In every issue of Horse & Rider you'll find articles on training by the country's leading experts, the latest on equine health care from top veterinarians, trail riding tips from savvy back country riders, and much more!
Different methods of weaning can result in markedly different levels of stress for your foal. The abrupt, cold-turkey approach of the past is probably most stressful for mare and foal alike. Pasture weaning, where dams are removed one at a time from a group of three or more nursing mares and foals, is one low-stress method. Here, we’ll explore two methods that work with just one foal and can get the job done with minimal mental anguish—for you as well as your mare and foal. Gradual Weaning With this approach, you remove the mare for short amounts of time that gradually increase over a period of two weeks or more. The first separation may last just 15 minutes or so. Eventually you remove the mare completely out of earshot for…
Immediately following birth: • A bright flashlight, for visibility.• Two one-foot-long pieces of clean cotton string, for tying off your foal’s umbilical stump--if and only if it bleeds excessively.• Two three-foot-long pieces of clean cotton string, for tying up the afterbirth (see Afterbirth Protocol below).• Scissors to trim the string.• A clean squeeze bottle filled with umbilical-stump disinfectant. I use a solution of chlorhexidine (Nolvasan). Consult your vet for his/her preference. A few hours after foaling: • A pre-warmed Fleet enema. (To warm, place it in a water bath that’s 95 degrees Fahrenheit, then keep it in an insulated Thermos bottle or coffee carafe.)• A woven-plastic feed sack (which won’t weaken when it gets wet) for the afterbirth (see Afterbirth Protocol below). Foaling Dos and Don’ts • DO note the…
Flashlight A flashlight—or better yet, a headlamp—will help since most mares foal in the dark hours. However, keep the light off or low until your mare starts foaling because you want to interfere the least amount possible. Vet Wrap You want to wrap your mare’s tail when you notice she’s getting closer to foaling. Keeping your mare’s tail out of the way can prevent damage and injury to your foal. Clean Buckets Have at least two clean buckets ready for when your mare begins to foal. Fill one bucket with water, just in case you need to wash up, and use the other to place the placenta in—as long as your mare has completely expelled it—for further examination. Halter and Lead Have a halter and lead handy just in case…
In the late 1980s, a mysterious disease ROCKED the Quarter Horse world, as well as breeds crossed with Quarter Horses. Horses suffering muscle tremors, weakness, collapse, and even death made headlines when the cause was traced to a genetic disease attributed to a prominent Quarter Horse bloodline. When researchers announced that HYPP (hyperkalemic periodic paralysis) linked to one very famous stallion named Impressive, there was an uproar in breeding barns across the country. A decade later breeders began to accept the importance of reducing the spread of this deadly disease. In 1998, the American Quarter Horse Association adopted a rule requiring all foals descending from Impressive to be tested for HYPP, with results listed on their registration papers. In 2007, horses carrying two genes for this disease were no longer…
I’ve been in the barn for hundreds of foaling events, but I still get nervous. The mare becomes restless and uncomfortable. I work on my deep-breathing exercises. The telltale white bubble appears at the mare’s vulva. I quell the urge to run into the stall and deliver the foal myself. I see one front leg…my heart rate increases. A second front leg…I start to sweat. Finally, a nose… and I start to breathe a little easier. About 20 to 30 minutes later, when the baby’s made his entrance into the world (OK, so I usually help him out just a little bit), I breathe a great big sigh of relief. If you’ve ever foaled out a mare yourself, you know exactly what I mean. Is it your first time? Better…
The call came in at 2 a.m. “We have a filly, born 30 minutes ago. Everything went fine, but something doesn’t seem quite right,” my client explained. I started asking my usual questions when I heard the voice of the experienced foaling attendant in the background. “I want her to come. Now.” And I was up and on my way. I arrived to find a beautiful bay filly standing in the stall next to her attentive mother. Her vital signs were normal; she seemed pretty strong and stable, and… sure enough, not quite right. Although she was making half-hearted attempts to nurse, she didn’t really seem to care all that much and spent most of her time wandering around, staring at the corners of the stall. Even when we directed…
