Foal watch - it doesn't go on your wrist.

Not every pregnancy goes well.  There are plenty of potholes along the way, from the perils of conception and early embryonic development, all the way through to a fully developed fetus just waiting to be born.  Like any horse, they can fall at the final hurdle.

Unlike in women, there is no ‘bed-rest’. You can’t say ‘OK love, just put your feet up and have a nice hot cup of tea’.  In reality, with a horse, the preferred option is to have all four feet firmly on the ground, at all times.  So if you’re worried about your mare, what can you do?

Time to get your ducks in a row...

Many institutions offer a ‘foal watch’ program.  Mares are hospitalized and put on a continuous watch with the whole team on stand-by ready to intervene if help is needed once foaling begins.

When is this needed or wanted?  Usually, this is reserved for mares who have had problems before; sometimes the foal was lost during delivery.  Maybe assistance was needed to deliver the foal and help was not available at home.  Maybe the foal was lost due to a lack of trained personnel.  Maybe the owner is anxious, or places high value on the foal (emotional, economic).

Maybe there are indications things aren’t right:

·         The foaling date is known, but signs are pointing to early delivery.  Inappropriate mammary development, dripping milk, and relaxation of ligaments around the tail head before they are expected become apparent.

·         The mare has a significant medical problem of her own that affects her general well-being.  Sick mares are not a happy place for the fetus to be.  If she is struggling to look after herself, self-preservation can kick in and the fetus gets wait-listed for what it needs.

·         Examination of the pregnancy itself finds abnormalities involving the placenta, fetal fluids or integrity of the mare’s reproductive tract.  Examples include ultrasonographic evidence of placental thickening, detachment from the endometrium (uterine lining), or signs of infection including accumulation of fluid between the placenta and endometrium.

Once foaling appears imminent, there are a number of options: wait until foaling begins and assist as needed, induce the mare to foal if indicated (that’s a whole topic on its own and induction should never be done lightly), or schedule an elective cesarean section if needed (fetal oversize or maternal compromise, and another day needed to explain all the pros and cons).

Should there be a problem during delivery, people are there to assist.  When the foal is delivered the team can work on resuscitation if needed.  Hopefully it is the classic ‘plan for the worst, hope for the best’ situation, and everyone goes home without breaking a sweat.  Unless they needed to, in which case they were there and ready.

Some foals give you less than no time to act.

Chance at a foal – priceless.