- Breeding
- Submit Your Grant Proposal To USA Equestrian Trust
- ELITE DINING AND HOSPITALITY CLUB TO DEBUT AT 53rd WASHINGTON INTERNATIONAL HORSE SHOW
- Horse Breeding: Covering a Mare
- Buying a Horse
- How to Buy a Horse
- When Dealing With Horses Get It in Writing - Sign Up for May 16 FREE Webinar
- Cookies With a Clue For Your Horse
- General Horse Articles
- The Winning Horse
- What Makes Good Hay
- Keeping the Horse Replenished - Equine Electrolytes
- Horse Feeding
- Cookies With a Clue For Your Horse
- The Truth Behind Bran Mash - Its Uses & Disadvantages
- Equine Experts Send Us Your Best Tip - Win $750 Worth of KAM’s Healthy Horse Products and More
- Horse Grooming
- Mane Saving Ideas
- OmegaTri & the Equine - Reducing Inflammation, Restoring Balance
- eZall Shine & Detangler Transforms Ratty Manes and Tails Into Flowing Tresses
- Horse Health Issues
- Equine Health 101: How to Keep Your Horse Healthy
- Horse Dental Problems and Prevention
- Horse Nutrition: The Basics
- Horse Training
- Equestrian Education: Choosing the Right Horse School
- Relive Southern Eighths/Nikon Three-Day on YouTube
- When Dealing With Horses Get It in Writing - Sign Up for May 16 FREE Webinar
- Horses & History
- Battle-Ready: A History of the War Horse
- When Dealing With Horses Get It in Writing - Sign Up for May 16 FREE Webinar
- A Brief History of Draft Horses
- Horses & Sports
- When Dealing With Horses Get It in Writing - Sign Up for May 16 FREE Webinar
- Ask Chelsie Natural Horsemanship - What Does It Mean To Disengage My Horse?
- Nearly $7 Million Generated Annually for the District of Columbia
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!
