Care of the newborn foal

Learn about essential care for your new member.

A new foal in the family is always a source of great joy. When we talk about equine breeding, feeding, management and genetics are key factors for successful foal development. We call management the treatment given to the animal, respecting its nature, providing optimal nutritional use and, consequently, making the foal reach the full genetic potential that was initially assigned to it.

Check out in this post some essential care for newborn foals:

How long foals are foals?  

Foals are called by that name from birth until they reach 36 months of age, when they will present physical and reproductive conditions, as well as adequate physical and metabolic development. In this period, animals are considerably fragile, and therefore, we must take care of their development, aiming to keep them healthy, both physically and mentally.

Care during pregnancy

Care should be started in the last four months of pregnancy, because this is an important phase for the development of the foal’s genetic potential. It is scientifically proven that the mare’s poor nutrition in this period, whether due to a deficiency or excess of nutrients, reflects on the foal’s weight during birth and on the quality of colostrum and breast milk, which affects the foal’s growth and size when adult.

The first hours of life

At birth, some care must also be taken, as the first hours of the animal’s life are considered definitive for its survival. After calving, about 30 to 180 minutes, the foal should be on its feet, sucking colostrum. If this does not happen, the handler must help the animal to approach the mare.

Colostrum ingestion is essential for the foal’s survival, because only then can immunoglobulins that are not transferred via the placenta be absorbed by the foal’s intestines. In addition to ensuring the transmission of immunity through the immunoglobulins provided by colostrum, care should be taken to clean and disinfect the umbilical cord and observe the elimination of meconium, which are the first feces of animals. 

Consult a veterinarian

In the first hours of life, it is also important to consult a veterinarian, who will be able to carefully evaluate all the vital signs of the foal, as well as the mare, after delivery. 

The professional assesses whether there are any specific difficulties or health problems in the new family member.

Observe if the foal has defecated and urinated in the first hours of life, if he is not having trouble breathing, if the mare has delivered the placenta and has milk. These signs can be communicated to the veterinarian and will help with the care of the animal in its first days of life.

Sanitary management

Maintaining sanitary management, even after postpartum care, is essential for the foal’s good health. Several practices should be employed, such as disinfection of materials used in the animal and the facilities it inhabits, adequate food supply, parasite control and especially vaccination. These behaviors help in the prevention of various diseases and contribute to the normal development of the animal.

Parasite control is carried out through deworming, which occurs for the first time when the animal is 30 days old, repeating every 60 days, until the foal is 12 months old.

The vaccination

Vaccination is started from 4 months of age of the animal, following the recommendations shown in the table below:

VACCINATION RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FOALS

DISEASE	FIRST VACCINATION	REINFORCEMENT	REINFORCEMENT
Tetanus	From 4 months	After 30 days	Anual
Influenza	From 4 months	After 30 days	Anual
Encephalomyelitis	From 4 months	After 30 days	Anual
Herpes Virus	From 4 months	After 30 days	Anual
Rabies	From 4 months	After 30 days	Anual
Croup	From 4 months	After 30 days	Every 6 months

It is important to keep the vaccination schedule up to date, as prevention is a more economical and efficient way to keep the foals healthy. On the Organnact Blog, you will find more tips for your horses. Access!