FOALING TIPS!!
FILM CONTAINERS MAKE GREAT BETADINE SHAKERS
FOR NAVELS!
JUST IMMERSE NAVEL AND HOLD CONTAINER TIGHT TO FOALS BELLY AND SHAKE!
MILKING A DROP OR TWO OF COLOSTRUM
FROM YOUR MARES UDDER EVERY NIGHT BEFORE DARK IS AN AWESOME FOALING PREDICTOR!
WHEN THE COLOSTRUM TURNS FROM GOLDEN OR
CLEAR -TO MILKY OR OPAQUE, 8 OUT OF 10 MARES FOAL THAT NIGHT OR THE NEXT!!
THIS IS A TRIED AND TRUE METHOD FOR MORE SLEEP!
A $1.29 FLEET ENEMA,AVAIL EVERYWHERE, CAN BE A LIFE SAVER.
IF YOUR FOAL HAS NOT PASSED THE MECONIUM(BLACK STICKY
FIRST POOP)WITHIN A FEW HOURS, OR IS HOLDING HIS TAIL UP AND STRAINING, A GENTLE ENEMA IS FAST AND VERY EFFECTIVE AND MAY
SAVE HIS LIFE!
A WARM WET(VERY SOUPY)WHEAT BRAN MASH AFTER FOALING IS VERY SOOTHING TO YOUR MARES SYSTEM AND HELPS
REPLENISH LOST FLUIDS AS WELL AS KEEPING HER FIRST STOOLS SOFT.
ALWAYS ASK YOUR VET FOR A DOSE OR TWO OF BANAMINE
WELL BEFORE YOUR MARES DUE DATE, COLIC IS A FAIRLY COMMON OCCURANCE AFTER FOALING.
MAKE SURE YOU GIVE YOUR MARE A
4-WAY IMMUNIZATION BOOSTER 30 DAYS BEFORE FOALING TO BOOSTER THE IMMUNITIES IN HER COLOSTRUM. (NEVER WORM AND GIVE SHOTS ON
THE SAME DAY!)
YOUR MARE HAS 30 MINUTES TO DELIVER HER FOAL AFTER HER WATER BREAKS. KEEP A WATCH HANDY. IF THINGS
ARE NOT PROGRESSING AND YOU WILL HAVE TO WAIT LONG FOR YOUR VET, WASH UP AND CHECK FOR TWO FRONT FEET AND THEN A NOSE SHORTLY
THERE AFTER! YOUR VET CAN TALK YOU THRU ALOT ON THE CELL PHONE IF YOU CAN DESCRIBE WHAT IS HAPPENING! REMEMBER IF YOU NEED
TO ASSIST, ONLY PULL ON CONTRACTIONS. And don't be afraid to assist if you need to, it can mean life or death.
DON'T
SLEEP UNTIL THAT FOAL EATS! A FOAL NEEDS TO EAT WITHIN 3 HOURS (SOONER IS BETTER!) OF BIRTH FOR VITAL IMMUNITIES TRANSFER!!
A DOSE OF COLOSTRUM OUT OF A BOTTLE CAN DO WONDERS ON A WEAK FOAL THAT CAN'T GET UP!!
THIS TRICK HAS SAVED TWO OF
MY FOALS LIVES. ALWAYS KEEP A COUPLE GOOD RUBBER BANDS IN YOUR JEANS, COAT AND ROBE DURING FOALING SEASON. CHECK THE UMBILICAL
CORD AS SOON AS IT BREAKS!!!! AN UMBILICAL THAT BREAKS TO SHORT CAN CAUSE YOUR FOAL TO BLEED TO DEATH VERY VERY FAST. LEAKING
SLOW IS NORMAL, BUT GUSHING IS NOT! IF YOU SEE A GUSHER, PINCH THAT UMBILICAL OFF WITH YOUR FINGERS AND WRAP WITH A RUBBER
BAND TIGHTLY! MAKE SURE YOU BETADINE or Chlorahexidine SEVERAL TIMES A DAY FOR 2-3 DAYS. THE RUBBER BAND JUST
FALLS OF IN A WEEK OR SO. MANY BREEDERS I KNOW HAVE LOST FOALS FROM TOO SHORT UMBILICAL BREAKAGE.
WORMING YOUR MARE THE DAY SHE FOALS WITH A GOOD IVERMECTIN, REALLY
HELPS ELIMINATE FOAL SCOURS! AS THE MARE PASSES SMALL STRONGYLES THRU THE MILK, WHICH CAUSE SCOURS. ANOTHER GREAT IDEA
IS TO GIVE THE NEW FOAL A DOSE OF PROBIOS AT BIRTH AND THREE DAYS AND THEIR LITTLE BOTTOMS STAY CLEAN, NO SCOURS!
MARES THAT RETAIN THE PLACENTA PAST 8 HOURS ARE IN DANGER OF
DEADLY INFECTION AND BEING HARD TO GET BACK IN FOAL! TIE UP THE PLACENTA IN A SIMPLE KNOT TO KEEP MARE FROM STEPPING
ON IT WHILE YOU WAIT. CALL YOU VET IF PLACENTA IS RETAINED AND WE ALWAYS KEEP OXYTOCIN ON HAND SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO HAUL
TO THE VET. OXYTOCIN CAUSES UTERINE CONTRACTIONS TO HELP EXPELL THE PLACENTA. JUST LIKE THEY GIVE LADIES IN THE
HOSPITAL. AS ALWAYS TALK TO YOUR VET.
Tying a wet hand towel to a worrisome placenta will supply
a small weight for gentle traction to get things going.
KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON THE FOALS POOP THE FIRST COUPLE DAYS.
ANY SIGN OF BLOOD IS AN EMERGENCY!! CHLOSTRIDIAL KILLS MANY FOALS EACH YEAR, AND THEY DIE QUICK! YOU MUST ACT IMMEDIATELY
WITH ANTIBIOTICS TO SAVE THE FOAL. ONE DAY IS THE DIFFERENCE IN LIFE OR DEATH. FAST ACTIONS SAVES THE DAY. (keep electrolytes
on hand in case you need them also, as somehow your foal will need them on Sunday when nothing is open!)
A large horse halter makes a GREAT harness for doctoring foals one handed! Nose band goes over
their head and you buckle the halter around their abdomen. This leaves the throat latch part of the halter as a handy Handle
on the top of the colts back! lets you hold them very easily as you give them meds or clean butts etc!
MORE TIPS LATER, AND PLEASE SEND ME YOURS!!
