organ-phosphates (Neguvon or Boticides).

Check mares milk supply. If no udder development is seen in the last weeks prior to foaling, nutrition may be inadequate. If mare is dribbling excess milk, consideration should be given to collection and freezing for later use in the newborn foal. Mares with no milk may require hormone therapy.

If the mare has a history of reducing Haemolytic foals, the mare's blood may be tested in the last month prior to foaling or the new foals blood may be tested against mares colostrum prior to allowing the foal to suckle.

If the mare is caslicked ensure that the caslick is opened prior to foaling. Discuss the optimum time for this to be done with your Veterinarian.

**THIS IS MOST IMPORTANT**
The normal gestation period is between 320 and 365 days with an average of 340 days. About 1% of mares will go a full twelve months.

Make sure you are aware of the mares NORMAL gestation period and calculate the expected date of foaling so that the foals may be monitored for problems if there is a prolonged gestation (eg. retained meconium or prematurity, colostrum deficiency and pneumonia).

Prepare a clean environment for the foaling that will allow for easy monitoring. There must be ample room for the mare to get up and down easily. It must be possible to catch difficult mares if they require assistance. The ideal area is a well grassed and well drained area. Avoid sand and sawdust as it can get into the vulva causing irration. Warm water, towels and lights should be available if needed.

Make sure you have your veterinarians phone number available and ring for any assistance at the first sign of trouble. It is critical that you don't let the mare become stressed during the foaling. Correction of an abnormal presentation is easy in the early stages of labour but can become very difficult as foaling progresses.

THE FOALING:
There are three (3) easily recognisable stages of labour in a mare:

Initial contraction - the mare will usually lie down and get up and generally look uncomfortable. The mare is generally trying to get the foal into the correct position for delivery. The time taken for this stage is quite variable, but generally should not exceed two hours.

Starts with the rupture of the mare's membranes. This is white coating, which surrounds the foal. The foal's feet may be presented before the membrane ruptures, but if the foal is being delivered within the red membrane (placenta) you are in trouble and delivery MUST proceed rapidly or the foal will die. Delivery within the placenta indicates premature placental separation and the foal can suffocate from lack of oxygen very quickly.

The mare will normally deliver on her side and the period from appearance of the feet to delivery will rarely exceed twenty minutes. The muzzle should appear when 10-15cm of feet is exposed, if not, feel and find where it is and if you cannot find the muzzle call the vet. If ten minutes of strong contractions produces no sign of the feet, feel and find where they are. If they are in the correct position, allow a further ten minutes and if there is no progress call the vet.

Obviously experienced operators will be quite capable of correction some abnormal presentations themselves and SHOULD DO SO IF POSSIBLE as the delay in arrival of assistance may be critical.

When the foal is delivered, the foal should remain behind the mare, preferably with the hind legs in the vulva.

The umbilicus will continue to pulsate during this period. The umbilical cord will normally break when the mare stands up.

This is the stage of which the mare will pass the placenta, which will normally take up to three hours. Mares with prolonged stage three labour ie. Retained placenta can be left without treatment for up to eight hours during the cooler months or six hours during the warmer months.

Most mares will not require assistance and will require monitoring only.

POST FOALING CARE:
Carefully assess the health of the foal. Check the mare for completion of Stage 3 labour ie. passing the placenta, if the placenta is retained for an extended period ring for assistance. Lay the placenta out and check that it is all present. Check the mare's vulva for laceration tears into the rectum and prolapses of the uterus or bowel.

Mares, which have been previously caslicked, may require immediate re-stitching if vulva conformation is sufficiently bad. Check the mare's milk supply and milk let down.

Mares should go back in the paddock as soon as possible if the foal's legs are okay, so as they can return to regular exercise. If the mare is to be re-bred on the foal heat it is advised that the mare have a intra-uterine pessary or flushing with a salt solution.

THIS MAY ALL SOUND VERY COMPLICATED BUT JUST REMEMBER THAT OVER 80% OF MARES WILL DELIVER, WITHOUT ASSISTANCE, TO A NORMAL HEALTHY FOAL WITHOUT COMPLICATIONS.