Foaling Questions

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Taya

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1. With iodine what percent is best.

2. People have recommended bailing twine to tie up sack so the mare doesnt stand on it? My question is can you make do with "used" bailing twine and sterilise it or do you need to buy new. Also is there anything better to use?

3. Now for breaking the amniotic sac, when is the right time to do this. Is it safe to do it once the shoulders are out? I dont want to wait to long but dont want the foal slipping back in and drowning.

4.How long from when the mare is down having strong contraction to when the bubble appears? When is to long?

5. I know what to do if one leg is back etc but what if the normal bubble appears then nothing? How long should it be from when the bubble appears to seeing nose and legs.

6. If we are unfortunate to experience a red bag. I know the "red bubble" appears and you break it asap, but after that is the foal right behind in the normal sac??

7. I wont be giving an enema unless its needed but ive been told the child enemas to buy are to harsh what do I use instead?

8. The meal to give the mare post foaling. When do I give it to her. After foal has fed etc? Also what should the feed be. Should it be a meal like she normally has or something else? If its different to her normal meal will this upset her tummy?

9. When do you give the painkiller? After the placenta comes out? What if that takes awhile can I give it sooner. Can I give an oral painkiller would it be as effective?

10. How long till the foal nurses on average. When should i be worried and start to help. (have already read about the syringe breast pump great idea!)

11. IGG? Sorry cant remember if its ICG or IGG after how many hours does the vet check this?

12. Rh test (milk and cord blood) how many people do this as routine. Do you recommend it?

13. What age can foals and dams go in with dry mares safely?

Sorry for all the questions but I have books and videos (and getting more book lol) but still had a few unanswered things. Hopefully it might help some other first time breeders aswell. Of course my vet will be consulted aswell closer to time but doesnt live close so need to know as much as possible. Hoping that everything goes smoothly with me just being able to watch from the sidelines but want to know what to do in most scenarios

Well thats all (lol) ...... for now
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Thanks in advance for any advice !!!!
 
14. Ill check the placenta myself but would like the vet to double check it when he comes out the next day. Does it get stored in the fridge?

15. Foal slippers. When do these come away?

16. Once the mare and foal have settled and everythings ok do you need to gently wash her vulva etc she'd be sore so can I just leave her alone?

Thanks
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Those are great questions! I'll try to answer them according to what I do. You may or may not get the same advice from others. And of course, you would also likely follow your vets advice.
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1. With iodine what percent is best.

When using idodine, use no stronger than 1%. Anything stronger is too harsh and can actually burn the skin. Many people use dilute Nolvasan as well.

2. People have recommended bailing twine to tie up sack so the mare doesnt stand on it? My question is can you make do with "used" bailing twine and sterilise it or do you need to buy new. Also is there anything better to use?

Baling twine would work fine. Used is ok. Soak with iodine or Nolvasan first. I personally, don't normally do anything with the placenta. The mare may step on it, but it's rare. You definitely want the weight to hang to help it release.

3. Now for breaking the amniotic sac, when is the right time to do this. Is it safe to do it once the shoulders are out? I dont want to wait to long but dont want the foal slipping back in and drowning.

I normally break the sack once the head and front legs are coming out. Once the shoulders are out will be fine.

4.How long from when the mare is down having strong contraction to when the bubble appears? When is to long?

That time can vary from mare to mare. A mare may be having strong contractions before her water breaks. She may be up and down a number of times. Other mares may give no real visible signs of contractions until their water breaks. Once the water breaks, I want to see a bubble in no more than 10 minutes. If it's longer than that, you should probably call your vet. If the water breaks and the bubble isn't present immediately, or within a push or two, you can go in and check for position. But, anything that seems like it's taking too long, call your vet and at least get him/her on the way.

5. I know what to do if one leg is back etc but what if the normal bubble appears then nothing? How long should it be from when the bubble appears to seeing nose and legs.

When you see the bubble, there should be body parts in it!
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You should see a foot followed by a nose and another foot.


6. If we are unfortunate to experience a red bag. I know the "red bubble" appears and you break it asap, but after that is the foal right behind in the normal sac??

The foal should be right there in the normal sack once you break the red bag.

7. I wont be giving an enema unless its needed but ive been told the child enemas to buy are to harsh what do I use instead?

My vet told me to use the childs enema bottle and dump out the solution. Use a mild dish soap and warm water if needed.

8. The meal to give the mare post foaling. When do I give it to her. After foal has fed etc? Also what should the feed be. Should it be a meal like she normally has or something else? If its different to her normal meal will this upset her tummy?

