expecting in march

lauraandjingles · 12-27-2006, 07:30 PM

hi there. my friend's mare is expecting in march. what are some of the things she needs to be aware of when delivering a foal:- size of the stall?, should she have her own turnout pasture?, will she be safe giving birth in the barn with other horses in their stalls? any info will help please.

thank you so kindly

Quick2Skip01 · 12-28-2006, 10:59 AM

Our normal stalls are 12x12, and when our mare is expecting we have removable wall between the two, that we take out. We then fill the stall with shavings for comfort. If there are other horses in the barn, she should be fine.

After the baby is born, and is turned out with mama, we keep them in a seperate paddock.

I hope she has a safe delivery! I want to see pics! (Our mare is due in April)

ryu2832 · 12-28-2006, 08:14 PM

How big is your mare? I have warmbloods, and 12x12 would be tight. One of the big things is that it has smooth walls without gaps that the foal could get caught in or roll under. I like to put 6 inches of straw down, and bank the sides so the foal can't get stuck in a corner.

As far as having other horses around, it didn't work out well for me to have horses in the neighboring stalls. The mare on the other side decided she wanted the foal, and tried to kick and chew the wall down. It took a couple hours for me to set up another run in for her, Ruby(the new mommy) was kicking and striking trying to protect her foal--very traumatic/dangerous for me and the foal. They had been best of buddies before Ruby foaled, but things changed quickly.

Other stuff I would have on hand: Banamine, at least one shot of oxytocin, Milk replacer (foal-lac), a sheep nipple and bottle, Ivermectin dewormer, Probios, clean (no softner) towels, Nolvasan or Iodine for the stump, childs enema (pack of 2), and paste electrolytes. I keep a bunch of other stuff in a bucket by the door plus my regular horse emergency kit in a big tool box. Remember to have the vet out within the foals first 24 hours.

Keeping the foal and mommy together 10-14 days is usually recommended. I had to keep Berry away from the mare that tried to steal her for 1.5 months before I could turn them in together--safely.

Sorry if you know all of this...Good luck with the foal!

lauraandjingles · 12-31-2006, 10:46 AM

i hardly know anything about foaling and you were both a great help. i am going to make my friend read all of this as this is her first experience and i am worried that she thinks it is easier than what it really is.

thank you so much and i shall post pics when the baby is born!!!

happy new year

12-27-2006, 07:30 PM	#1
lauraandjingles Full Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 79 Images: 42	expecting in march hi there. my friend's mare is expecting in march. what are some of the things she needs to be aware of when delivering a foal:- size of the stall?, should she have her own turnout pasture?, will she be safe giving birth in the barn with other horses in their stalls? any info will help please. thank you so kindly

12-28-2006, 10:59 AM	#2
Quick2Skip01 Senior Member+ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan Posts: 4,046 Images: 287 Blog Entries: 7	Our normal stalls are 12x12, and when our mare is expecting we have removable wall between the two, that we take out. We then fill the stall with shavings for comfort. If there are other horses in the barn, she should be fine. After the baby is born, and is turned out with mama, we keep them in a seperate paddock. I hope she has a safe delivery! I want to see pics! (Our mare is due in April) __________________ ~Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.~ Horse Power- (Informal) The extraordinary capacity of the horse to elevate the human spirit.

12-28-2006, 08:14 PM	#3
ryu2832 Senior Member+ Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Iowa, USA Posts: 2,957 Images: 43	How big is your mare? I have warmbloods, and 12x12 would be tight. One of the big things is that it has smooth walls without gaps that the foal could get caught in or roll under. I like to put 6 inches of straw down, and bank the sides so the foal can't get stuck in a corner. As far as having other horses around, it didn't work out well for me to have horses in the neighboring stalls. The mare on the other side decided she wanted the foal, and tried to kick and chew the wall down. It took a couple hours for me to set up another run in for her, Ruby(the new mommy) was kicking and striking trying to protect her foal--very traumatic/dangerous for me and the foal. They had been best of buddies before Ruby foaled, but things changed quickly. Other stuff I would have on hand: Banamine, at least one shot of oxytocin, Milk replacer (foal-lac), a sheep nipple and bottle, Ivermectin dewormer, Probios, clean (no softner) towels, Nolvasan or Iodine for the stump, childs enema (pack of 2), and paste electrolytes. I keep a bunch of other stuff in a bucket by the door plus my regular horse emergency kit in a big tool box. Remember to have the vet out within the foals first 24 hours. Keeping the foal and mommy together 10-14 days is usually recommended. I had to keep Berry away from the mare that tried to steal her for 1.5 months before I could turn them in together--safely. Sorry if you know all of this...Good luck with the foal! __________________ Gene Pool: Warning, no lifegaurd on duty. "Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn't." author Erica Jong

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12-31-2006, 10:46 AM	#4
lauraandjingles Full Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 79 Images: 42	i hardly know anything about foaling and you were both a great help. i am going to make my friend read all of this as this is her first experience and i am worried that she thinks it is easier than what it really is. thank you so much and i shall post pics when the baby is born!!! happy new year