Management Of Mare Flashcards
What is the length of gestation
335-342 days
Not unusual for gestation to be greater than 342 days
When are premature foals typically born
300-320 days
Abortion is usually less than 300 days
True or false: mares can lose a pregnancy at any time
True
When should you palpate a mare
18-20 days after ovulation
When should you do an ultrasound
Day 10 the earliest but typically between day 14-16
Allows for early detection of twins
60-70 days is when you can tell fetal sexing
What vaccines do mares need to be up do date on
EEE, WEE, WNV which are all from mosquitoes
Tetanus and equine herpes (EHV)
EHV can cause abortions
What should you do around 4 weeks before the due date of a mare
Move mare to foaling area which allows for acclimation
Mare will also develop antibodies against harmful organisms
Open vulva and examine daily for changes
What is typically done to a foal if it’s worth a lot of money
CPR
Do anything to keep the foal alive
What can happen if you foal more than one mare outside at a time
Other mares will try to steal the foal
There is also a higher risk of injury
If a mare foals outside what can happen if a foal is cold and wet
They can become hypothermic and will not absorb colostrum as well which provides energy and antibodies to the foal
How big should a foaling stall be and what else should it have
Minimum of 12 ft by 12 ft
Quite area but somewhere where there are other horses
Good bedding and rubber mats with water bucket off the floor and removable feed tubs
What is good bedding for foaling
Straw
What are signs of impending parturition
Large pendulous abdomen
Change in gait and udder enlargement
Waxing up
Loss of appetite and change in personality
What is a concern of a mare dripping milk before she gives birth
She could lose colostrum before the foal is born
What are some monitoring devices for pregnant mares and foal
Closed circuit television and baby monitors
Foal watch which tests calcium levels in milk
Alarm systems like foalert and equipage
Wireless monitors are gaining in popularity
What is the first stage of parturition
Uterine contractions, cervical dilation, water breaks
Usually lasts 30 minutes to 4 hours
Clean udder and wrap tail
Mares can stop this stage if threats are present
What is the second stage of parturition
Fetus passes through birth canal
Should be short lived and explosive, around 20-30 min
Once water breaks this stage starts
If greater than 40 min there is good chance foal will be lost
What is the third stage of parturition
Expulsion of placenta within 30 min to three hours after foaling
True or false: if the placenta is taking too long to come out, you can pull on it to assist the mare
False, never pull the placenta as it can cause medical issues for the mare
How should a foal come out
Front legs then head
What is the 1-2-3 rule
Foal should be standing in first hour, nursing in second hour, and placenta passed in third hour
True or false: is it better to let birth happen naturally rather than getting involved
True, only step in if absolutely necessary
What percentage of dystocia occur in mares
Usually in 10 percent due to abnormal foal positions
If mare or foal seem to be having difficulties help at once
At what month is the foal unable to turn around
10th
What happens if the placenta detaches before the foal is born
The foal loses its oxygen supply and will die
What is another word for placenta
Allantochorion
What is the allantoamnion
White membrane that comes with the foal
What does it mean if the placenta is full of blood
The placenta is ahead of the foal which isn’t good
Needs to be punctured
What does it mean if a placenta is white
Full of amnion fluid
If a foal is born with amnion still covering it what needs to be done
Remove it because it’s preventing the foal from breathing
What is the mare and foal survival rate during a c section
Mare is 84 percent and foal is 35 percent
If dystocia lasts less than 90 min prior to c section what does this increase
Foaling rates and fewer complications
What percentage of foalings occur without intervention
90 percent
What should you do after the foal arrives
Check for breathing and wait until it stands and nurses
Dip umbilical cord
Make sure meconium passes from foal and placenta passes from mare
When should you disinfect the umbilical cord and with what
Nolvasan and wait until foal is standing to dip it
How often should a foal be nursing
Half a dozen times
If they are rooting there is a good chance something is wrong
When should placental matter be passed from a mare
3-4 hours after birth
What can you do if foal isn’t passing meconium
Inject enigma into rectum
What should you see in a physical exam of foal and what should you do if values not correct
Should see IgG blood conc greater than 800 mg/dc
You would administer plasma if not correct
How can you stimulate a foals breathing
Hold them by hind legs, tickle their nose with straw, or rub them with hand or towel
What is most critical time for mare and foal
The first 24 hours which means they need quiet environment where they can be observed frequently
What can you do to a mare if you have an orphaned foal
Give her domparidome to induce milk production
Can also use oxytocin but doesn’t produce milk
The mare you do this to isn’t pregnant you just want her to produce milk
What can you do for orphaned foals
Give milk replacer but can be expensive
Give cow or goat milk but goat milk is better because it is more closely related and more palatable
Use a nurse mare but this could make her foal an orphan
How many more times is the value of a foal than the stud fee
3 times more but this is just a rule of thumb, it changes all the time
What is colostrum
First milk that provides antibodies to protect newborns while their immune system develops
This provides 50% more energy then regular mare milk
How much milk should a mare be producing
A liter every hour so 3-4 gallons per day
When a mare is nursing how much body weight does she put on
15% of her body weight
How much should a foal weigh when born and how much weight should be gained each month
Foal should be 9-10% of her body weight and double the weight each month with a good appetite
What is coprophagy
Eating dams feces typically because it contains pheremones that encourage the foal to eat it
What is beneficial about coprophagy
Helps establish microflora in the gut and is a good source of vitamin B
What can be a result of coprophagy
Majority of foals will get diarrhea when they eat solid feeds and ingest fecal matter which can be treated using peptobismal or bio sponge
When does milk production peak in a horse
Day 30
What values are typically high at the beginning of milk production
Fat and proteins because the colostrum is providing essential antibodies to the foal
What is creep feeding
Giving foal additional food while still with mare because milk production decreases over time
Feeding foal while excluding mare
What happens after 6-8 weeks of having a foal
Quality and quantity of mares milk decreases
What are benefits of creep feeding
Encouragement of optimal growth and reducing weaning time stress
10% increase in daily gains and lost significantly less weight during weaning
Why would you want optimal growth rather than maximal growth
Maximal growth can cause lameness because they would gain a significant amount of weight to prepare for slaughter but horses are not used for slaughter so you want them in good athletic shape
What amount of nutrients should you feed during creep feeding
13-16% crude protein, vitamin and mineral fortified grain mix
Feed one pound per month of age
When are domestic foals weaned
4-6 months
Mares are typically pregnant again at this point
Commercial professionals wean closer to four months because they are eating well and getting handled a lot
What are signs that foal is ready to be weaned
Gaining weight appropriately
Shiny coat and appetite for feed
Acts independent of dam
What is traditional pen weaning
Can’t see or here each other
They are separate after one day, out of sight and sound
What is removing one mare at a time weaning method
Start removing mares one at a time typically starting with oldest or most aggressive mare but leave foals with other dams
What is abrupt stall weaning
Use stall to leave foal in and take mare out
What is gradual stall weaning
Mare and foal can still each other but foal cant nurse
What is fence line weaning
Similar to stall weaning but with a fence
Make sure fence is solid