I feed my mares as soon as they are on their feet. Frequently their blood sugar is low after foaling and they need the boost. I generally feed what they are used to eating. If they were fed shortly before foaling I will give them a reduced amount.

9. When do you give the painkiller? After the placenta comes out? What if that takes awhile can I give it sooner. Can I give an oral painkiller would it be as effective?

I give every mare that foals here Banamine immediately after foaling. Frequently before she stands up. I give it orally. It will not keep her from passing the placenta. I want my mares as pain free as possible after foaling so they will be on their feet taking care of their new baby.

10. How long till the foal nurses on average. When should i be worried and start to help. (have already read about the syringe breast pump great idea!)

Usually 1-3 hours the foal is up and nursing. If it's taking longer than 3 hours, I'm definitely intervening. Feeding the foal some colostrum after pumping it from the mare really gives the foal a jump start. If it takes longer than 6 hours, you need to get a vet involved.

11. IGG? Sorry cant remember if its ICG or IGG after how many hours does the vet check this?

IgG. Your vet can check that after about 18 hours.

12. Rh test (milk and cord blood) how many people do this as routine. Do you recommend it?

I don't do it as routine, but it's certainly a good idea.

13. What age can foals and dams go in with dry mares safely?

I usually keep my mares and new foals by themselves until the foal is 1 - 2 weeks of age. By that time they have bonded well with their dam and know who she is.

14. Ill check the placenta myself but would like the vet to double check it when he comes out the next day. Does it get stored in the fridge?

Not something I would keep in the frig
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, but you can probably keep it in a bucket of water for your vet to examine.


15. Foal slippers. When do these come away?

They normally wear off within the first 24 hours.

16. Once the mare and foal have settled and everythings ok do you need to gently wash her vulva etc she'd be sore so can I just leave her alone?

No, not necessay to wash the mare's vulva. She is probably sore back there and doesn't want to be touched. However, you might give a quick visual exam to check for tears. If there are any, your vet can take care of those when he/she comes out. I do wash the mares' udder with warm water before the foal nurses.
 
1. Chlorahexadine (Nolvasan) diluted to a light blue is better to use than iodine, less caustic and it actually is absorbed and sticks to the tissue better per my vet.

2. I used to use cotton string, but baling twine (does not need to be sterilized) would be fine too. Now I just take the whole thing and make a knot with just the placenta. You can add knots or tie more up as it slips out.

3. I break the amniotic sac typically as soon as the head is out, because once the shoulders pass they slip out pretty quickly and then it's over fast!

4. I think just a few minutes say, 2-5 minutes, but I always slip a hand in and check for two feet and a nose as soon as the water breaks and they go down. This is the easy way to catch a wrong position and catch a red bag early. If you fingers come out with blood on them you have a red bag.

5. If you do like I do and check the position you can then wait for the legs and nose to appear and know that things are okay. After seeing the bubble it should only be a few minutes until the feet/nose progress so you can see them.

6. Yes, after breaking the red bag the foal should be right inside and pull to deliver the foal quickly because it is loosing oxygen. Remember to pull straight to deliver the shoulders, and then angle down towards the hocks to deliver the pelvis/hindquarters of the foal.

7. You can give a warm soapy water enema, but most of the time the mares colostrum does the trick.

8. After the mare has passed the placenta I give them their grain or pellets soaked add hot water with beet pulp and add a little molasses and carrots. I used to give bran mash, but if they aren't used to it this could cause stomach upset. Now just getting some warm fluids and an extra meal to help with milk production is all I give.

9. I give banemine after they have passed the placenta, you can give it orally and it will work fine. I think you don't want to give any before the placenta is passed, if the mare starts acting very uncomfortable call the vet, something else is wrong.

10. I always syringe the foal a few cc's of colostrum milked from the mare to help stimulate them a bit, and I also give them some probiotic paste, I usually give this after they are starting to stand up. They should definitely nurse by 2 hours from birth, but it can be 20 minutes to an hour. Most of my foals are stubborn and refuse help, so I syringe them with milk and then just watch to see them latch on their own.

11. IGg is what the vet checks approx 10-12 hours after the foal's first nursed (per my vet). It checks the level of antibodies absorbed from the colostrum, the vet will pull some blood to test.

12. I always forget to do this one, I have to add it to my mental check list!

13. I keep my mares and foals seperate from the herd until the foal is at least 1 week old, this way I can observe the foal more closely and make sure it is doing all the normal things, nursing/napping/playing, and it gets stronger before going out with other horses. It also helps the mare to be a bit less protective and less chance of the foal getting accidentally caught between a kicking match.

