Breeding and foaling can be a stressful time for owners and mares. Here are some general guidelines to help you care for your mare and foal through this time.
Before Insemination or Embryo Transfer
One of the best things that can help your mare cycle regularly is feeding a balanced diet and ensuring she maintains good body condition throughout breeding and pregnancy. For easy keeper mares, we recommend a ration balancer feed (Purina Enrich Plus, Triple Crown 30% Balancer, or similar) and forage based diet (grazing, grass hay, alfalfa hay, etc). If the mare gets too heavy, recommend limiting the amount of forage to 1% of her body weight. For harder keeper mares, we recommend adding in a higher fat feed (Senior feed, Purina Ultium, or similar). This feeding program can remain the same up until just prior to foaling. We recommend changing to a feed formulated for lactating mares (Ultium Growth or similar). We also recommend having the mare’s teeth floated and vaccines updated prior to starting the breeding process. It is not recommended to float the mare’s teeth while pregnant.
Please let us know the stallion you have chosen to breed to and if it will be cooled or frozen semen. If cooled semen, please let us know what days of the week that the stallion is collected. Breeding with cooled semen vs frozen semen requires a different timeline and cycle check schedule.
Cycle checks are an imperative part of breeding your mare. These help to monitor where your mare is in her cycle and when she will be ready to breed. As we get closer to breeding time, cycle checks may be more frequent. Leaving your mare at the hospital is an easy way for us to cycle check and inseminate her without the owner having to haul her back and forth.
After Insemination or Embryo Transfer
After your mare is bred (carry or recipient mare), it is important to have ultrasound checks performed on the following days:
- 14 days- pregnancy confirmation and twin check
- 28 days- heartbeat check
- 45 days- highly recommended
- 90 days- highly recommended
If the mare has poor perineal conformation or has a history of placentitis, a Caslicks procedure may be recommended. This may be done at the time of breeding or at one of the subsequent checks.
Progesterone testing should be performed when pregnancy is confirmed (14 days post-ovulation). Regumate oral suspension or altrenogest injections do not affect the result of this test. Please continue progesterone supplementation (Regumate or altrenogest) until instructed to discontinue. In high-risk mares, we may recommend keeping them on supplementation throughout pregnancy.
There are several vaccinations that should be administered to the mare during pregnancy. The recommended timeline is:
- 5 months gestation: Rhinopneumonitis vaccine (Prodigy or Pneumabort-K)
- 7 months gestation: Rhinopneumonitis vaccine (Prodigy or Pneumabort-K)
- 9 months gestation: Rhinopneumonitis vaccine (Prodigy or Pneumabort-K)
- 10 months gestation: Full vaccinations (EWT/WNV/Flu/Rhino/Rabies)
- Some foaling locations may also recommend Rotavirus vaccination during pregnancy
There are some complications that can occur during pregnancy. What to look out for:
- Premature udder development
- Any vulva discharge (white, yellow, pink/purple)
- Colic symptoms
- Fever
Please contact your veterinarian immediately if you notice any of these signs in your pregnant mare.
Late Gestation (9+ months)
The normal gestation period for mares is 340 days. As your mare enters the late gestational period, it is recommended to transition to a feed that is more calorie dense with nutrients tailored for a developing foal/lactating mare. Recommendations include Purina Ultium Growth for harder keeper mares, or a ration balancer (Purina Enrich Plus, Triple Crown 30% Balancer) for easy keeper mares.
If you mare had a Caslicks procedure performed in early gestation, this should be opened 1 month prior to foaling. If this is not done, it can result in substantial tearing of the mare or a rectovaginal fistula.
