The reasons why owners breed a horse is often a combination of emotional gratification, performance expectations and economic gain. Yet none of these outcomes are “for certain” and so the eventual outcome of the foal as it becomes an adult horse is also uncertain, even more so if the young horse does not meet the expectations of its owner.

There are three aspects about breeding horses that most horse owners find surprising whether or not they are a novice or a seasoned breeder. The first one is the substantial financial commitment necessary to birth a foal and raise a young horse properly. The second one is the length of time it takes to realize the outcome of the financial investment from foal to “purposeful” horse. And the third surprise is just how much education is required to fulfil the intended outcome — beginning with a barren broodmare and following through with the resources necessary to create a well-mannered, educated and enjoyable horse.

Horses are expensive creatures to care for properly and the financial implications of bringing a foal into the world are significant. There are those who believe that having their own mare produce a foal seems like a cheap way of getting another horse, however, this is far from the truth of the matter when you consider all the costs necessary to conceive, birth and raise a foal and continue its schooling as a young horse. For the same price, one could buy a fairly expensive well-trained horse and it may be valuable to consider that “that” horse already exists and needs a new home.

It’s easy to overlook some of the hidden costs of breeding and raising a foal. Oftentimes stud fees, initial veterinary appointments and mare care are only the beginning, and a horse owner can accumulate a considerable amount of costs in feed, husbandry and training of a young horse long before a suitable evaluation and assessment of the abilities of the horse can be made. It is not unreasonable for this investment to take as long as five to eight years to realize its full potential. Even with a string of sound and sensible decisions there are risks to both the financial investment as well as the lives of the animals when unexpected injury, illness and even death occur.

The time commitment of the financial investment often leads to the next surprise about breeding horses — simply how long it takes for the foal to mature into the horse desired at the onset when the initial decision was made to breed the mare — years, often many many years. The shadow side of this surprise is that young horses often bear the brunt of an impatient horse industry.

Understandably, owners, breeders and trainers want to get the job done when the horse is as young as possible in order to maximize profits. However, the young horse does not respond favourably to time agendas and short-sighted financial strategies. Starting horses at too young an age and overworking them beyond the physiological limits of their immature bodies and skeletons creates a disproportional number of unsound horses. An overburdened youngster is a prelude to a lifetime of mental and physical unsoundness with lamenesses or arthritidies being the currently most recognized.

The third surprise is the educational requirement and homework necessary to produce a foal and carry the young horse forward to being a “good citizen.” First off it is rare in today’s modern horse world for a herd of mares to be running with a stallion. Breeding of horses has become a sizable industry and a business all onto its own with a great deal of human intervention.

Breeding pairs are often chosen accordingly to paperwork and performance statistics and the mating pairs can be miles, even countries apart. Breed selections based on these criteria often underscore robustness, conformational flaws and unsoundnesses. Furthermore, high-profile stallions become overrepresented in the horse population. Whenever pedigree lineages are closely shared between the mare and the stallion i.e. common ancestors appear on their registration papers, the outcome is inbreeding. Although the term line-breeding is used to preferentially refer to these matings this term does not absolve the foals that result from these matings from their increased prevalence of genetic disorders.

The homework list for a responsible horse owner is a long one. It requires due diligence in mating selection, breeding protocol, and broodmare and foal care. Then it becomes necessary to understand what is essential to support a youngster in its education in order to maximize the potential of the carefully selected genetics and safeguard against the myriad of developmental conditions that can often affect the foal’s future potential.

It can be an incredibly rewarding experience to breed a mare and raise a foal. To ensure the best outcome for all parties —horse and human — it requires plenty of deliberate thought regarding the responsibilities and commitments from the human to assure the finest of welfare for the foal-horse. Fortunately what are good decisions for the horse are ultimately good decisions for their human steward.

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Many events that occur in the life of a young foal shape the nature of the horse it will become. By the time the foal is six months old, it will have already attained about 80 per cent of its mature height and be at over half of its mature weight. Much of its attitude and behaviour toward humans and other horses, as well as its ability to learn will have been affected. Gentle, yet firm and correct, handling of the young impressionable foal is essential to a healthy relationship with humans. Oftentimes the nature of this relationship determines the fate of the young horse.

One of the most important considerations in foals from one week old to weaning is healthy physical growth and development. This critical stage of growth for the foal is strongly influenced by nutrition, and nutritional mistakes made early in life can lead to structural problems that limit a horse’s soundness in the future.

