Caring for Mares & Foals

Lesson 3: Preparing For the Foal

The Foaling Stall

The best way to insure a safe and healthy foal is to give it a safe and healthy environment. First your mare needs to be in a place where she can be undisturbed by other horses. This does not mean she should be out of sight. She will be appeased by being able to see her buddies, but keep in mind her personal preferences. When she foals, the other horses on the property will want to watch if possible, and too many noses poking over the door or stall wall may upset her. It is best to get her used to this foaling area so she should begin being stabled there at least two weeks prior to her foaling date. This also enables her to produce any antibodies to any germs in the area.

Bed the foaling stall with straw-and keep it clean! Wood shavings or sawdust is dirty and dusty for a new foal, and sometimes can harbor bacteria. Studies show an increase in foal illness related to using wood shavings. The importance of cleanliness cannot be stressed enough. Besides the obvious bacteria present in a damp and dirty stall, the ammonia fumes are strongest right at the level the foal is breathing. This can cause permanent damage to a foal’s lungs and irritate them enough to make them susceptible to pneumonia. Before introducing the mare to a stall I also recommend disinfecting it. A solution of 20% chlorox in a spray bottle is inexpensive and effective. Do walls, doors, and floors. Buckets can be washed with an antibacterial soap and rinsed well. Remember to air it well before adding bedding.

The foaling stall should be larger then a regular box stall to give the mare room to lie down and not expel the foal into the wall. Large breeding farms have standard foaling stalls measuring approximately 20 by 20 feet. You can simulate this type of stall by removing the partition between two stalls to enlarge the foaling area. Make sure the doors reach the ground and preferably slide or open out. It is nearly impossible to enter to assist a mare if she has the door blocked and it opens inward. Sometimes the force of a mares’ delivery can push a foal under a door way or between the boards of a stall. Therefore make sure there is no space beneath your door or stall walls, nor spaces between the boards of the stall. I have in the past lined a stall with ½ inch plywood to cover any gaps. This is also useful in preventing drafts on the baby.

Add a small night-light so that you will be able to check the mare without disturbing her. She will become used to it and after she foals it helps her keep track of her baby. At this time I also set up the baby monitor so I can get used to the mare’s normal sounds. Monitors can be purchased that transmit through the electrical currents of the house and barn. I have rarely missed a foaling because I can hear the difference when a mare lies down and begins having contractions. (I have also made numerous false alarm trips before the real thing occurs.) If you are extremely lucky you may be able to have a camcorder monitor the stall so you can look from the comfort of your house (still in p.j.s) and determine when a mare is foaling.

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