14. I store the placenta in a bucket of water covered so cats, etc don't get to it.

15. They usually wear off on their own by the time the foal is approx. 24 hrs old.

16. Unless it's fly season I only wash the mares udder before the foal nurses so it's clean, you could gently wash the mare as well, but I try to leave them alone as much as possible to bond.

Hope this helps, you are asking great questions and off to a great start!

You can also visit my webpages on signs of foaling for additional help in guessing when the little one will arrive. Link below in my signature.
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edited to fix spelling, I need more coffee!
 
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Taya,

Thanks for asking these questions! Very helpful to us newbies!
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Thankyou both so much for the replies.
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I really appreciate your time

May change to Nolvasan instead of the iodine.

Mixed advice on the painkiller before or after the placenta comes away
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Just another question do you dip the foals hooves aswell as the stump. Have read some people do this but is it necessary.

Hey Bonny hows your mare? Thought it would be good for newbies these questions sometimes arent answered in books etc. Always good to have as much info as possible just in case.

Kim - have checked out your site its fantastic the signs and also the fetal development very informative !! Have marked it in my faves so I can check back on it.
 
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Great replies here already! I just wanted to add that we give Banamine to the mare as soon as the foal has been tended (not waiting for the placenta to pass). We've had a couple of mares that were really cramping to pass the placenta, and were so glad to have the Banamine in their system ASAP to help make them more comfortable. If you're cramping hard, you're NOT as interested in tending to your foal!
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I have very little experience--only 4 foals so far--but yes I dip hooves IF they have the golden slippers. Some have them, some don't.

Another hint--

Since I only have foals every other year--I always need to refresh on all this. I have two books, The Complete Book of Foaling, and Blessed are the Broodmares, that I mark up--and put labeled post-it notes in so everything I need is indexed at my finger tips... I also write what order I need to do things in inside the front cover--so in sleep deprived moments I don't forget anything.

These are great questions.
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Barnbum I just bought the 2 books you mentioned as have heard alot of people recommending them
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I have started a book/diary thing and have lots of sticky notes lol

Are foals not all born with slippers??

Bluewater minis thanks for that im hoping to give her a painkiller before the placenta comes out I know how painful childbirth is so dont want her in pain. Of course this part will be discussed with my vet prior to foaling.

I cant thanks everyone enough for all their advice
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Hi. We just had our first foal and I'm going to answer everything I can from our experience to help you with yours.

1. With iodine what percent is best.

I think we got a big bottle of 1% iodine and dipper the stump every day.

2. People have recommended bailing twine to tie up sack so the mare doesnt stand on it? My question is can you make do with "used" bailing twine and sterilise it or do you need to buy new. Also is there anything better to use?

We didnt tie it up we just left it be and all was fine.

3. Now for breaking the amniotic sac, when is the right time to do this. Is it safe to do it once the shoulders are out? I dont want to wait to long but dont want the foal slipping back in and drowning.

Our baby was pretty much out and the sac was not ripped so promptly got it ripped and baby out.

4.How long from when the mare is down having strong contraction to when the bubble appears? When is to long?

Not really sure beacause I woke up to the camera to see the front feet coming out.

7. I wont be giving an enema unless its needed but ive been told the child enemas to buy are to harsh what do I use instead?

We used a childs enema and it worked well.

8. The meal to give the mare post foaling. When do I give it to her. After foal has fed etc? Also what should the feed be. Should it be a meal like she normally has or something else? If its different to her normal meal will this upset her tummy?

We gave a little bit of regular grain. She had dinner not that long ago. She got it after she had passed the placenta i believe.

10. How long till the foal nurses on average. When should i be worried and start to help. (have already read about the syringe breast pump great idea!)

If the foal doesnt start to nurse within about 2 hours its time to be concerned. They need the colostrum and it can be bad if they dont get enough soon.

11. IGG? Sorry cant remember if its ICG or IGG after how many hours does the vet check this?

Our vet did an IgG the next day when he came out.

14. Ill check the placenta myself but would like the vet to double check it when he comes out the next day. Does it get stored in the fridge?

We put ours in a garbage bag and it waited in the barn for the vet the next day.

15. Foal slippers. When do these come away?

Our foal was so light that he could not wear them away. Our vet cut them off the next day. Some can wear them off though.

16. Once the mare and foal have settled and everythings ok do you need to gently wash her vulva etc she'd be sore so can I just leave her alone?

We left our mare alone.

Hope this helps! We know how stressful trying to prepare for this is. My advice is start getting a foaling kit ready asap and have it in the barn for when it happens. It is a big help to have everything together right there when you need it.
 
2. I just tie the afterbirth on itself ie knot it as it comes out and keep knotting as it gets longer.
 

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