HELP! New Foal - Maiden Mare

[Clarks Ltd Edition]

We had a beautiful Black and White Appaloosa Filly born at 10 pm last night. The mare is a maiden mare and will not stand still for the baby to nurse. I have tied her in the corner where she can not move very much - but she rocks back and forth. If the mare stands still for just a minute the foal can find the nipples, and trys to nurse.

I went to feed store and got 2 kinds of nipples etc, goats milk etc and the foal will not nurse the nipples!

WHAT CAN I DO?

Molly

 

[MiniHoofBeats]

Im sorry i'm not much professional help BUT what i would do, because the foal NEEDS moms colostrum within the first 12-24 hours of it's life, is to get a breast pump and milk mom ASAP!!! Then try again to bottle feed the baby, I read to put some syrup on the end of the nipple so the foal likes the taste and sucks on it, or get a little milk to squirt out into the foals mouth and keep trying! If all else fails you will need to hold down the foal and tunnel in small amounts of moms milk - be careful not to tunnel in a lot and watch that the foal isn't coughing (so the milk isnt in the lungs) do it by small mouth fulls and make sure the foal is actually swallowing, try massaging up and down the throat to simulate swallowing.

Hope this helps! Hurry and get moms milk!!

 

[MeadowRidge Farm]

I just had a maiden mare foal on Wednesday night, and she wouldnt stand either. When I was in the stall with her, I would back her into a corner and hold her, she was fine, but as soon as I let go she was all over the place. The first two night (my foals/mares are under cameras) I watched her and every time the foal would try to nurse she would turn her butt, and push him away. I would go flying out to the barn..sure glad I live in the boondocks, so no neighbors seen me running to the barn every little while in my jammies, anyways...I held her, and told her NO very firmly, and by Friday, my mare had completely bonded with her foal and everything is fine. Now she protects her baby so good and wont leave him out of her site. Hope it turns out the same for you. Your foal definitely need the colostrum and youcan also milk the mare out just a little, syringe it into your foals mouth..being very careful..and tie and hold your mare up and just keep trying till your mare gives in and gets the hang of it. You can also tie up her back leg if needed. ALot of times when a mare first foals there bag is tender, and it does hurt them when the foal pushes and tried to nurse. Corinnne

 

[Bluerocket]

Read these threads:

How to make a breast pump for your mare --- and how to syringe milk into a foal.

Make Do Breast Pump: http://minihorse.ipbhost.com/index.php?act=ST&f=1&t=57736

(mostly because of the link to your information page).

Also: How to syringe milk into a foal:

http://minihorse.ipbhost.com/index.php?act=ST&f=1&t=58590

and:

http://www.lilbeginnings.com/links/info/breeding2/

There were other threads about how to get your mare to accept the foal -- some active now.

Good Luck - and HURRY!!

JJay

 

[kaykay]

its been so long now that i would call your vet and have them come and tube milk down her and run an igg test. sending prayers!

 

[mizbeth]

Yes I agree. If your baby has not nursed even by the time you posted you should call the vet. You can feed her but she will need to be tested and soon. You may need to have transfer done.

If you can get the mare the stand, with some help from others that would be the best. Hold her head, and push her body up to a fence and hold her there. Hold up her hind leg and guide the baby to eat. I hope the baby will learn to eat that way. But again, call the vet now. It is way to late on the ability of the foal to absorb colustrum. This should be done withing the first few hours, preferrable 8 hrs I think it is. The mare will make colustrum usually for way much longer than the baby can absorb it.

She most likely is just worried about her new baby and does not want the baby out of her site, once she learns that is okay for the baby to be back there, she will be just fine.

Good luck and let us know how she/baby are doing?

Beth

 

[Clarks Ltd Edition]

Thanks everyone on the help!!

I forgot to say that I had gotten some colostrum from the mare the first night. I gave this to the baby - then the mare would not let me milk her etc. I finally started going in the stall and holding the mare once an hour, and the foal did find the nipples and nursed. If I did not hold the mare she would NOT let the foal nurse. This went on ALL day yesterday - but by nighttime the mare FINALLY got the idea and started letting the foal nurse, and would stand still! :aktion033: Maiden Mares

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[Mona]

:aktion033: YAY!! So glad it all worked out well for you and the little girl!!