Page 28 - NM Spring 2019

W ’
b
,D
b
b
y
y
y
M
M
M
e
e
e
g
g
ga
a
a
n
n
n
P
P
P
e
e
et
t
tt
t
ty
y
y
,
,
D
DV
V
V
M
M
M
Foaling season is an exciting time in the life of every horse owner. It is the culmination of a year of work for the
mare, and the beginning of years of work and adventure for the owner.
However, with foaling season comes
the ever-present threat of potential
foaling complications. Thankfully, these complications are more the exception than the rule, but 8-12% of foaling’s will have some sort of difficulty. This article will briefly highlight the lead up to foaling, some of the potential complications, and what they mean for the mare, foal, and you as the owner.
The average gestational length for a mare is 340 days. This can vary depending on the individual and can be as short as 330 days
or as long as 360+ and result in a normal, healthy foal. Any shorter than 330 days and the complications are abundant. In an effort to ensure the health of the foal after birth, it is recommended to administer a full regimen of vaccinations to your mare 4-6 weeks prior to her expected due date. Additionally, if the mare has had a Caslick’s procedure, it needs to be opened. Doing this in conjunction with
the prefoaling vaccines prevents overlooking this important step. Typically, Rabies, flu/ rhino, West Nile Virus, and the combo vaccine of Venezuelan, Eastern, Western encephalitis and tetanus (VEWT) will be given, although regional differences may exist. Also, if the mare needs to be relocated to a different facility for foaling, that should take place at this time.
Signs of the approaching big event can become apparent as far out as 6 weeks to
as close as the day of foaling. Some of the “symptoms” of impending birth include mammary gland development 2-6 weeks prior, relaxation of vulva and muscles of
the rump 1-3 weeks out, “waxing” of the nipples (colostrum on ends of teats) 48-72 hours prior, elongation and swelling of vulva 0-24 hours prior, and possibly dripping of milk from udder. If the mare is dripping or streaming milk prior to foaling, bring this to the attention of your veterinarian. Often this changes post foaling management of the foal.
Labor is typically broken down into three stages, aptly named Stages 1-3. Stage 1 can be quite subtle as this is when the mare and foal
are both getting ready for Stage 2, or active labor. Stage 3 labor involves the passage of the placenta after the foal is born and can take as long as three hours. The placenta is considered retained after three hours, and then becomes an emergency situation for the mare. In Stage 1 labor, the mare will often be restless. The foal is doing some serious rearranging in utero and the mare may appear uncomfortable or colicky. She may sweat, get up and down frequently, and seem out of sorts. This stage is the longest, typically lasting anywhere from 1-4 hours. Stage 2 labor is by far the shortest of the three stages, lasting only 5-20 minutes. Stage
2 encompasses the actual birth of the foal, but begins with the mare’s water breaking, which is the rupture of the outer chorioallantoic membrane or sac, at the cervical star. The mare will begin to actively strain and push, the amnion (inner sac) will then be visible at the vulva. The front feet and the nose present first, followed by the rest of the foal. And it’s just that easy, right? Sometimes. This is the stage of labor where complications typically arise in the form of difficult or abnormal birth, also defined as dystocia.
© Linda Earley