This past spring, I was working on a ranch in the middle of nowhere in Arizona. Not long after I had arrived, the owner of the ranch pointed out a pregnant mare to me. I took a look in their tack room, and found that they had very little prepared for the foal’s arrival. I took it upon myself to create a birthing “kit” so that we would be ready when the filly made her grand entrance.
I’ve put together a list of some items that I highly recommend to any horse owner who is preparing for a foal’s arrival.
Foal Care
First, I put the supplies off to a side in a clean bucket that I had purchased and planned to use strictly only for this. We all know that owning horses means you eat a fair share of dirt throughout the year (various forms of delivery…) and we’ve probably gone so far as to share germs with our horses (I can’t say I’ve never split an apple with my mare). However, when cleaning the umbilical cord and saving the placenta – more on that later – it’s very important that your bucket remains clean. This is similar to what I got; most of us have these around our barns.
Next up: bath towels. I bought a few from the local thrift store. These come in handy when it’s time to wipe down the foal. If you are expecting a colder evening, these are especially great to have. Most mares will wait until it’s nighttime and they are alone before they give birth, and you don’t want to worry about the foal getting chilled its first night because it is wet.
When the foal is completely out, sometimes the umbilical cord will break on its own, sometimes not. If you have to cut it, make sure you have a good antiseptic to clean off the end. I recommend Betadine; shown below is the specific brand we use. A little goes a long way. You’ll want to put a few drops in a bucket of warm water, dunk a washcloth in, and then wipe that on the umbilical stump. *Please educate yourself thoroughly on how to properly cut umbilical cords before doing it*
Fresh straw is the best bedding for newborn foals. Shavings are much easier to clean, but they produce a fair amount of dust, and this can be damaging to a foal’s respiratory system. You can find straw bales at just about any local feed store, or on Amazon. Be careful about which kind you buy, as some horses like to eat this when they’re bored.
Mare Care
In preparing your mare for delivery, it’s best to braid or wrap her tail to keep the hair out of the mess. Some people use Vet Wrap for this, but I would recommend against doing so; Vet Wrap has many wonderful uses in a barn, but as a general rule of thumb it should not touch an animal’s skin. If you were to use this, it would touch the underside of your mare’s tail and rub her skin. Most people braid the tail and then wrap it. Here’s a fabric alternative to Vet Wrap:
It is not uncommon for some mares to rip around the birthing area. It’s painful afterward when they go to urinate and defecate. This happened to the mare I was taking care of, and I used an antiseptic spray on the area a few times a day like this one:
During pregnancy and following birthing, I recommend keeping your mare on a supplement specifically for expecting mares and mares with a nursing foal. I did some research and decided to buy Purina Omolene 300 for the mare I was taking care of. I like that this supplement provides extra protein and calories, as well as certain nutrients that are found in mare’s milk. It’s a special blend designed to have a higher fat content while remaining more conservative on the sugars.
And, here’s a picture of the lovely little filly I had the privilege to deliver:
She’s asleep under her momma, finding shade from the desert sun.
Good luck with your foaling! It’s such a privilege to help bring a new life into the world. Cherish this time and take good care of your mare.