Foaling Information Questions & Answers. 340 Day Gestation Table (scroll down for the Table)

Gestation:

The average gestation period for the horse is 340 days. Mares foaling days will vary between 320 –380 days. Foals born prior to 320 days of gestation are considered premature. Foals born prior to 300 days of gestation are considered an abortion.

Find Your Mare's Due Date

Preparing the mare:

It is imperative that the foal receive necessary antibodies from good quality colostrums. There are colostrums products on the market for foals. Since foals are not born with any circulating antibodies in their bloodstream they can not fight off infection. Foals absorb the antibodies from the colostrums during the first 12 hours of life. Foals are born with an intact immune system.

We believe it is a good practice to have your mares exposed to the environment which the foal will be born in for at least 60 days prior to foaling. Good nutrition is essential to a healthy foal. It is important to ask your vet what min/vit your area is deficient in.

How Can I Tell When My Mare Is Close To Foaling?

The following is a typical mare. 2 to 8 weeks prior to foaling the mare’s udder will start to enlarge. The teats will usually begin to extend 4 to 6 days prior to foaling. This is caused from the udder letting the colostrums down into the teats.

What is waxing and when will it begin?

Waxing is when the teats become covered with colostrums which are seeping from the teats. This typically occurs 2 – 4 days prior to foaling. We find the average occurrence is 12 – 24 hours prior to foaling. Some mares will have lots of wax and some will have a barely noticeable amount of wax and some mares will not have any. We have seen mares wax for 20 days.

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My mare has milk running out of her bag, and she hasn’t foaled yet?

If you can, collect the colostrum you should, and have that available to feed the foal when it arrives. You need to refrigerate or freeze the colostrum.

Will my mare’s muscles relax prior to foaling?

A mares croup muscles will become soft and her vulva will relax and lengthen.

My mare is pacing the fence what does that mean?

Some mares especially those with other horses will become very restless and will walk the fence line and/or stall.

Why is my mare urinating so frequently?

It is very normal for a mare to urinate more frequently and to clear her bowels.

Is it okay for my mare to foal with other horses?

Most mares will try to go off by themselves to foal. We try to have our mares by themselves prior to foaling.

What time do most mares foal?

Most mares foal when there are the least activities going on. Most statistics will say usually between 11:00 P.M. and 5:00 A.M. But, we have more mares foal between 4:00 P.M & 10:00 P.M.

I just checked my mare and she is breathing hard and sweating – what does that mean?

Most of the time the mare will foal within an hour or so. When our mares are sweating or breathing hard we stay with them. Occasionally the mare is experiencing discomfort or what we call false alarms.

What position is the foal in at birth?

Prior to delivery the foal will turn from lying on its back, to its stomach with its head positioned between its front feet. The foal should position itself with front legs and head pointing towards the birth canal when the mare has her first uterine contractions.

How long will it take my mare to have her foal?

Once the water breaks the foals front legs should appear within 15 minutes. We check at this point and make sure the foal is in the correct position. At this point the foal is pushed through the birth canal. The maximum time to expect from the time the water breaks until delivery of foal is 40 – 60 minutes. After this time the foal is at serious risk of death. We have pulled a lot of foals over the years. Because of the distance involved from our barn to the nearest vet we don’t have time to wait. If a foal is in the wrong position, you can try to walk your mare while you wait for the vet. Sometimes walking the mare will slow down the birth process. If you are going to try to pull a foal yourself make sure you pull in time with the mares contractions and never attach any mechanical devises to the foal.