A foal generally cannot consume enough grass or hay alongside the mare to cause a problem. However, foals supplemented with additional grain, alfalfa or processed feeds are predisposed to overnutrition and excessively rapid growth. As a result, the foal’s developing musculoskeletal system is susceptible to a number of problems. The discovery of these problems can be delayed until the young horse begins training or is placed into hard work.

Often the connection between early overnutrition, excessive growth rates and developmental bone diseases fails to be made. Such developmental bone diseases include the numerous presentations of osteochondrisos dessicans and/or osteochondritis (OCD), various arthritides, and wobbler’s syndrome which is the clinical presentation of improper cervical bone formation.

Therefore, supplemental feeding of the nursing foal, also known as creep feeding, requires careful consideration. Industry standards pressure the young horse to “look its best” at a young age. This unrealistic expectation represented in futurities and yearling sales often dictate feeding protocols that reflect short-term gain which are at odds to long-term soundness of the horse.

Decisions to creep feed the nursing foal are complex and complicated and must take into account the nursing mare’s productivity, forage availability and the growth rates desired by the horse owners. Optimal growth rates for a sound five-year-old horse can be very different from industry standards for growth.

Many young foals may have crooked-looking limbs for the first days of life. So long as the foal can travel alongside the dam easily and comfortably, the majority of these abnormalities will self-resolve. After six to eight weeks crooked limbs in a foal are of much greater concern, particularly those that are acquired and progressively becoming worse. If the afflicted foal appears to be sore and stiff with visible swellings associated with the joints, then the concern is even greater.

Careful observation and the ability to recognize normal “correct” conformation are key to monitoring the growing legs of a foal. Flexural and angular limb deformities are deviations from correct limbs. Flexural deformities refer to abnormalities most evident when viewing the limbs from the side and relate to the flexor tendons. Angular limb deformities are abnormal angulations at joints when viewed from the front or the back with the limb deviating to the inside or the outside.

Early recognition of development limb problems is key to their successful management. Treatment for flexural deformities and angular limbs depends on the individual case and may involve dietary modification, exercise restriction, specific hoof care, medications, surgery or a combination of these treatments.

Lameness is always a red flag in the young foal and needs immediate attention. Young foals with a sudden onset of severe lameness require prompt veterinary attention. A common cause of severe lameness in foals is septic arthritis. An infected joint is a life-threatening problem and must be treated correctly as quickly as possible for the best prognosis.

Young foals may be born with or acquire an umbilical hernia within the first four to six weeks of life. The majority of hernias smaller than the length of three fingers will likely self-resolve. However, umbilical hernias larger than three fingers will generally require surgery in the future for complete closure.

Generally it will not be necessary to vaccinate a foal prior to weaning. The immune system of a foal that consumes sufficient colostrum at birth from a vaccinated mare is competent and resistant to infectious diseases. A mare with vaccinations up to date and vaccinated four to six weeks before parturition will ensure the foal is provided with good levels of protective antibodies in the colostrum.

While any worm can affect the nursing foal, the most significant parasite is the ascarid, also known as the roundworm. Young foals are at a particularly high risk for ascarid infestations whenever their rearing grounds repeatedly occurred in the same location for a number of years. Ascarids can cause depression, respiratory disease, stunted growth, diarrhea, constipation and potentially fatal colic. Heavy burdens of adult roundworms can cause a life-threatening impaction in the foal’s small intestines. Deworming with fenbendazole (Panacur) is highly effective against ascarids and is an extremely safe product for foals. Deworming the mare shortly after foaling is recommended as the first step in protecting the foal from an overwhelming load of parasites.

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Initial stages of illness in young foals are subtle and unfortunately can be easily overlooked. Therefore a checklist of 10 relevant questions can be a valuable resource when evaluating the newborn foal.

Each question represents a significant milestone in the life of a healthy foal and therefore the answer to each of the 10 questions must be a definitive “YES.” Each point on the list only requires keen observation skills and does not interfere with the activities of the foal.

1) Is the foal standing within one hour of birth?

2) Has the foal nursed colostrum within two hours of birth?

3) Has the mare passed the placenta and/or cleaned within three hours of the foal’s delivery?

Most healthy foals are high achievers and easily make the first two checkpoints. Ingestion of colostrum, or the mare’s first milk, within a critical time frame is crucial to the foal’s short- and long-term health. This colostrum is energy and nutrient dense, most renowned for its ability to “jump-start” a healthy immune system. Although the third checkpoint does not require anything of the foal, its answer can be vital to the survival of the foal. Generally mares will “clean” within three hours of delivery. Mares that retain their placentas beyond eight hours are at serious risk for systemic illness and are considered a veterinary emergency.

