Foaling Season

For the next four months, the breeding and foaling season will consume my life. I clearly don't have a normal 9-5 job, as during this time of year I also work nights, checking on the mares that are within thirty days of their due date and attending the birth of each foal (hopefully!).

Mares carry their foals anywhere from 320 to 360 days, with an average gestation length of 340 days. When a mare gets close to foaling, there are certain signs to watch for. Her mammary glands will develop two to six weeks prior to foaling, her teat ends will engorge seven to ten days prior to foaling, and the mare may display "wax" on her teat ends. This "wax" is colostrum that dries once it comes in contact with the outside air, and can look like dripping candle wax. Roughly 62% of mares will "wax up" prior to foaling, and of those mares, almost 70% will foal within 72 hours after waxing.

One to two days before the mare foals, she may isolate herself in a pasture, go off feed, and defecate/urinate frequently and in small amounts. The vulva will also elongate and swell 0-24 hours prior to foaling.

Most mares will foal at night-- 93% of mares will foal between 9 pm and 8 am, although excessive intervention of activity may delay normal foaling. The mare has limited control over the timing of foaling, as it is the fetus that initiates the process once it is physiologically ready to survive outside of the uterus.

Stage 1 of labor begins with the onset of uterine contractions. The mare may act restless or nervous, frequently lay down and then stand up again, paw at the ground, start sweating, and she may even start squirting milk. These clinical signs may last anywhere from 1-4 hours prior to foaling. Mares that have had multiple foals will not be as bothered or show as many signs. During this stage, the fetus will rotate onto its stomach and extend its head and front legs.

Stage 2 begins when the mare's water breaks, which is the chorioallantoic membrane rupturing. The mare will then start actively straining, and the amnion (a translucent, greyish membrane) will appear at the vulva. This stage will only last ten to twenty minutes before the foal is born.

2013 foal (Wild Haired Cat x Blazen Tornado)
First foaling I attended at the Circle C!

Stage 3 begins with the delivery of the foal, and ends with the mare passing the placenta. It may take anywhere from fifteen minutes up to three hours after the foal is born for the myometrial contractions to expel the placenta and the remaining fluids. After three hours, the placenta is considered abnormally retained and the mare should be treated.

There are a few miscellaneous placental items that are fun to include here. The hippomanes (there are normally two) are cellular debris from when the foal was surviving on the yolk sac, and can be found in the allantoic cavity. It is supposedly good luck to throw a hippomane onto the roof of the foaling barn to ensure good luck for the rest of the foal's life. The angel slippers are a protective coating on the tip of the foal's hooves to keep the foal from prematurely tearing the amnion, and can also be found near the foaling site.

The 1-2-3 rule is a great rule of thumb to make sure the newborn foal is normal and healthy. The foal should be standing within one hour of foaling, nursing within two hours, and should pass its meconium (first manure) by three hours. Most foals will be faster than these time frames indicate, but it is good to keep these guidelines in mind.

It is also good to keep a watch with you if you're attending a foaling, as it is easy to think more time has passed and start panicking when everything is actually ok. Obviously I've described a simplified, normal foaling when a lot can go wrong for both the mare and the foal. However, I choose to stay positive, and look forward to sixteen more happy, healthy foals to come this year!