Caring for Mares & Foals
Lesson 4: Foaling
Phase One: The Beginnings of Birth
Some people lump this phase and the next together, but for the purposes of easy description we will consider the beginnings of labor and the actual birth separate phases.
The beginnings of birth actually start earlier then the actual birthing procedure. As far ahead of the birth as three weeks, the fetal foal begins to exercise in preparation of birth. Such activity can become almost violent and in some cases a veterinarian needs to be summoned to ease the mare’s discomfort. If you observe such a flurry of activity that lasts longer then ten or fifteen minutes, you may need your veterinarian's assistance.
As your mare goes into active labor you will probably observe the following signs: she may get up and down restlessly, she may bite or look at her side as if she were colicking, she will most likely break into a sweat, and she will pass manure several times in secession, usually softer or more runny than normal. This activity should last no more then fifteen or twenty minutes before you begin to see the amnion.
The amnion is a milky-white-colored membrane that appears at the mare’s vulva. The fetus is inside and usually the foal’s legs can be observed through the membrane as it pushes through the vulva. Usually as the amnion emerges, it ruptures with a gush of water, hence the term “breaking the water”. This marks the end of the first phase and the beginning of the next. From here on things need to happen quickly, for the foal is in the birth canal and may have the blood and oxygen supply interrupted as the umbilical gets squeezed. There should be no longer then a twenty-minute delay from the time the water breaks and full course labor begins.
Where should you be at this time? I usually recommend waiting outside the stall, but watching through the door or over the partition, depending on your stall construction. This is a vulnerable time for the mare and she may be concerned over your presence. This is where all the hours of time spent building your relationship pays off.
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