Signs of impending parturition:
- The mare’s udder will begin to develop
- The mare’s tail will become lax and the vulva will lengthen
- The mare’s teats may wax
Things you should have in your foaling kit:
- Tail wrap for the mare
- Ivory soap and paper towels to clean the mare’s vulva and udders
- Clean bath towels to dry the foal
- A pair of scissors
- Umbilical dip with diluted chlorhexidine solution
- Enema
- Full Bucket Foal Probiotic
Stall set-up
- Clean, dry area
- Recommend using straw to foal out on instead of shavings
- Camera
Parturition/Foaling
Stage 1 Labor
- The mare typically becomes visibly uncomfortable
- Laying down
- Pacing/anxious
- 1-2 hours
Stage 2 Labor
- Actual expulsion of the foal
- Should not last longer than 30 minutes
- If the mare is actively pushing and no progress is being made, please contact your veterinarian immediately. This is considered a dystocia and quick veterinary intervention is necessary. Some dystocia’s can be resolved with manual manipulation of the foal; however some dystocia’s require a Cesarian section (C-section) to save the mare and/or foal’s lives.
Stage 3 Labor
- Passing of placenta
- Should occur within 3 hours of foaling
- Save the placenta for the veterinarian to examine at the time of post-foaling examination
Complications that can occur with foaling:
- Premature separation of the placenta- also known as a “red bag” delivery
- The foal loses its oxygen source when the placenta detaches. If you notice your mare having a red bag delivery, please carefully cut open the placenta and clear the foal’s nostrils as quickly as possible.
- Dystocia- or difficult birth- can occur with:
- Malposition of the foal
- Mare/foal size mismatch
- Lack of uterine inertia
- Poor pelvic conformation of the mare or fracture of the mare’s pelvic bone
- Premature foaling- recommend veterinary evaluation immediately
After Parturition
The foal should be active immediately following birth. The mare may rest for a period after foaling, then she should stand and start cleaning the foal. The foal should begin making efforts to stand shortly after birth.
The “1-2-3” Rule
- 1- the foal should stand within one hour of foaling
- 2- the foal should nurse within two hours of foaling
- 3- the mare should pass her placenta within three hours of foaling
If your foal or mare does not meet these timelines, we recommend having a veterinarian examine the mare and foal as soon as possible.
Other things that should happen in the first 1-3 hours after birth:
- The foal should pass meconium, or the first manure. Meconium is black, sticky, tar-like balls of manure. Some foals require an enema to pass meconium after birth.
- Don’t forget to take the wrap off the mare’s tail!
- Recommend dipping the foal’s umbilicus in diluted chlorhexidine solution or diluted betadine solution. This should be performed 2-3 times per day for the first 1-2 days of life.
If your foal/mare meet all these timelines and are doing well, it is recommended to have a veterinarian out within 12-24 hours after foaling for a:
- Post-foaling examination on the mare
- New foal examination
- IgG test
- +/- plasma administration
Oftentimes with foaling, everything goes smoothly and there are no complications. Here is a list of common complications or abnormalities that warrant an immediate veterinary visit:
- A dysmature foal
- Small size
- Underdeveloped cuboidal bones in knees/hocks
- Dome shaped head
- Typically have carried past 340 days
- May have difficulty standing
- Neonatal maladjustment syndrome or a “dummy foal”
- Abnormal neurological behavior after birth
- Difficulty standing/latching to nurse
- These foals can be born normal and meet all guidelines, then regress into a “dummy” state
- Diarrhea
- Fever
- Cough
- Limb abnormalities
Foal Vaccinations
If the mare was vaccinated with full vaccines (Rabies, EWT, WNV, Flu/Rhino) 4-6 weeks prior to parturition, the foal’s vaccination should be as follows:
- EWT/WNV/Flu/Rhino
- 3 dose series
- 1st dose 4-6 months of age
- 2nd dose 4-6 weeks following 1st dose
- 3rd dose at 10-12 months of age
- Annual revaccination following initial series
- 3 dose series
- Rabies
- 2 dose series
- 1st dose 4-6 months of age
- 2nd dose 4-6 weeks following 1st dose
- Annual revaccination following initial series
- 2 dose series
If the mare was NOT vaccinated during pregnancy, the foal’s vaccinations should be as follows:
- EWT/WNV/Flu/Rhino
- 3 dose series
- 1st dose 4-6 months of age
- 2nd dose 4-6 weeks following 1st dose
- 3rd dose at 10-12 months of age
- Annual revaccination following initial series
- Rabies
- One dose: 4-6 months of age
- Annual revaccination following initial series