It should take between 30 minutes and 3 hours. It should be saved for examination by your veterinarian to be sure all of it has passed and that it shows no abnormalities. If it has not passed 3 hours after birth, prompt the veterinary treatment is needed to prevent uterine infection and possible founder if the infection were to become generalized. If the mare shows signs of colic or immediately loses interest in the foal she should be examined promptly to rule out complications such as uterine tears or uterine artery ruptures. Recognizing what is normal in a new foal can be critical.
Foals deteriorate rapidly.
The prompt detection of a potentially life-threatening problem can provide life saving intervention. The normal foal should be able to stand within one hour after birth and be nursing two hours after birth. The ingestion of good quality colostrum is the first milk produced by the mare and differs from late milk because of its high concentration of antibodies. Foals are born with out antibodies and must get them from the mare in order to fight infection. Colostrum can be tested to confirm its quality.