Page 106 - June 2022

Make sure to have some string in your kit because the placenta will sometimes hang down for a few hours before the mare passes it and you don’t want her to step on it.
Sometimes in the hectic events of foaling a person might forget, but if the bag is there it can help you remember.
“Sometimes the placenta may hang down for a few hours before the mare passes it. Have some string to tie it up, so she won’t step on it. Baling twine works, but it’s nice to have a clean piece of string in your foaling kit,” she says.
A MORE COMPLETE KIT
“Many people put foal enemas in their foaling kit. One thing I stress to clients is that it’s not good to give a foal more than one (or two at most) commercial enema because this can cause electrolyte abnormalities, skewing the balance in the body. If the foal needs more than two enemas, a veterinarian should be consulted. Some people put enemas in the foaling kit just to remember to give one to the new foal, but they need to remember that if they have to give a second one, they should call their veterinarian at that time, to check that foal,” Lu says.
“I advise people to put a card in the kit containing phone numbers they might need. This should include the veterinarian’s number. If it’s
a team of veterinarians who use another practice for emergencies on certain days, all of those phone
numbers should be included. It’s also good to have the phone number of someone they could call if they run into a problem and need another pair of hands. If they don’t have a trailer and have it hooked up and ready to go, I also like them to have phone numbers for someone they could call to get a trailer or van if it becomes necessary to take the mare to a veterinary hospital. All too often people are scrambling for that information in an emergency.” You don’t want to waste precious time looking for a number when your mare needs to be on the road.
“Having the phone numbers on a card in the barn helps immensely when you are in a panic; you don’t have to leave the animals to run to the house and find a phone number,” she says. If you have the numbers right there, you can use a cell phone or barn phone and save time.
“I try to visit with clients about where the mares will be foaling, and make sure there’s a heat supply if the foal has a problem. People must be cautious when using heat lamps, being careful not to get the foal too hot. But I want to make sure there is a way that a warm area could be provided for the mare and foal if one of them is compromised after foaling,” says Lu.
After the foal is born, it’s also nice to have a colostrometer to measure colostrum quality.
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EQUINE HEALTH
Having enemas in the foaling kit will help you remember to give one to the new foal. Call the veterinarian to check the foal if you have to give a second one.
Courtesy Heather Smith Thomas