Caring for your mare during

breeding and foaling

Is your mare ready?

It’s important to breed your mare when she’s in her best physical
condition.

When evaluating your mare’s condition consider:

Is she having regular heat cycles?

Does she have a uterine infection?
Is her body condition ideal?
Is she up-to-date on vaccines, dewormers and preventative
dental work?

Regular heat cycles and supplemental lighting

Increasing your mare’s exposure to daylight 2 to 2.5 months prior to

breeding can ensure regular heat cycles and ovulation.

To breed in February, start supplemental lighting in late

November or early December.
Mares not previously exposed to supplemental lighting may take
a longer time to cycle naturally.
For a March or April foal, lighting can begin as early as January
because some mares won’t naturally cycle until early May.

Guidelines to supplemental lighting

Add supplemental lighting in the evening and in the winter until

11 p.m.
Provide 16 hours of continuous lighting daily.
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 Use a 200-watt incandescent bulb or two 40-watt fluorescent
tubes; you should be able to comfortably read a newspaper
anywhere in the stall.
Expose pregnant mares, due early in the season, to lighting as
they may stop cycling following their foal heat.

Rule out infections

Many stud farms require a uterine culture (pre-breeding swab) on

open mares to rule out infection. Uterine cultures can also benefit
the mare owner by identifying undiagnosed infection. Infections can
waste several heat cycles.

Occasionally, maiden windsucking mares will have an infection. For

more information on windsucking and other unwanted behaviors see
unwanted behaviors and vices in horses. A complete veterinary exam
of the reproductive tract can check these mares for injuries and
structural defects that affect fertility and cycling. Barren mares likely
underwent examination at the end of the previous season and are
ready for a recheck.

Body condition

We recommend breeding your mare when she’s in moderate body

condition (body condition score of 5 to 6) and adding just a little
weight. Mares in moderate to good condition are more likely to cycle
and conceive than mares that are too thin or grossly overweight.
Managing your mare’s nutrition can help you establish the ideal body
condition. Learn more about body condition scoring.

Breeding emergencies

Make sure you have prepared for any breeding emergencies that
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 may occur, especially during natural cover. During breeding, contact
your veterinarian right away if the stallion has:

Blood on the penis.

Damage to the penis.
A swollen scrotum.
Colic.

While you wait, safely:

Try to locate the bleed source, check both the mare and stallion.
Take the vital signs you’re comfortable with on both horses.
If the penis is out, apply cold water using a hose.

Care of the broodmare

Now that your mare is pregnant, the goal is to keep her healthy
through pregnancy and then deliver a normal, healthy foal.

Biosecurity tips

Keep mares in small groups with others at a similar stage of

pregnancy.
Separate long-term resident mares of the farm from outside
mares.
Isolate pregnant mares from horses likely to shed illness (e.g.
show horses, weanlings, etc.).
Isolate pregnant mares from recently bred mares.
Isolate pregnant mares using separate barns.
Don’t share water or feed sources.

Pregnancy exams and normal loss rates

Days 14 to 16: first pregnancy exam

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 Ultrasound performed.
Twin pregnancy corrected.
Rebreeding planned if the mare isn’t pregnant.
Mares have a 6 percent chance of aborting by day 40.

Days 24 to 25: Pregnancy Exam (occasionally done)

Embryonic heartbeat found

Days 30 to 35: Second pregnancy exam

Confirms the mare is still pregnant.

You can rebreed the mare successfully if abortion occurs before
this time.
You can’t rebreed the mare if abortion occurs following 35 days;
she will be infertile for 3 to 4 months due to endometrial cup
formation in the uterus.
Mares have an 8 percent chance of aborting after day 40.
Older mares (20 years old) have an 21 percent chance of
aborting at day 40, and 15 percent after day 40.

Foaling
Signs of approaching foaling

The length of a normal pregnancy is usually 335 to 342 days, but

occasionally can range from 315 to 400+ days.

About a month before foaling, many mares start to develop swelling

low along their abdomen. Additionally, the udder slowly starts to
enlarge and will quickly grow two weeks before term. During early
development, the udder remains firm.
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 A few days before foaling, the udder gradually softens and fills with
fluid, which slowly changes in appearance from watery, to thick
colostrum. Colostrum is generally present 1 to 2 days before birth.
The average mare produces about 2 ½ to 5 liters of colostrum.

Softening of the pelvic ligaments progresses and the mare's tail

head may appear more elevated. Wicks of dried mammary secretion
(waxing) usually appear about one day before birth and in the last
few hours some mares will drip milk.

Preparation for foaling

Provide the mare an area to foal; grassy paddocks or well-

bedded stalls work well.
Strip-out, disinfect, and re-bed foaling stall.
Use bedding that is safe for the fall; we recommend clean straw
because there is less chance the foal will breathe it in.
Accustom maiden mares to having their udder handled a few
weeks before foaling.
Wash your mare’s vulva area, inner thighs, and udder when
foaling is imminent; you could give her a whole-body bath.
Wrap your mare’s tail when foaling is imminent.

Things to have available during foaling:

Phone and numbers for your vet and a close experienced

neighbor.
A clock or watch, notepad and pencil so you can keep track of
the timing (estimating time accurately during and after a foaling
can be tricky).
Old clean towels for drying off the foal.
Disinfectant in a small cup to dip the navel (your vet can help
with an appropriate solution).
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 Bucket, soap, and warm water for clean-up.
Strong trash bag for the placenta.
Plastic or rubber gloves to keep your hands clean.

