Once your mare hits the 10 month mark, you may start to feel like time has flown by, and you are not yet prepared for the new baby! Many horse owners like to prepare a mare and foal stall way in advance, just in case the baby decides to come early. Signs your mare is about to foal are:- She gets increasingly moody
- Her udders develop a layer of wax over them, and begin to swell rapidly
- He rump and tail muscles soften
- She separates herself from other horses
- She seems to have a loss of appetite
If you seem to think your mare is close to foaling, you want to make sure you have numerous things ready so that you can easily welcome your new foal into the world! To prepare for foaling you need:
- Your vets number on hand, in case these are complications during labor
- A mare and foal stall prepared with plenty of straw
- A video camera in case you want to tape the birth
- A foaling kit complete with a thermometer, Vaseline, and blankets
- Make sure you wrap your mares tail, so it does not get in the way during birth
Quick Tips for Foaling
- Straw is better then bedding to use in a mare and foal stall! Bedding can become stuck to the foals umbilical cord and infect it.
- Most horse births occur between 10 pm and 4 am, so theres a good chance you'll be in bed for the birth
- Most horses can easily give birth without any help from humans
- Makes like dim lighting during birth, so try and keep very few light on in your barn during birth
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