Often emergency first-aid situations can be avoided if a complete health management program is in place. It is critical to properly prepare a mare for foaling if an owner is to realize the results of the time, effort, and money invested. This publication is designed to help mare owners properly prepare the environment, themselves, and their mare for foaling. It outlines the normal delivery process and provides the steps necessary to ensure mare and foal health and successful rebreeding. The discussion focuses on those aspects of care that an owner can implement without professional assistance.
Newborn foals are vulnerable to the elements, starvation, predation, and disease.
The threat of disease introduction is perhaps the greatest determinant of foal survival, with the second being exposure to risks of compromised health and injury. These hazards can be minimized through implementation of proper management practices. The basic nutritional management for horses should be the same, whether you are feeding a horse to win a 4-H show, a competitive trail ride, or the Kentucky Derby. The ultimate goal in feeding should be to have a healthy horse able to perform in the desired manner. A horse must have a balanced diet, which includes all the essential nutrients in the proper proportion and total amount.