January through June is a busy time of year at Masterson Farms, where stallion care and semen collection, foaling mares, and imprinting foals are all going on simultaneously. The team effort of Breeding Manager Janne’ Stewart, Veterinarian Dr. Colin Anderson, and Breeding Assistants Wuences Rodriguez and Caitlin Rashid keeps everything organized and running like clockwork. Yet, in spite of the precise organization and preparation, there are still surprises from the mares.
This year’s surprise is a cute “premie” filly (below) born 37 days early to Jazzy Jet Setter, by R L Best of Sudden, aka “Bo.” On the day Janne’ had planned to bring her to the barn to prepare for foaling, to her surprise she found Jazz with her new baby in the pasture! The mare was busy defending her foal from the other broodmares, and the foal was too weak to stand and nurse on her own. So Janne’ brought the new mother and foal to the barn and spent the first 24 hours feeding her expressed mare’s milk from a bottle every two hours.
When a foal is born more than a month early, “There is a risk that their lungs won’t be sufficiently developed,” explained Dr. Anderson. But looking at this foal just 24 hours after her birth, she appears well and thriving, even instituting a small buck when Janne’ scratched her rump. “The foal has come a long way in 24 hours,” Janne’ said. “When we first brought her in, she couldn’t hold herself up to nurse,” thus she needed bottle-feeding. “We introduced her to nursing yesterday when she got enough strength. Then once she learned who was the real source of milk and was able to find the udder on her own repeatedly, she rejected the bottle.”
This is still a critical time for the foal because of the risk of infection and/or illness. Since she was too weak to nurse directly after birth, she probably did not get all the necessary colostrum with its important antibodies. “The foal has only 36 hours to absorb whole antibodies from the colostrum,” Anderson explained. “In a foal over 36 hours old, the only way for the foal to get these antibodies is through plasma. Her IgG (immoglobulin G) was inadequate, i.e., <800 mg/deciliter, so it is necessary to give her plasma. She needs 2 liters, so we’ll give her one liter today and another tonight,” he said. On day three the filly was running around her stall, pert and energetic, even though she’s still in the critical stage.
The folks at Masterson Farms take all precautions possible to ensure that foaling is safe and healthy. They have a foaling cart with everything needed for both the mare and the foal, which they wheel to the stall as soon as the mare starts foaling. There are towels; foal blankets; medical supplies for the mare if she is having problems; medical supplies for the foal is he/she is crashing. “It’s essentially a crash cart for troubled labor or dystocia (the medical term),” said Dr. Anderson. One handy item is a foal resuscitator. “It’s designed so that you cannot over-inflate the foal’s lungs,” he said. They hope they don’t have to use it and rarely do. “We only have to use it maybe once a year,” Anderson said.
“We have a foaling checklist of things that we do for the mares and we think it’s just good practical procedure,” Anderson continued. Following are their guidelines.
Before Foaling:
(1) Give a herpes virus injection (one approved for pregnant mares) at 5, 7, and 9 months of gestation. The herpes virus can cause late term abortion, so this helps prevent that problem.
(2) Within 4 to 6 weeks of the due date, give the mare all annual vaccinations. “We think the antibodies from the vaccine may get produced in the colostrum. The foal lives on the mother’s immunity (Cont. p. 3, Foaling)
(Foaling, continued from page 1) until about 3 to 6 months of age (average 4 months), until they start to build their own antibodies. This is the only way to protect the foal from infection,” Anderson said.
(3) Deworm the mare with Ivermectin to decrease the amount of parasite eggs around the foal when he/she hits the ground. This can be done within two weeks of the due date.
(4) Check mammary development. “If there are no signs of bagging up, you may want to treat for that,” Anderson recommended.
(5) If the mare has had a Caslicks procedure, take it out prior to foaling. “Not all mares have it, but some do, especially mares with conformation problems that allow them to contaminate themselves. A section of the vulva is sewn together to prevent ascending infection. If you do this at the beginning of pregnancy, then you want to remove the stitches and open it back up before foaling because you don’t want the mare to tear,” Anderson explained. The Caslick procedure was developed by E. A. Caslick, DVM, to help protect against infection. One of the most common sources is contamination of the vagina by fecal material that drops into the vulva. This contamination can cause vaginal infection, which can spread to the uterus.
(6) Use a foal alert (below), which is put on the mare about two weeks before foaling. “This alerts me, wherever I am, that the foal is coming,” said Janne’.
(7) Predict-a-foal, foaling time predictor kits can also be used. “These are handy,” said Anderson. “You take the early secretions from the mare, and run the test strip. If 5 squares on the strip change to red, there is a 90% chance of foaling within the next 12-24 hours. We have found them to be really reliable when the mare is close to foaling.”
