Care of the Newborn Foal

Normal behavior of the newborn foal:

5 minutes after birth: shivers, awkward attempts to get in sternal position
20 minutes: sucking reflex (you can test it by putting a clean finger in the foal's mouth)
Within 1 hours: the foal is standing, alone
Within 2 hours: the foal sucks
Within 1 to 4 hours: expulsion of meconium (first excrement, yellow / brown paste)
Around 12 hours of birth: first urination

Care of the newborn foal:

Umbilical disinfection: Soak umbilical stump in 2% iodine tincture or 0.5% chlorexidine. Clean the umbilicus 2 to 3 times daily until it is completely dry. Be careful not to touch the skin and apply the disinfectant only on the pink and wet portion of the umbilical stump.
- In the days and weeks following birth monitor regularly the absence of pain, heat, swelling, suspicious oozing of the umbilicus.
Colostrum: Colostrum, the first "milk" produced during pregnancy, contains antibodies. It is essential for the immunity transfer from the mare to her foal. Indeed, since the mare does not transmit any antibodies to the fetus during gestation, the newborn foal is completely defenseless against the microbes present in the environment at his birth. Colostrum is absorbed by the foal's digestive tract within the first 12 hours after birth. Afterwards, between 12 and 24 hours after birth, its absorption is much less effective and is not absorbed at all after 24 hours.
- It is strongly recommended to do a blood antibodies assay (blood test) of the foal aged 12 hours or more.
Meconium: To avoid constipation (retention of meconium), a laxative (enema) can be administered after the first feeding, taking care not to irritate the rectal mucosa of the foal. Recipe = 1/3 distilled water + 1/3 mineral oil + 1/3 mild soap without phosphates (Dove) - 25ml intra-rectal using a syringe.

General hygiene of the living environment: The foal’s stall should be regularly cleaned and sufficient bedding (straw) should be available. Any manipulation carried out on the foal must be done with clean hands, ideally before taking care of any other horse in the barn.
General condition of the foal: Watch for signs of depression, loss of spirit, fever, loss of appetite - visible in the mother's udder, swollen or losing milk. The foal normally suckles several times an hour. Regularly check the color of the mucous membranes (gums) of the foal: they should be pink and non-yellowish / brick red / pale gray. Any difficulty in urinating (running urine from the umbilicus, emitting small frequent volumes) or defecation should also lead to consulting a veterinarian promptly.
- Foal diarrhea: It is normal to see diarrhea during the mare's foaling heat, that is to say between 7 and 10 days after birth. This type of diarrhea can be differentiated from other infectious causes, as the foal will remain alert and playful, have a good appetite and will have no fever. You can clean the foal’s buttocks regularly and apply petroleum jelly for easy cleaning or zincoderm to calm skin irritation.

Prematurity / Dysmaturity

It can happen that a foal is born prematurely, ie before 320 days of gestation. He will present signs like the convex forehead, silky fur, soft or curved ears and ligament hyperlaxity. These signs can also appear on a foal that has more than 320 days of gestation, in which case it is called dysmaturity. These foals can have significant health complications in their first days of life and should therefore be evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible.

If you have any doubts or questions, do not hesitate to contact a veterinarian quickly!! A sick foal can deteriorate extremely rapidly (in a matter of hours) and, if not examined quickly, may require expensive emergency care in a hospital.