Monitoring the mare prior to foaling

Monitoring your mare can ensure you’re there for foaling. Aside from
changes in her udder, appearance of milk, and waxing, you can also
test the milk’s calcium content. While not foolproof, this test can give
a reasonable estimate of when the mare may foal. Most mares foal
late at night, so milk tests taken in the evening give more accurate
results.

Foaling monitors are available that will send a signal to a pager or

phone. Again, while not foolproof, these do provide a good estimate.

Foaling stages

We usually divide foaling into three stages.

Stage 1: Pre-delivery

1. The mare’s cervix gradually relaxes.

2. The mare’s uterus starts to contract, pushing the placenta, foal,

and fluids against the cervix.

3. The mare’s cervix dilates.

4. The mare’s water breaks.

This process lasts 1 to 6 hours and may go unnoticed. Your mare

may appear mildly colicky with signs including:

Looking at her flank.

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 Stretching out.
Urinating and passing manure frequently.
Lying down repeatedly.
Dripping milk.

Stage 2: Delivery

The mare lies on her side. She may stand up and lie down several
times before you deliver the head. The mare actively strains, usually
in series of 3 or 4 followed by a short rest.

Within about 10 minutes of her water breaking, a whitish translucent

fluid-filled balloon (the water bag or amnion) should appear.

Delivering the feet

A foot will appear in the amnion. The soles of the feet should
point to the mare's feet (i.e. the foal is the same way up as the
mare).
It is normal for the legs to protrude further as the mare strains
and then slide back in when she relaxes. This gradual movement
is important for proper dilation of the birth canal.
Don’t immediately grab the legs and pull when they appear.
Pulling can damage the cervix and vagina and affect future
fertility.

Delivering the head

The nose should appear next, lying on top of the legs. Passage
of the head often takes a little longer in maiden mares as the
vagina stretches over the poll. Allow time for dilation to occur.

Broodmare delivering foal.

Delivering the chest

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 The chest is the widest part of the foal. As the chest enters the
birth canal, the mare often strains harder.
The feet should remain one in front of the other rather than
even. This minimizes the width of the shoulders, making them
much easier for the mare to pass.
Once the chest is out the rest of the foal usually passes easily,
and the mare often stops straining.
With normal, healthy foals the water bag usually ruptures by the
time the chest is passing so the foal can breathe. If it doesn't,
tear it open and clear it away from the head.

Leave the mare and foal alone unless the mare is kicking at the foal.

The mare generally rolls onto her chest and stands within 15
minutes and the umbilical cord breaks one to two inches from
the foal’s abdomen.

Stage 3: Passing the placenta

Passage of the placenta occurs within 1 hour after the foal’s

birth.
The mare may be slightly crampy while passing the placenta.
Save the placenta so it can be checked for completeness and
for any signs of infection.

When to call for help - signs of a problem

During foaling

The total time, from water break to the end of delivery, usually takes
about 20 minutes. Occasionally this time may extend to an hour.
Experience is the best guide to potential problems. Any time the
mare isn’t making reasonable progress, a problem may be present.
It’s always better to call for help rather than to wait and see. Time is
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 of the essence if we are to get a normal foal.

Call your veterinarian immediately if:

The amnion or a foot has not appeared in about 10 minutes after

the water breaks.
Only one foot appears and isn't followed by the other.
The feet are upside down.
The nose appears first.
One or both feet are over the top of the head.
A red bag appears.
The mare made progress but stopped for more than 10 minutes.
The mare colics after delivery.

While you wait and if it’s safe:

Wrap the mare's tail.

Clean the mare's vulva with mild soap and water.
Open the membranes if the foal is visible or if you see a thick
red sac.
Keep the placenta, the mare should pass it within 3 hours.

After foaling

Call your veterinarian immediately if the foal,

Has severe diarrhea.

Is lethargic or depressed.
Isn’t sucking.
Isn’t standing within 3 hours.
Starts to nurse but seems to forget how.
Has swollen joints.
Is born greater than 1 week before its due date.
Isn’t allowed to nurse by its dam.
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 While you wait, milk out the mare if it’s safe, and keep premature
foals quiet.

A healthy foal will stand and nurse within two hours.

Caring for the newborn foal

Signs of a healthy foal include:

A very active manner.

Standing and nursing within two hours.
Passing urine and orange-brown manure (meconium) within six
hours.

When the umbilical cord breaks, dip the navel stump in dilute
chlorhexadine diacetate to prevent infection. Repeat this every eight
hours for 48 hours.

The mare's first milk (colostrum) is very important for the foal. It
contains antibodies needed to ward off infection. If the mare leaks
her colostrum, or if the foal fails to nurse well in the first 12 hours, it
will be at high risk for life-threatening infections. Newborn foals can
develop serious illness quickly. Contact your veterinarian right away
if the foal:

Fails to stand and nurse soon after birth.

Shows signs of depression.
Doesn’t nurse as much.
Is dehydrated.
Persistently strains to urinate or defecate.

Even if the birthing goes well and your foal appears healthy and
normal, we strongly recommend a health check and blood test for
antibody levels in the first 24 hours.
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 Authors: Scott Madill, DVM, Erin Malone, DVM and Christie Ward,
DVM

Reviewed in 2021
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