Walking On Volume 2, Issue 3, March 2015 | Page 12

©Will Montague

Foal Behavior After Birth
The foal will usually stand within 30
minutes, typically after several failed
attempts. As soon as it is steady on its
feet, often within an hour of birth, the
foal will attempt to nurse. Teat-seeking
behavior is persistent, even somewhat
random, because the foal does not know
exactly where the teat is located. However, with the gentle assistance of the
mare, the foal will find the teat, quickly
understand its purpose, and know how
to suckle, a behavior that is instinctive in
horses.
Within the first two hours, a foal
starts breathing (within seconds), lifts its
head (within 5 minutes), attempts to rise
(within 10 minutes), stands (within 55
minutes), vocalizes (within 45 minutes),
defecates meconium (within 30 minutes), suckles for the first time (within
one hour), walks-runs for the first time
(within 90 minutes), and takes its first
nap (within two hours).
Understanding normal foaling behavior helps observers identify abnormal
behavior or problems associated with
foaling. Foals nurse frequently during
the first few weeks of birth. Estimates
range from one to two times per hour,
with each session lasting about three
minutes. As foals age, the frequency and
duration of suckling decreases and they
12 • Walking On

begin to eat other feedstuffs. Foals will
remain close to their dams the first few
weeks of life but will gradually explore
their environment. By the end of the
third month, foals will spend 60 percent
of their time with other foals. When the
foal is 5 to 7 months of age, 70 percent of
their nutrients will come from non milk
sources. This is one reason it is recommended to wean foals at about 5 to 7
months of age.
Care of the Newborn Foal
If you are present during the birth of
the foal, your first step after the delivery
is to make sure the foal is breathing.
Quietly approach the foaling area and
remove the birth sack (amnion) from the
foal’s head. If the foal is breathing, your
job is complete and you should leave
the foaling area and observe the mare
and foal from a distance. This allows the
mare and foal time alone to recover from
the delivery and bond to each other socially. If the foal does not begin breathing on its own, tickle its nostril with a
piece of grass or straw or blow into the
foal’s mouth to stimulate the respiratory
reflex. If the foal still does not breathe,
try rubbing the foal vigorously, squeezing its ribs or lifting it about one foot
off the ground and dropping it. These
procedures usually shock the foal slightly

and initiate respiration.
A normal, healthy foal lifts its head
and neck and rolls onto its chest within
several seconds after delivery. Then the
foal begins to make creeping movements
away from its dam. If the mare has not
stood up yet, the foal’s movements usually break the naval (umbilical) cord. You
should wait for either the mare or foal to
break the umbilical cord. Do not cut the
umbilical cord immediately after birth,
because it is thought the foal receives
blood from the placenta after birth. Cutting the cord before this blood transfer
may result in circulatory problems in
the foal. Foals with circulatory problems
typically seem dumb and may have convulsions, leading to the common terms
of “dummy” or “wanderer” foals for this
condition.
Once the umbilical cord breaks, the
stump should be dipped in a mild, 1 to
2 percent iodine solution. The iodine
drys the umbilical stump and prevents
bacteria from traveling up the stump
and entering the foal’s body. Bacteria
that enter the foal through the umbilical
stump cause a systemic infection known
by various names, such as shigellosis,
naval ill, joint ill, or polyarthritis. This
infection cause s severe illness or death in
foals and causes swelling and deformities
in the foal’s joints.