- Breeding
- Horse Breeding, Part 2: Breeding and Gestation
- The History of Horse Breeding
- Should You Go Into Horse Breeding?
- General Horse Articles
- Horseback Riding as Therapy
- Let Sleeping Horses Lie: A Look at Horse Sleep Patterns
- It’s Getting Cold Out! What to Do With Your Horse
- Horse Health Issues
- Horse Breeding: Covering a Mare
- Common Horse Illnesses: Colic
- An Overview of Horse Grooming
- Horses & History
- The History of Horse Breeding
- The Feral Horse and Its Impact
- A Brief History of Draft Horses
Horse Breeding, Part 3: Birth and Care of a Foal
05/26/2008
Have you read our previous two installments on horse breeding, and you’re still not sure whether or not horse breeding is for you? Well, this final installment covers the biggest step in the breeding process: birth of a foal, and how to care for it.
Have you read our previous two installments on horse breeding, and you’re still not sure whether or not horse breeding is for you? Well, this final installment covers the biggest step in the breeding process: birth of a foal, and how to care for it.
A pregnant mare that is near-foaling should be provided with a large stall, free of clutter. A mare will feel safe here, which is crucial for a proper birth. She will normally give birth late at night or early in the morning, and privacy should be respected: a mare prefers to give birth alone. Birthing normally lasts no more than half an hour – relatively quick compared to many human births! Most happen without any complications, but it may be wise to have a first aid kit and a veterinarian on call in case of any birthing emergencies that may arise. The new mother will lick her foal clean, which also encourages proper post-birth circulation. Within an hour of birthing, the foal will attempt to stand, and normally will begin nursing milk from its mother.
While the foal is a newborn, many mares will become very protective – aggression may occur if the mare feels its foal is threatened by other horses or by humans. She will lick her foal and nuzzle it to form a close bond with it.
A foal’s navel should be dipped in antiseptic, and may need an enema to clear its digestive tract. The newborn should also be monitored to ensure that it is standing properly and receiving milk from its mother. A foal will be separated from the herd for several weeks. It will graze with the mare after about a month, and nursing can continue for up to a year, though a foal normally is weaned from its mother at around half a year.
That wraps up our look at horse breeding. Hopefully this will give you an insight into what the process is like. If you are interested in horse breeding, consider doing deeper research into the topic; this series was presented as an overview to help aid you in your decision. Good luck!
