Henderson County Horse Committee
Athens, Texas

BE THERE WHEN YOUR MARE FOALS

Foaling is an event that most horseowners would like to witness, but many times miss because they did not recognize the signs exhibited by their mare that parturition was near. Fortunately, in most cases, birth of a foal occurs without the need of human intervention and the horseowner arrives to find the foal sleeping or nursing. Knowledge of the physical changes of the mare that occur before foaling would help the mare owner to predict the birth and be available to watch or assist if any problem arose. Easily recognized signs of impending parturition include: filling of the udder and teats, "waxing" of the teats, dripping or streaming milk, relaxation of the muscles and ligaments around the tailhead, elongation and swelling of the vulva and restlessness. It should be noted that all mares may not show all of these signs, and that any signs that occur may not be at the same time relative to foaling in all mares.

Changes in the udder and teats appear to be the most reliable indicators of approaching parturition. Although udder development may begin as much as 1 month before foaling, most of the increase occurs in the last 10-14 days. The teats usually become engorged and "strutted" during the 24- hours before foaling. By checking the mare's udder daily, and then twice daily as changes indicate that parturition is getting closer, the mare owner should be able to gauge when it is time to begin a closer watch. Another indication of impending parturition is waxing of the mare's teats. This normally occurs within 24 hours of foaling and is recognized as firm, wax-like beads of colostrum which have leaked from and remain attached to the nipples. Some mares will also drip or stream milk shortly before foaling, whether or not they have shown the waxing. If a mare is losing a significant amount of milk, it may be beneficial to harvest the colostrum in the event it is needed for the foal.

During the latter stages of pregnancy, the sacrosciatic ligaments relax, and there is a noticeable sinking and softening of the muscles on either side of the tail head. This relaxation is most obvious in the last few days to a week before foaling and is more obvious in older mares. Also, relaxation, elongation and swelling of the vulva is fairly subtle until a few hours before foaling when it becomes most obvious. Again, a daily evaluation of the pre-partum mare will allow the owner to recognize these changes.

For the mare owner who is keenly aware of the horses normal behavior, it is possible to detect attitude changes in a mare just prior to parturition. Many mares demonstrate signs of restlessness, such as increased walking or moving from place to place, alternating between standing and lying down, segregation from other horses in a group, and even rolling, foot-stamping and kicking. Some of this restlessness may be related to the uterine contractions during the earliest stages of parturition.

There are many products available to aid the mare owner who is trying to be present during foaling. These include on-the-farm milk test kits which are fairly inexpensive and easy to perform. Although not 100% reliable for predicting exact foaling time, they do provide one more useful indicator of when the mare does or does not need to be watched. Other foaling aids include monitors worn by the mare which alert the owner when foaling begins. However, the owner should have already evaluated the previously described characteristics to decide whether or not to hook up a foaling monitor.

Perception of the physical and behavioral changes that are obvious in most mares will allow owners to be present for the big event. While losing a little sleep is likely, the mare owner should be able to closely approximate the time of foaling such that he is able to minimize the time he spends with his mare and still be present if his assistance is needed.

For more information on foaling and care of the newborn, contact the Equine Science Program, Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University or call (409) 845-7731.

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