At Foaling:
(1) When the mare is close to foaling, wrap her tail. This prevents contamination.
(2) Clean the perineal area and the udder. This prevents the foal from picking up parasite eggs and bacteria.
(3) Every mare owner should know what a normal presentation looks like (above) and consequently, an abnormal presentation. Charts are available that clearly illustrate this. “For a normal presentation, you want to see a clear/translucent amniotic sac; two front legs; and know that the head is between the legs,” Anderson explained. “If you see a red sac, this indicates premature placental separation – the placenta is coming first or with the foal. It is important to call the veterinarian, and you will need to tear the placenta or the foal can suffocate inside the placenta. The foal can tear the amniotic sac easily, but not the placenta. Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence in west Tennessee because of endophyte infected fescue. The endophyte infected fescue can also cause Agalactia, no milk production, and a thickened placenta. It can also cause prolonged gestation.”
(4) If you have an abnormal presentation, call the veterinarian immediately! Anderson continued, “Sometimes the veterinarian can talk clients through correcting some problems while he/she is on the way. Time is a huge factor! Foaling takes about 20 to 30 minutes; if 45 minutes have elapsed and the foal is still not born, you may be losing the foal.”
(5) Depending on your experience, it is a good idea to call your veterinarian as soon as the mare starts foaling, or better – give your veterinarian a “heads up” that the mare is close to foaling. “Be very proactive,” Anderson recommended. “Don’t delay! Timing is critical!”
After Foaling:
(1) The foal should stand within the first hour. Most stand within the first 10-15 minutes. If the foal is not standing within an hour, call your veterinarian.
(2) The foal should nurse within the first 3 hours. If not, call your veterinarian.
(3) The mare should pass the placenta within 6 hours of foaling. “If the mare foals in a stall, tie it up so the mare is not stepping on it and so she doesn’t tear it,” Anderson recommended. “You don’t want the mare to retain any part of the placenta. Even a tiny piece can cause a very sick mare,” Anderson said.
(4) Dip the umbilical stump (a source of neonatal infection) in dilute chlorhexidine solution or providone iodine solution. Just put it in a cup and dip the stump. It is important to do this within the first 24 hours.
(5) The foal should pass the meconium, the mucous plug, aka the first bowel movement, in the first 2 to 3 hours of life. They usually pass it after they nurse. If they don’t, the foal will have discomfort, signified by flagging and wrenching the tail. In this case, the foal may need an enema.
(6) The foal should get the colostrum – very important! This is the only immunity the foal gets at first. To make sure the foal gets sufficient immunity, check the IgG level in the foal’s blood. The reading should be >/= 800 mg/ deciliter. If the reading is <800, you can supplement with plasma.
(7) Diarrhea is the most common problem in foals, and often the cause cannot be precisely determined. If the foal is not dehydrated, is alert and nursing, this may not be a problem.
Handling the Newborn Foal:
As the foals are born, and directly after, Janne’ starts imprinting them. She is the first being that the foal sees, other than mother. She starts handling the foal on the ground before they even get up, usually toweling them dry. “This is the method started by Dr. Robert Miller [see http://www.robertmmiller.com/], who showed how effective it can be,” Janne’ explained. “I flex their nose to their neck and hold it. I rub their forehead and face; then I rub their ears one at a time. I stick my finger in their nose, which can be very helpful at preventing panic in an adult horse if you have to tube them for colic. Then I rub their neck, shoulder, flex their legs, work their joints. I work my way all over their bodies,” in what sounds like a full body massage. “The foals actually enjoy it!” she said. “Then I tap the hooves with the palm of my hand. This prepares them for hoof trimming and farrier work later. I work my way back to the tail and to the rectum. I do it about 150 times at each part. If the foal resists, I keep going; if you stop, you reinforce resistance. With imprinting, the foals don’t fear human interaction, and when the veterinarian checks them, they don’t fight you when you are there to help them. We get them used to the clippers, so they don’t get upset if you need to clip them. Also, imprinting does not interfere with the foals’ bonding with the mare. It helps prevent them from going into that fight or flight mentality and reduces fear.”
As soon as the foals are a week old, they go out in a paddock with the mare, and they can make friends with foals in adjoining paddocks. Then after a few weeks, they can go out in a larger pasture with their “buddies.”
Once the January babies are weaned in June, the foals are halter broken, can lead in and out of the barns, can be caught in the pasture, can have their feet trimmed, get all their shots, and then go out in a pasture with other weanlings to play. It’s a reliable, well-planned, organized system that keeps foals healthy, safe, and easy to handle from day one at Masterson Farms.
