Make sure you know your mare’s foaling date. When your mare’s bag starts to get bigger you are getting close. Her teats will have a waxy substance on them as well when she is getting even closer. If you want you can bring her up to a stall that has a lot of bedding, clean water and hay. Or put her in a small corral, you want her by herself and in an environment that is not stressful since what is fixing to happen is stressful enough. You can keep a closer eye on her this way.
In your Foaling Kit you want to make sure you have these items:
- Fully charged cell phone
- All-important contacts
- Pen and Paper
- A good source of lighting, weather it is a flash light or lights in a barn
- Assorted Clean Towels
- Disposable gloves
- Tail Wrap
- Some sort of Disposal (plastic bucket with trash bag). Most of the time Vets want to see the placenta so do not throw away. When handling the placenta make sure to wear gloves
- Enema (your vet can supply you with one or you can purchase one)
- Mild liquid Soap
- Antiseptic Dip (dilute one part Nolvasan (chlorhexidine) to four parts water and dip the stump regularly three times a day for the first three days. You can get this from your vet as well)
- Halter and lead rope
When you are on foal watch you don’t want to constantly sit and watch your mare, it is not going to happen that way, sorry folks. A good time frame to check on her during the night is every 3 hours. Some people have cameras this is a big investment but worth it to some. There is also a device called a foaling alarm, which is a device to notify the attendant that is on foal watch, that the mare has begun labor. These can be a big investment as well but what values do you have in the foal.
Please remember mares have been having foals for years naturally, you are doing this so you can assist with foaling, not control it. If you have any problems with the foaling process please contact your local veterinary. You should also contact your local veterinary after the foal is born, so that can do a routine foal checkup.
By: Amy