Here Comes Baby
March 20, 2009
Top 10 things to do before the birth of your new foal.
Be prepared for the arrival of your new foal.
From The American Quarter Horse Journal
The countdown has begun, and your foal could arrive any day now. But are you prepared? Stay calm! If you plan for your mare to foal in the barn, we’ve made your job easy with our top 10 list of things to do before the birth. Just don’t forget the camera!
1. Prepare a comfortable, spacious foaling stall that provides the mare with privacy.
2. Thoroughly disinfect the foaling stall before the mare enters, and continually remove manure and urine-soaked bedding and hay.
3. Don’t use shavings for bedding, as they can obstruct a newborn foal’s airways. Straw is a good choice for soaking up moisture.
Don’t let your mare surprise you by going into labor when you’re not expecting it! AQHA’s Guide to Foaling teaches you the foaling signs and explains the steps of labor so you can help your mare bring a healthy foal into the world.
4. Keep fresh water and plenty of hay in the stall for your mare. She’ll need energy for the labor and birth.
5. Wrap the mare’s tail to keep it from interfering with the birth.
6. Post your veterinarian’s contact information near the stall in case medical assistance is needed during foaling. Make sure the nearest telephone works and that mobile phones are charged.
7. Have iodine on hand to treat your foal’s navel after the umbilical cord ruptures from the abdomen. Iodine is now available in a handy spray bottle. Don’t be tempted to grab the scissors – let the cord break on its own.
8. Place several clean towels near the stall – you’ll want to dry off your new baby.
9. Have closable plastic bags or containers handy in case complications arise and your veterinarian requests samples of placenta, milk or other substances to test for infection.
10. Have contact information for a source of alternative colostrum. Your foal should nurse and receive the protective antibodies within two hours of birth.
Most importantly, be familiar with the birthing process and what to expect. Know the signs of trouble and when to call the veterinarian for help. Stay calm, and enjoy the miracle!
There are certain “red flags” that let you know it’s time to call a vet. Download AQHA’s Guide to Foaling to get a list of these signs. Problems are rare, but it’s best to be prepared!
Have Fun at QuarterFest
Looking for a reason to celebrate? Head on out to Murfreesboro, Tennessee May 1 – 3 for AQHA’s QuarterFest.
In addition to our “Celebration of America’s Horse,” we’ll have clinics all weekend long, with four AQHA Professional Horsemen and two nationally recognized trainers: Julie Goodnight of Salida, Colorado; Curt and Tammy Pate, a husband and wife from Newell, South Dakota; Jeff Griffith of Gallatin Gateway, Montana; Christy Landwehr of Aurora, Colorado; and Bo Winslow of Estes Park, Colorado.
Just added to the lineup: AQHA Professional Horseman Bob Avila, of Temecula, California. Bob is the trainer of over 35 world champion or reserve world champion Quarter Horses, in events that range from performance to halter.
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6 Comments on “Here Comes Baby”
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March 21st, 2009 at 5:36 pm
[...] also found a rather good article on preparing for foaling called Here Comes Baby on America’s Horse Daily. Tags: [...]
March 24th, 2009 at 8:03 am
The waiting is the worse part. I have everything ready and my mare is at 11 months and 19 days…vet was out and all is good but the waiting is killing me!
March 24th, 2009 at 8:08 am
Niki, waiting IS the worst! Of course everyone has had those nights where you’re just SO SURE the mare is going to foal … so you stay up … all night … for nothing! And then poof, as soon as the humans leave
a beautiful baby is born. haha Foaling season is crazy!
Good luck with your mare. I hope you’re a friend of AQHA on Myspace and Facebook so we can see pictures of your little bundle of joy!
-Kristin
March 26th, 2009 at 9:22 am
Your right the wait is the hardest. I’ve had a few foals now and that and not catching it to see has been the hardest. Last year finally got to see and be a part of all. My head mare was screaming around 12:30 in the morning loud enough to wake us. The foal had been born and had rolled under the electric fence into the roadside ditch. And of course it was raining that night. My mare is a terrific mother screaming at the top of her lungs for help and was patient while I and a daughter rolled the foal onto a blanket and pulled him back up into the field. I didn’t get to see him born but was amazed at the trust his mom had in us. The very next night at the same time my other mare gave birth and I actually got to watch the birth process. Two foals in two nights and all is well.
May 7th, 2009 at 10:42 pm
I have a quarter horse buckskin mare that is do to foal on May 18 , hopefully . I’m kinda scared as she lost her foal last year to joint ill . I had her ultra sounded every month of her pregnancy and have not seen anything but , I’m still worried.
February 5th, 2010 at 1:21 pm
Having foaled abot 15 mares the best way to catch the event is to have a wireless camera which you can hook up to your computer. You can buy one at Sams for a very reasonable price. The birth is too wonderful to miss and these days there is no reason to.