Walking On Volume 2, Issue 3, March 2015 | Page 13

You should examine the naval stump
for several days after birth to make
sure that it remains dry. Urine dripping
from the stump indicates that the fetal
urine passage from the bladder to the
umbilical (the urachus) has not closed.
Normally the urachus closes at birth.
If it fails to close, in a condition called
“persistent urachus,” the foal should be
treated by a veterinarian.
Usually, foals stand within 1 hour
after birth. During the first standing
attempts, the foal is unsteady and constantly shifting its head, neck, and feet
in an attempt to remain balanced. This
unsteadiness is normal, and you should
let the foal stand by itself. Lifting the
foal onto its feet before its legs are strong
enough to support it may strain tendons
and ligaments, and it interferes with the
bonding process between the mare and
foal.
Nursing
When it stands, the foal should begin
nursing attempts. The foal instinctively
searches at the junction of the mare’s legs
(both front and back) and body for the
udder. The exploratory process involved
with finding the udder is normal, and,
again, you should resist the desire to
“help” the foal. Human interference
during initial nursing attempts actually
may slow the foal’s progress in finding
the udder, and it interferes with the
mare-foal bond. However, if the foal
has not nursed by 2 hours after birth
or if the mare aggressively rejects the
foal’s attempts to nurse, then it is time
to interfere. Help the foal stand up and
gently guide it to the mare’s udder. Hand
milk a few drops of colostrum (the
mare’s first milk) from the mare and coat
your fingers and the mare’s teats with it.
Get the foal to suck your finger coated
with colostrum and gradually move
your finger beside the mare’s teat. Then,
slowly pull your finger out of the foal’s
mouth so the foal will switch to the teat.
This procedure may have to be repeated
several times before the foal makes the
switch to the teat. Occasionally a young
mare or a mare with a swollen, sensitive
udder will have to be restrained for several nursing sessions before she willingly
lets the foal nurse. If the mare does not
accept the foal after a few nursing bouts,

you should call your veterinarian to
tranquilize the mare. Keeping the mare
tranquilized for a day or two solves most
foal rejection problems. Remember to
use extreme caution whenever you are
working with a foal. Normally gentle,
well-mannered mares can become very
protective and aggressive if they think
you are threatening their foal.
Colostrum
It is important for the foal to receive
colostrum soon after birth because it
contains antibodies needed for disease
protection during the first few months
of the foal’s life. These antibodies can be
absorbed by the foal’s intestinal tract for
up to 36 hours after birth, but absorptive
ability begins decreasing drastically at 12
hours after birth. Therefore it is important that the foal receive colostrum before
this time has passed. Your veterinarian
can perform a simple test to determine
if the foal has received adequate protection from colostrum. This test should be
done about 6 hours after birth. This gives
you an opportunity to correct potential
deficiencies in immunity during the time
the foal can absorb antibodies from its
intestinal tract.
To ensure that the mare has high
amounts of antibodies in her colostrum,
vaccinate her approximately 30 days
before foaling. If you miss this vaccination time, make sure the foal is protected
against tetanus by giving it a tetanus
antitoxin injection at birth. The tetanus
antitoxin is less efficient than immunity from colostrum because it protects
the foal for only 2 to 3 weeks while its
umbilical stump heals. Because the foal’s
immune system is not mature enough to
use a tetanus toxoid vaccination until it
is 3 to 5 months old, the foal is unprotected for 2-1/2 to 3 months if it does not
receive protection from the colostrum.
Colostrum has a laxative effect on the
foal, which helps it pass the fetal excrement (meconium). Most foals pass the
meconium within 4 hours after birth.
If the meconium is not passed, the foal
can become constipated. A constipated
foal frequently stops moving, squats, and
raises its tail trying to defecate. Constipation can be relieved easily by giving
the foal a warm, soapy water enema (1 to
2 cups) or a prepackaged human mineral

oil enema. You should observe the foal
for several days for signs of constipation
and correct any problems.
Foal Health Problems
Diarrhea in the newborn foal is not
common and may indicate a serious
illness in the foal. A squirting type of
diarrhea can result in dehydration and
death of a newborn foal in a few hours.
Immediately consult your veterinarian
if your newborn foal develops diarrhea.
However, mild diarrhea is common in
older foals (1 to 2 weeks of age). This
diarrhea often occurs during the mare’s
foal heat (a fertile heat beginning approximately 7 to 9 days after foaling) and
is commonly termed “foal heat scours.”
In the past, horse breeders thought
hormonal changes in the mare’s milk
during foal heat caused diarrhea in the
foal. Recent research has implicated an
internal parasite (Strongyloides westeri)
as the true cause of foal heat scours.
This parasite is transmitted from the
dam to the foal through the mammary
gland. Foals begin to shed eggs in their
feces 10 to 14 days after birth, resulting
in scours that coincidentally occur with
foal heat in the mare. If the foal is alert
and nursing regularly, mild foal heat
scours usually do not harm it. However
if the foal stops nursing and becomes
weak or dehydrated, consult your
veterinarian immediately. You should
keep the scoured areas around the foal’s
buttocks clean to prevent scalding of the
skin. Wash the area with mild soap and
water and coat it with petroleum jelly to
prevent scalding.
Many foals have limb weaknesses or
angular deform