By Mark Andrews, DVM

After an 11-month wait, your foal has finally arrived! Now, it's crucial to provide the right care to ensure a strong, healthy start. Here’s what you need to do in the first critical hours of life.

A healthy foal should stand and nurse within two hours of birth. If the foal struggles to suckle or shows no interest, it could indicate a serious health issue. In this case, contact a veterinarian immediately.

Colostrum, the mare’s first milk, is packed with essential antibodies that help protect the foal from infections. Newborns require 1.5 to 2 litres of high-quality colostrum within the first 24 hours for optimal immunity. If the foal isn't nursing effectively:

• Express colostrum from the mare and feed it via bottle.
• A veterinarian can administer colostrum through a stomach tube if necessary.
• Use colostrum substitutes if the mare isn’t producing milk.
• If antibody levels are insufficient after 24 hours, a plasma transfusion may be needed.

Newborn foals must pass meconium—the first dark, firm feces accumulated during gestation. Colt foals are more prone to difficulty due to their narrower pelvises. If the foal struggles, your vet may recommend an enema to assist in elimination.

It is a good idea to have the vet to give the foal a check-up. The vet can give an injection to protect the foal from tetanus. This is especially important if the mare has not been vaccinated recently. A blood sample can be taken from the foal to check that adequate antibodies have been absorbed.

Probiotics may be useful in preventing "foal heat scours", which often occur about 10 days of age. The diarrhea is probably due to the digestive system adapting to life outside the mare rather than anything to do with the mare's hormones.

Carefully monitor the foal's progress. Even those foals that appear normal at birth can develop problems later on. Foals should become brighter and more active over the first few days. One of the first signs of serious infection is that the foal becomes dull or spends more time sleeping.

With good care and attention from an early age you and your new foal can look forward to an exciting future together.

About the Author: Copyright 2005 by Mark Andrews, Equine Science Update. Article reprinted with permission from ArticleCity.com