Horse help... Sad but I really need help.?

Question

I own a small racing farm and I'v ebeen doing great. 5 hours ago a neighbor dropped a foal that everybody thinks is going to die. The owner wanted to kill it because it would cost thousands to save it. It's hopelessly skinny, weak, she has sores all over her mouth, and had a skin desease. What should I do first? don't say the vet because i just had to throw him off the property because when i told him what had happened this is what he said: "look it's foaling season and I'm busy. I'll just put it down"

I'm not giving up without a fight. Help me, please. I don't have any mare producing milk so what is the next best thing? And what else do I do?

Look! This horse has a spark to it that i know it wants to live. I've been around horses my whole life. Thousands of horses have been born like this, and some make it big! I want her to have as much life a horse can have.

Look frozen, the breeder probobaly was a retard, and I'm looking for a new vet! I'm NOT in denile!

Thank, I'll try that. I was looking on google and I saw goat's milk was good for a new foal? Is that ok?

Answer 1

If thousands of horses been born like this, then how come you don't have the educational back ground that you can use as a source to solve your issue? I am not saying that in a mean way either. Just a question that caught my curiosity of confusion.

Look, if you have that much faith in to it, then get the vet out asap and if it "cost too much" then it looks like the horse world isn't for any of you who owns the horse who feels that way. Horses are expensive no matter what. Either you are in it for the long hall or you are not. None of this "expensive" b.s. If the owner doesn't want to pay for it, you have to know you have limits to what you can do if this isn't your foal. Sadly, all you can do is offer. But in the end, the owner has final say.

In orphan foals, it is crucial the orphan foal receive colostrum, which contains antibodies that give temporary immunity to many of the important foalhood diseases. Most foals that do not receive a colostrum within the first 36 hours will die. That is because the intestinal tract is changing as the antibodies cannot go through the blood stream.

If the mare is not producing, look for a surrogate mare with a foal or a mare who lost a foal. I have had to help a woman whom I did Mare watch (she owns a facility she breeds and has 24 hour watches/care of people's mare's who are due). The colt seizures and had a lot of problems. He was put down 4 days later after failed nervous system etc. At the same time, the owner's mare foaled, tore her up pretty bad and she was put down. So, we had a foal with no mare and a mare with no foal. We match those two together that day. Sad things work out for the best at the oddest times.

There is nurse goats.

There are several commercial m ilk replacers on the market for Equines. Milk replacers should can I believe 24 percent proteins, 10% fat. Foals are fed a mixture of one pint of cow's milk, one tablespoon of sugar, and roughly 5 tablespoonfuls of saturated limewater. This to be done every hour for first 3 to 4 days of life.

Can either bottle feed or can use a very shallow pan. I recommend getting a How to guide of feeding orphan foals. The lady I gave the example of above also had to raise 2 orphans at once due to the mares not acceptive of the colt/filly. It is a lot of work and sleepless days/nights. Need someone else to help out and basically no fighting of all parties involved.

This foal needs to be looked at and further testing to declare if this foal is able to be saved. Doesn't matter if seen this before. The issue is this foal is his onself and can be a different situation than the rest.

Answer 2

Did the foal nurse any? If so, then they make a milk replacer. You can get them at any farm store with horse stuff. Looks like you'll be bottle raising. She might have half a chance.

They also make a colostrum replacer, but being that it's that old I'm not sure if it will help much if she hasn't nursed at all.

Is her dam not producing milk, or why can't she nurse off of her? If she can't even nurse then I don't really think there's much of a chance for her.

You are definitely going to need a vet out ASAP. There's no point in putting the time and money into saving it if a vet can come and tell you that there isn't much hope of saving her.

Good luck, and get a vet out to see her!

