The mother isnt responding to her foal but i have another horse who recently had a colt and she seems to be taking on responsibility. Should I just let this happen? I dont think it hurts anything.
2007-01-08 03:57:23 · 9 answers · asked by nicole 1 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
she delivered the placenta with it too, im guessing it may be because shes a first time mom but ill still check on it with my vet...i would still like opinions though.
2007-01-08 04:20:15 · update #1
Well she is letting the foal nurse a little but every once and a while she will just ignore it. She kicked the the day before yesterday(not too hard). I think she may be scared because she wasnt acting right for a while,but it was just to my family and my dogs. She would still be calm around me though. I also took her to the vet and they said that she may be a primiparous mare. They said that i should put them in the same stall but far enough away so that she wont harm him. The vet also said that primiparous mares may also reject one foal after another and it would be a risk to breed again.
2007-01-09 03:47:15 · update #2
If another horse is acting like a mom to it let it be, but if the foal is not getting milk from it's mother the other horses colt will have to compete for food and thats not good.
2007-01-08 04:10:50 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Congratulations on your new foal! Has the dam cleaned off her foal and licked it dry? Has she let it nurse yet? Has she expressed any aggression or actually rejected the foal? Your foal needs to nurse from its own mother within 12 hours after birth to get what is known as Colostrum, a thick substance that can only come from a mother's milk that contains antibodies. You will know if your foal nursed if you find loose bright orange manure in the stall left from the foal. If not you need to buy a tube of colostrum and administer it. If you want your mare to bond with her foal you need to leave them alone together for a while. Sometimes if you fuss with the foal too much or upset the mare she will shut down out of anxiety. I would separate them from other horses and give them time together alone. If the mare hasn't actually rejected the foal or been aggressive to it, then they should be fine. Even if your mare is a first timer, nature will kick in if she gets a chance to put her instincts to work. Good luck and I hope everything goes well for you and your new foal.
2007-01-08 12:36:28 · answer #2 · answered by ml_lansing 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
As long as both foals are being cared for it's not a huge deal, but you should encourage the mother to take care of it's own. The mare should have licked the foal dry. Is she allowing it to nurse? Or will she allow it if you help the foal nurse? Because if not then you obviously have a problem and should probably call your vet so the foal can get the proper nutrients it needs.
2007-01-08 12:34:30 · answer #3 · answered by ilovesubasketball 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Which mare is nursing the foal? As long as the foal is nursing, it should be OK. Some mares are better mothers than others. I recently weaned a filly and my other mare adopted the baby - she doesn;t have milk to nurse it but takes care of it, protects it, etc.
I assume the foal's real dam is nursing the baby. If that is so, then let the other mare baysit and all will be OK.
2007-01-08 15:47:25 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
First time moms are just that way. They are still used to being the 'baby'. My friends horse did the same exact thing, and I'm expecting it with my mare as this is her first baby as well. Separate the two sets of mares and foals, as you don't want the babies competeing off of one mare. Don't lock her up in the stall with the baby, as she is not used to having another horse pressing up against her as much as the baby will and it will fighten her and she could hurt/kill the foal. (new foals have not yet learned that penned ears and switching tails means "BACK OFF") Put them in a big pasture together and let them figure things out. If you see that the foal is suffering and not eating tie the mare and hobble her back legs if she kicks and allow the foal to nurse. Also, take a cloth and rub it all over your mare for about 20 minutes, get it saturated in her scent then rub it on the foal, so when your mare smells it she will recognize it as part of her. Good luck and congratulations on your new baby! (mine isn't due till june!)
2007-01-08 15:27:43 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
It's not uncommon for a mother mare and her foal to do nothing for a couple of hours. After a mare foals, she usually will take time to rest.
2007-01-08 17:57:49 · answer #6 · answered by Veneta T 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
call your vet have her checked on did the mare deliver the placenta? if not this is an emergency call your vet asap
well then you need to put her up against the wall amd make her nurse that baby this is a must if you want the baby to be ok it will also help bonding even if she doesnt like it that baby needs to eat every 2 hours so she doesnt have a choice- also she my have alot of milk that causes presser on the nipple so nursing will make her more comfortable and she will probably be more ionclinded to nurse again
2007-01-08 12:16:40 · answer #7 · answered by luv4horses 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Call your vet and get them to come out and put your mind at ease. They need to take blood from the foal to see if she's gotten enough colostrum.
This is just too nerve wracking!!
2007-01-08 12:58:50 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I agree with hunter2.... call the vet because this is a nerve wrecking situation. Only a vet can tell you what's best for all horses involved.
2007-01-08 14:44:40 · answer #9 · answered by rockerchic821 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