Horse managers should be making a checklist to ensure that pregnant broodmares will foal as smoothly as possible this spring.
Preparation is a key component of foaling management. It reduces stress on the mare and it makes life easier for those who assist during the birth, said Dave Freeman, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension equine specialist.
“It’s important a foaling mare not be placed in a strange environment or have a stranger act as night attendant just prior to parturition,” Freeman said.
“In these instances, a nervous mare often will delay foaling until she becomes relaxed.”
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Instead, a foaling mare should be familiarized with the environment and night attendants beginning one or two weeks before foaling.
The environment should be clean, spacious and reasonably quiet. A stall should be 14 feet by 14 feet or larger, and should be filled with clean straw rather than shavings.
An eight- to 10-inch-thick bed of straw will reduce dust and decrease the chance for infection. It also makes it easier to clean off the mare and foal.
If the mare is going to foal in the pasture, make sure the area is dry, with plenty of grass.
Freeman said a quiet area will help calm the mare and make foaling easier. Barn lights should be regulated. If possible, use a small flashlight to monitor the mare’s position.
An alternative is to use a dim light in the stall, just bright enough to see the mare. Also, observation should be done from outside the foaling area.
Mares that have caslick sutures must have them opened well in advance of the expected foaling date.
Caslick sutures are used to prevent problems in mares that have abnormal conformation of the vulva.