Answer 3

I have successfully raised two orphans, from 1 day old and from 2 weeks old. I used a powdered milk replacer and oral probiotic gel. The probiotic would be especially important for your foal because of the skin/mouth sores. Try to avoid antibiotics if possible until she develops a stronger immune system. Start with a weaker mixture of formula for the first 24 hours. Too much too soon will cause scours. The most critical factor for success is consistency! Foals normally nurse every 15 to 20 minutes. You need to feed her no less than hourly around the clock for the first week or until her health stabilizes whichever is longer. And find a vet who will diagnose the mouth sores. Try to get some help with feeding. You have to sleep some time. My babies lived in my horse trailer and went everywhere I went for 4 months. They were fed in Wal-Mart parking lots, outside the dentist's office, and lots of other odd places. Good luck and keep up the fight!

Answer 4

Goat's milk is a fabulous idea for your baby! I'm a horse breeder too, and I know how expensive renting one of those nurse mares can be! Goat's milk is a pretty good substitute. You can either buy the fresh goats milk and give it to the baby in a bottle, or better yet, rent a dairy goat! They stand on a bale of straw and let the foal nurse. It might sound crazy, but it really works! And dairy goats don't really cost that much, especially if you "borrow" one. Plus they're usually quite gentle. You've probably seen race horses at the track that have companion goats. Best of luck!

Answer 5

Use a formula. Try to get a horse formula, if you can. Human formula probably won't be the best but if it's the only thing there is, use it.
Since it will probably be to weak to drink from a bottle, dip your fingers in the formula and try to have the foal lick it off.
Also try to keep the foal warm, that is very imporant.
I'm not a vet, so i'm not sure if it's alright to palce topical medicine a foal, but that would be the best bet. Second would be to clean the sores with warm water.

Best of luck to you and the foal.

Answer 6

yes goats milk will be good, try to find fresh milk as the canned stuff in the stores does not have everything that the fresh does, i have raised every kind of baby on goats milk and it does wonders, how old is the foal, call a vet and ask for a vitamin supplement for foals , keep her warm and dry and feed her every few hours, even thru the night, i have had ones that people have brought to me and with tlc and some good nutrition everyone has pulled thru, dont give up on her she deserves a chance just like any other, and it can be done, use the goats milk to start out on, you can get foal replacement milk at a feed store, but the goats milk for now is best as it will provide her with all the right stuff just like colostrum does the goats milk over time will help to heal her other problems get food down her and she will get stronger then you can introduce some more stable foods to her, she may need to be on antibiotics if she has other problems,if possible find another vet, as i would have told that vet of yours to leave and never come back.....she needs to be checked out good luck and please keep us posted......if i can help anyway email me at [e-mail]

Answer 7

Goat's milk is the next best thing for a horse, if you have one. The foal would need Colostrum from it's mother, if you know who that is you could kindly ask your neighbour if you could use the milk. Clean out the foal's wounds thoroughly, using anything you have/can on the foal. I have heard of a similiar story with a malformed foal named chance, (In the book chicken soup for the soul) and she survived to a couple years of age.

Answer 8

well, whatever you do, do it fast. you should be out there every day trying to get him back to health because reality is, if a foal is sick when winter comes, it will likely not get better, it will just die off.

and yea, most cases, the foal would have been put down right away. In your trying to make it better, he is suffering and he is in pain, so really, you are prolonging the pain he has to go through......

just think about it.

and why cant you call the vet??? makes no sense..... the vet would be able to give you a high calorie liquid milk to give the foal to help out

Answer 9

You will need to buy frozen colustrum and you can get it over the web.
You will need to find a nurse mare for this foal. Most that are orphaned need to have a nurse mare to survive most that are bottle fed do not make it. If it is foaling season look around at racing breeding farms they will have other mares who have foaled and most large farms have a nurse mare or a mare who has lost a foal.
We always raised our orphans with a nurse mare.

Answer 10

GOOD ON YOU. I would be doing the same thing. I wish I were closer I would help you save him.

Just love him and he will get well

Maybe ring an animal rescue organisation to get advice.

I also heard of a Goat rearing an abandoned foal so look into this.

Good luck I will be thinking of you both. Please keep us informed with what is happening.