January 2026 Newsletter
What to expect when you (re mare) are (is) expecting… a foal!
In the early hours of the 3rd of January 2026, on my parent’s small farm we welcomed our first ever flat bred thoroughbred foal, a beautiful filly by the champion sprinter Blackbeard. She was 2 weeks early and caught my very vigilant father by surprise.
Thankfully he had plenty of cameras and foaling alarms to help (along with 50 years’ experience of foaling mares). We have had tens of foals born at home during mylifetime but this one was always going to be precious and we all felt the pressure in the lead up to the mare foaling.
Thankfully he had plenty of cameras and foaling alarms to help (along with 50 years’ experience of foaling mares). We have had tens of foals born at home during mylifetime but this one was always going to be precious and we all felt the pressure in the lead up to the mare foaling.
This got me thinking about how daunting a situation it can be, especially for a first-time breeder. Given the time of year, I thought it would be wise to scribble down some information and suggestions in relation to a mare foaling and what to do with a newborn foal.
The expectant mare- when and where?
A mare’s gestational period is pretty variable, ranging from roughly 330-370 days. I usually use 343 days as an estimate.
Depending on the time of the year/weather, mares can be foaled outdoors or indoors. You should be able to observe the foaling discreetly from a distance or by camera so that you can help if it is needed. They tend to foal late at night or in the early hours of the morning.
If your mare is going to foal indoors the stable must be a large one. I would recommend that it is thoroughly cleaned, disinfected and bedded with deep straw. The mare should be moved into this stable at least two weeks prior to her due date.
If your mare is going to foal outdoors, it needs to be in a clean and safe paddock free from obstacles and with suitable fencing. Ideally no other horses should have grazed there for at least a month to reduce the worm burden in the paddock. You should have a stable ready as a contingency plan.
As the mare comes closer to foaling there is a few impending signs:
- Udder Development – mares tend to “bag up” around two weeks prior to foaling. In maidens it tends to be a shorter period. Then, 72 hours or so before foaling they start “waxing up”. This is when they get a wax like secretion on the teats and it is a sign of impending foaling. Once she waxes up you should be checking her regularly.
- Abdominal Shape – The closer she is to foaling, her belly will go from big and round to dropping in the middle more. She may also develop some fluid retention.
- Vulvar shape – Lift your mares tail daily to assess her vulvar anatomy. When close to foaling, the vulva will elongate and lose its “wrinkles” on the side.
- Tail tone – muscle tone when lifting the tail reduces significantly as she becomes closer to foaling.
- Behavior – they often behave in an atypical manner. For example, they may take themselves away from the herd, lie down more than usual, box walk etc.
Future champion inbound – Labour
When a mare finally does go into labour it is important to only intervene when needed. You do not want to disturb the natural foaling process. When you believe, she has begun foaling you should monitor her from a distance at least every 30 minutes.
There are three stages of labour that you will observe:
- Stage 1 – Foetal repositioning and uterine contractions – lasts a few hours. The mare will be restless, sweating, box walking and tail flagging.
- Stage 2 – Foaling – this begins with her waters breaking and you will see the foetal membranes which should be white in colour (N.B. If it is red instead of white call us immediately). You should then see a foot, then another foot then the nose. This is a rapid stage and should only take 20 minutes or so. Once the foal is out of the mare, if the membrane has not ruptured itself, you should tear it apart to avoid suffocating the foal. Do not interfere apart from this. The mare will stand up after around 15 minutes.
- Stage 3 – the afterbirth – The placenta should be passed within 3 hours of the foal being born. If not, this is a veterinary emergency. You should save the placenta in a bucket for examination by your vet.
New born foal check list
Your future champion has been born. Here are a few things that should happen once he/she has come into the world:
- The foal should be alert and shaking its head within a minuteIt should have a suckling reflex within 20 minutes or so.
- The foal should be trying to stand within 20 minutes and should be standing by 60 minutes.
- The foal should be suckling from the mare within 2 hours to ensure they get adequate colostrum intake.
- The foal should pass the meconium (a sticky black poo) within four hours of foaling.
- The foal should urinate within four hours.
Once your newborn foal is up and standing, you should treat their navel with dilute iodine with a spray bottle or a soaked clean swab. This should be done twice daily for a week.
Veterinary Exam
We highly recommend that your foal is examined by a vet within 24 hours of being born. The following things will be checked at this time:
- Placenta Examined to ensure no retained foetal membranes
- Physical examination to ensure both the mare and foal are fit and healthy
- Tetanus Antitoxin injection to ensure the foal is covered for tetanus
- IgG snap test to ensure adequate antibodies have been passed from mare to foal via the colostrum.
When should you call the vet
- Your mare is struggling and straining but there is no sign of anything coming out.
- You see a red membrane come out first instead of a white one
- The foal seems to be coming backwards, or upside down or even stuck.
- It is taking longer than 30 mins for the foal to come out from a first leg appearing.
- Foal is not sitting up within a minute
- Foal is not standing within an hour
- The foal seems to have issues with his limbs
- The foal is not suckling within 2 hours
- The mare has not passed her placenta within 3 hours
- The foal has not passed the meconium or urinated within four hours
The foal is not suckling regularly or normally (e.g. milk coming from nose)
What next?
If all has gone well and the next Galopin Des Champs or City of Troy is fit and healthy they can go out in the field and get used to galloping around!!!
They should have regularly worm counts every 8-12 weeks and also be on a suitable worming program (contact us for advice).
They should be microchipped within 6months of birth; however, I find it best to do this much earlier. They should also have their first flu and tetanus vaccinations at around 6 months, the second at 7-8 months and the third 4-6 months later.
Foals should be weaned at around 6 months of age; however, this depends on each individual mare and foal. In Kentucky they say 500 pounds (225kg) or 6 months, whichever comes first,
At that point, the future is still full of possibility, who knows? You might have bred the next Frankel!!!
A fond farewell!!!
As some of you may know by now, my time working at Guasco and Associates will shortly be coming to an end. It has been a wonderful five seasons working in the Cotswold’s and beyond. I came from Ireland thinking I would do a season or two before heading back home but ended up staying for five!
From the day I arrived at the Albutt’s Postlip Farm in Winchcombe every client and colleague has made me feel welcome here in the Cotswolds. Like everything in life there’s been ups and downs but there’s been a lot of fun and great life experiences along the way. I can honestly say I have met people that I am sure I will be friends with for life. I am very thankful to Paolo for affording me the opportunity to work in this practice and also grateful to you as the clients for allowing me to help fix your horses!
Veterinary can be a tough profession; it humbles you every day of the week but it is also extremely rewarding and fulfilling to work with these majestic animals and play a part in their success.
Myself and Hercules will be relocating to Newmarket but I am sure I will see some of you in the future whether it be at the races, the sales or just out and about. Wishing all of you the very best in your future endeavors.
Kind regards,
Dave O’Sullivan
MRCVS MVB
