Foaling kit?

Question

I have a pregnant mare that is due late April. What does a foaling kit consist of and what are other objects that I will need to ensure that my mare will have a healthy foal and will have a good birth so that nothing goes wrong?

Answer 1

Well you cannot ensure anything- so always have a good vet handy..let them know when the mare starts to foal so if there is a dystocia or other emergency you already have contact with the vet..but a basic foaling kit should include
a wrap for the mare's tail (an old leg wrap or some vet wrap)
a piece of string for tying up the afterbirth
a bag or bucket for the placenta/afterbirth (vet should check this to make sure mare passed all of it )
baby bottle and nipple for foal in case it wont nurse or mare wont let it. foal must get the colostrum in the first few hours for passive transfer of antibodies, plus just needs the milk for strength
an enema or two to administer to the foal within the first hour or so to make sure it passes the meconium (basic human one you can buy at WalMart)
do NOT use iodine on the umbilical stump! Vets now recommend using clorahexadine(nolvasan) solution as they have found out iodine can cause ittitation.if you insist on iodine make sure it is the weak type,2 or 3%
some dental floss to tie the umbilical if it will not close on its own(if this happens call the vet but pretty rare)
some clean towels to help dry the foal if the mare doesnt or its cold
exam gloves
a tube of ivermectin for the mare- dose her within 24 hours post foaling .

I am sure I missed something..I also have one due around April 24th..good luck

Answer 2

The most important thing you can have on hand when your mare goes to foal is IODINE. You will need to rub this on the umbilical cord of the foal within 3 days of foaling. Iodine will prevent systemic illness.
Other things a foaling kit will have is tail wraps to wrap the mares tail so her hair does not transfer dirt onto the foal and veterinary gloves in case you have to assist in repositioning the foal or assist in delivery.

Hopefully you have been a good mare owner and already gotten her vaccinations. If you haven't, no less than 30 days prior to her due date you should go ahead and get her regular shots. The major ones being Tetanus, EHV, EWV, and Rhino. Since you already knew that your mare was pregnant then hopefully you adjusted her feed to suit her needs long before this time. If you haven't, switch her to a mare and foal feed. You should also feed this long after she foals. Her newborn will also get nutrition from this feed when he starts to munch on it at about 1 month of age.
If you are going to be keeping her in a paddock or stall- make sure that the stall is big enough and that all corners are blocked off- most mares love to get in the corners and lay down and brace themselves- this is dangerous for the foal.
Make sure the area you plan on her foaling in is clean, quiet, and sheltered. 80% of mares foal at night so you may not be there when she goes into labor.

Try not to worry so much. Difficulties in mare labor are very rare and most people don't know when it's happening. Try and enjoy your mare and give her as much attention as you can- as she'll soon be swamped with her motherly duties and miss the pampering.

Answer 3

I haven't heard of a foaling kit before, but I would have a small paddock close to your house. In late pregnancy feed the mare a good breeder mix, have a mineral block available for her to supplement good pasture and/or hay. Try to make sure she doesn't get too thin or fat. When she looks like she might foal soon, check every 15 minutes through the night to make sure she is O.K. Let your vet know that your mare is due to foal. When labour starts it should take between a half hour and two hours. If a difficult labour is left to go too long you could lose your mare and the foal. If things don't seem to be progressing, call the vet to come over. Some people have paraffin wax available to help the foal pass the meconium, and maybe scissors to cut the umbilical cord and disinfectant to put on the navel stump. You may need a bucket of water to check the afterbirth for missing tissue. Ask your vet if there is anything else you need to have on hand. Good luck.

Answer 4

When my mare was approaching her due date I ensured that I had a 12 X 24 foaling stall. The ability to separate the mare and foal from the other horses for an extended period of time.

I also put a baby monitor in the mares box stall...be prepared for odd noises in the night if you do this.

I had the vet on call, and in fact he was on the phone with me while I was with the mare as she gave birth.

I'd recommend you have surgical gloves in case you need to move the foal, but that's not very common.

Oh and maybe happy pills, to calm yourself down......lol

Good luck.

Answer 5

No kit is complete without http://marvwalker.com/foal.htm
Kellie Sharpe's Surviving Foaling season! Includes a full foaling kit,with the essential extras ( like the dominos pizza dudes number,bag of cash and coins,extra cell batteries...) I've been working with broodmares for 30 years and this still is the best and funniest site ever:D

Answer 6

Dont waste your money everything is natual.Let the mare be MYfoal was on the property I was on foal watch I came out about 20 min later & the foal was half out with her front feet everything went fine.The mares dont like people around when they give birth they want to be alone & have it natural.The only thing you need to do is after your mare has the foal you need to put the afterbirth in a bucket of water after the mare drops off.then call the vet out to check it.they do that so theres nothing else is inside & they check the foal.Just have towels so you can wipe the blood from the foal.The mare is pretty good at that to cleaning her baby.Just sit & enjoy.

Answer 7

I would highly recommend 'The complete book of foaling' by karen hayes who will tell you how to make your foaling kit. The book is really great and tells you how to handle emergencies and how to prepare before you have any problems so that you're not in a panic if things do go wrong. It really helped me to know that i was not only physically but mentally prepared even if the foaling went badly. very helpful!

Answer 8

Check out this link for a full list:
http://www.gaitedhorses.net/FoalKit.html

Ready made foaling kits can be purchased here:
http://www.petfirstaid.org/products/foalkit.html

There are some good articles, about preparing for the birth of the foal, here:
http://www.suite101.com/lesson.cfm/18594/2015

Good luck, don't panic, and enjoy the process!...

Answer 9

have a 24 hour vet on call an give her some mare vitamins