Page 34 - 28 December 2012

WHAT TO EXPECT
When your mare is expecting.
by Chelsea Makloski-Cohorn, DVM MS DACT
The expected due date can be right on target for many mares, but more of a “suggestion” for others.
JEH Equine Reproduction Specialists • www.jehers.com
A mare in the first stage of labor may show signs of colic. If possible, it is good to wrap the tail and clean the mare’s perineal area with warm water.
This past spring you and your veterinarian spent
a lot of time, money and effort to get your mare in foal. With the monetary and sometimes emo- tional investment made with each pregnancy, there is no use leaving the foaling process to chance. In this article we hope to cover a few of the basics that can be done before, during and after foaling to give the mare and foal the best care possible.
When preparing for impending birth in the mare, it is best to move the mare to the location she will be foal- ing approximately 4-6 weeks prior to her expected due date. This area can be in a clean and well-maintained pasture or paddock that is not overstocked or stalls and turnout that are clean and dry. The purpose of this movement is two fold, with the first allowing the mare to become acclimated to the environment and being handled, and second, the mare is exposed to the organ- isms that may be infectious in the foaling area so that she can develop antibodies, specific for the environ- ment, to pass to the foal through her colostrum. This is also a good time to discuss with your veterinarian and give the recommended pre-foaling vaccines, deworming protocols and open her caslicks if she has them.
In the mare, the expected due date can be right on target for many mares, but more of a “suggestion”
for others. There are a number of factors that may influence the length of the mare’s pregnancy includ- ing time of year or artificial lighting, gender of foal and nutrition. Because this can vary so much from mare to mare, monitoring the mare for physical and occasionally changes in milk chemistry can help pre- dict foaling a bit better. Physically the mare may show signs of udder development starting approximately 4 weeks before foaling with significant changes the last 2 weeks. The pelvic ligaments will relax causing the tail to appear more elevated approximately 2 weeks before foaling and the vulva will begin to appear enlarged the final week.
Mammary secretions or “milk” will increase in quantity and there will be a change in character as the time of foaling approaches. It will start as a thin, straw- colored liquid, then change to a milky white, until it
is finally a thick yellow or orange fluid, which is the colostrum. Occasionally this milk will leak from the teats 1-4 days before foaling in what is called “waxing.”
Milk chemistries can be monitored to give a better indication of when the mare will foal. There are milk calcium kits that can be purchased and used at home to monitor the mare’s progress. When used correctly, these kits can narrow the time down to the last 72
32 SPEEDHORSE, December 28, 2012
veterinary views
Courtesy JEH Equine Reproduction Specilalists