Foaling a Mare

Tymless Trezhur - 4-7-04

The milk is spraying and the water bag has broke. This mare is ready to foal. She is with in one day of her due date and has been telling us for days now the approximate time of day that she would foal. By closely observing the mares in the weeks prior to foaling you should be able to determine the time of day they show the most signs.

We firmly believe a mare should never foal unattended, if at all possible. So many things can go wrong. Last year we had a maiden mare that got a bit confused and decided to deliver standing up. Luckily Rachael was there to catch the foal and ease her to the ground. The survival rate in nature is only about 50%, with a little help this can be greatly increased.

It is not at all uncommon for a mare to be up and down a few times during this initial stage.

After a couple of up and downs, there was no sign of a hoof. Now it's time to investigate.

In this case the the hoof was turned up and not in position to come out correctly. Just a little help was needed and the leg was rearranged and in position.

The second hoof has been located and repositioned. The rest should go pretty smooth.

The only problem is this maiden mare is tired. She is very small in her opening and is starting to struggle. A little gentle pulling is needed to help this foal arrive healthy.