It is particularly important to look after your mare as she enters the last few weeks of pregnancy. Most importantly she must be fed properly to ensure normal growth of the foal. Additional feeding is required during the last three months of pregnancy. This is the time when 65 per cent of foetal growth occurs.

Make sure she is dewormed regularly and certainly within a few weeks of foaling. There are many dewormers suitable for late pregnant mares, but always read the label to check with manufacturers instructions before administering any wormer.

Vaccination of the pregnant mare has the dual purpose of protecting the dam and the newborn foal. Vaccination produces antibodies that help the body to fight disease. If the mare is vaccinated at the correct time then these antibodies will be concentrated in colostrum (first milk) and will be of tremendous benefit to the foal.

Length of pregnancy: the 'overdue' foal

The duration of pregnancy is 330 to 345 days, but enormous variation is possible and anywhere from 315 to 360 days is frequently reported. Many owners become concerned if the pregnancy exceeds the expected duration. In general mares will foal when they are ready and this is not necessarily when they are calculated to be 'due'.

Although length of pregnancy is variable, an average figure is important to know so that an expected date can be worked out. A useful figure to remember is 11 months and four days.

If you are worried about the duration or any other aspect of your late-pregnant mare, ask your vet to examine her to check all is well with the pregnancy.

Monitoring the mare

There are several physical changes indicating nearness of delivery that should be monitored. There is an increase in the size of the udder in the last month of pregnancy. Other signs are a relaxation of the pelvic ligaments and vulva.

In the last few days before foaling the udder typically becomes very swollen and there is a waxy secretion on the teat ends (Figure One). This is known as 'waxing' and is usually a sign that foaling will be within four days. Before foaling it is important to gently wash and dry the mare's udder.

Design of the foaling box

The mare should foal in a larger-than-average box. The foaling box should be at least five metres by five metres, clean and well ventilated, but free from draughts. There must be plenty of good quality bedding. Best quality clean straw is the ideal bedding for a foaling box as it will not stick to the wet newborn foal or mare. Some foaling boxes have special one-way glass so that the mare does not know she is being observed. A camera connected to a monitor allows the mare to be watched without disturbing her. It is important that the box is well lit and quiet. Some form of heating is also needed.

The birth

Foaling is a continuous process, but it is customary to divide it into three stages. The first stage lasts from one to four hours. The cervix dilates as the foal begins to move, extending the front legs and head. These processes usually result in discomfort so the mare become restless and exhibits colic-like signs. When the cervix is fully dilated fluid escapes from the genital tract. This is called 'the waters breaking'. This indicates the end of the first stage and her tail should be bandaged.

During stage two actual delivery of the foal takes place. This is achieved by contraction of muscles known as 'labour'. This stage should not exceed 30 minutes and on average takes 17 minutes. Within five minutes of the waters breaking, the white glistening amnion appears between the lips of the vulva (Figure Two). This is popularly called the 'water bag' and should not be interfered with. As the foal emerges, one front leg becomes visible, usually preceding the other front leg by some 10cm. The soles of the feet should be directed downwards (Figure Three).

The head is usually resting on the cannon bones. When the front feet first appear at the vulva, it is not unusual for the mare to rest for a few minutes. The foal has a relatively long umbilical cord and should be left intact for a few minutes to help the circulation of the newborn foal (Figure Four). Care should be taken not to disturb the mare at this stage or she may rise and rupture the cord. Once the umbilical cord has ruptured, the stump should be checked for haemorrhage and disinfected with dilute chlorhexidine. If the mare is still lying down, the foal can be moved towards the mare's head to try to reduce the chance of the foal getting stood on when the mare attempts to get up. All disturbances should be kept to a minimum during this stage. You should leave the mare and foal alone during this period to encourage them to 'bond'.

The final stage of parturition, stage three, involves expulsion of the afterbirth. This may occur immediately after delivery of the foal although, the average time needed for placental expulsion in the mare is one hour. It should not take more than two hours. The placenta should initially be tied up so that it hangs just above the hocks. This should avoid it being stepped on before it is passed. If the placenta is not passed within three hours, veterinary attention should be sought (Figure Five).

When will she foal?

There is no way of knowing exactly when a mare will foal. Most mares foal at night, but you must also watch the mare closely during the day as they can foal then.

Having an experienced attendant watching the mare is the best way of reducing the risk of problems at foaling. Foaling alarm systems are available to reduce the amount of time spent watching the mare. Very useful is to have TV surveillance systems in the foaling box.

Management of stitched mares

Before foaling check if her vulva has been stitched (Caslick's operation). If she has been stitched, it is important that the stitched area is cut open before the foal emerges. If this is not done, at best the tissue of that area will tear and bruise severely making future repair difficult; at worst the foal will suffocate.

Duties of an attendant at parturition

In the majority of cases little or no assistance should be required during foaling. As delivery of the foal is rapid, enormous commitment in terms of monitoring the mare is required. It is not enough to check the mare once in the middle of the night, continuous monitoring is advisable. If problems are encountered, there is little time to contact your vet and obtain assistance. Inexperienced broodmare owners or those who cannot make the time commitment should consider sending the mare to a stud farm specialising in foaling mares. It is vital you can quickly recognise the occasions when assistance will be required and both the normal signs of parturition and the signs that something is going wrong.

In case assistance is needed, a foaling kit should be to hand. This should be made up of obstetric lubricant, foal ropes and antiseptic solution in case vaginal assistance is necessary (a vet or other experienced person may perform this). A clean towel is needed to dry the foal in case the mare does not do this properly. Have to hand a telephone with the number of your vet and any experienced people who may be able to help in case of difficulty.

As far as possible the mare should be left alone, but once the actual delivery of the foal has begun, it may be helpful to soothe and quieten the mare if she is a young, nervous first-time mother. No hard and fast rules can be laid down about when pulling assistance needs to be given. Unless felt essential, do not try to pull a foal. In any case, never pull with anything more than your own strength. As an approximate guide, if the front legs and nose of the fetus do not appear within 10 to 15 minutes of the waters breaking, assistance should be sought. You should have a watch at hand so you can time events happening. As soon as the foal is born, you should check the mouth or nostrils are not obstructed. The mare should be allowed to rest undisturbed in the warm, dry foaling box.

Published: 31/12/2004