4) Has the foal passed its meconium?

The meconium or first feces passed by the foal is a dark-green, very sticky/tacky mass that accumulates in the bowel during fetal life and is discharged shortly after birth. It is not uncommon to see tags of sticky greenish meconium on the foal’s hindquarters within six hours of birth. This is a good sign and is often evidence of a healthy ingestion of colostrum. A foal with retained meconium will experience abdominal discomfort, strain to defecate, swish its tail, act colicy and will eventually become reluctant to nurse. An enema is indicated in foals that have not passed their meconium within 12 hours of birth.

5) Does the young foal nurse often — very often?

Milk demand and flow from the mare is stimulated by the asking of a hungry foal. Young foals nurse frequently keeping the mare’s udder stripped, often nursing more than 20 times a day.

6) Does the young foal “shadow” the dam?

Healthy foals are alert, aware of their surroundings and have a strong affinity for the mare. They play and move a lot — even if at first only moving in tight circles around the mare. Foals lacking a vigorous, vibrant attitude or that wander from the mare or appear detached from her are a cause for concern.

It is not uncommon for a foal to begin life with weak legs. The foal may have laxity in the pasterns or fetlocks, contracted tendons or deviations of the distal limbs. These generally self-correct with moderate and modest exercise within the first few days of life as the soft tissues strengthen and adjust. Severe deviations, those not improving, or ones that prevent the foal from properly following the mare may require veterinary consultation.

7) Does the young foal lay down to sleep?

Young foals lay down and sleep a lot, most commonly in lateral recumbency, however, upon occasion in sternal. Foals that are fading, appear sleepy or hang their heads while standing are not resting properly and are showing early symptoms of illness.

8) Does the young foal urinate and urinate correctly?

When the young colt or filly postures to urinate, urine must come from the penis or the vulva. If urine is seen to drip or stream from the navel, veterinary attention will be necessary. Infrequent urination is not normal and may indicate that the foal is not nursing adequately or that the bladder has ruptured.

9) Is the young foal alert, sensitive and responsive to its surroundings?

Healthy foals are curious and inquisitive, constantly engaging in their environment. Whenever they become dull or lose their focus on the mare there will be a problem.

10) Does the foal keep the mare’s udder relieved?

Often one of the first “red flags” regarding the foal’s health will be the distended state of the mare’s udder as the foal falls behind in nursing. Weak or troubled foals that lose strength nursing will also have “milk nose” or dried milk on their face.

Other not-so-subtle signs of distress in a newborn foal are abnormal nasal discharge (including milk), abnormal respiration, coughing, watery diarrhea, lameness, and abnormal swellings of the umbilicus or navel or around the genitals. These are indications for veterinary involvement.

Since the health status of a young foal can change rapidly, recognition of both normal and abnormal signs of health during the first days of life are essential to a successful outcome.

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An uneventful foaling and a vigorous newborn foal are the natural outcome of a healthy mare with an excellent nutritional program and opportunity for plenty of movement.

The duration of pregnancy in mares is generally 330 to 345 days, or about 11 months, however, this period can span from 310 to 387 days and not be unusual. Even though a mare can be checked any time to determine if she is pregnant, evaluations done earlier on in the gestation period tend to be more reliable when predicting delivery dates. Many mares will have very similar gestation lengths from year to year.

In order for the mare to become acclimatized to the environment in which she will foal in, it is best to introduce her into the foaling location at least one month prior to the anticipated delivery date. This time frame not only allows the mare to settle into her new surroundings, it also provides her immune system the opportunity to produce antibody-specific colostrum. These colostral antibodies will protect her newborn foal in the environment into which it is born. Clean grassy pastures provide an ideal environment for a mare to foal.

During the last two weeks of gestation mares commonly have a pronounced abdomen, develop a distended udder, and show relaxing and/or softening of the buttocks, tailhead, and vulvar region. Teats generally “wax” or weep a clear, syrupy secretion 24 to 48 hours before foaling. Milk kits are available to test the calcium concentration in the milk prior to foaling. Typically calcium concentrations in the milk begin to rise significantly 48 hours prior to impending parturition.

The majority of mares foals between dusk and dawn. This is likely an innate behaviour from the wild ensuring the foal has ample time to nurse and easily follow its dam by morning light.

When it is time to foal, the mare experiences three stages of labour. During the first stage the mare generally seeks isolation, stops eating, and often appears restless and uncomfortable, perhaps pacing or sweating. This is normal and is a part of the pro-cess that prepares proper positioning of the foal for delivery. At some time within the next 24 hours the mare progresses to the second stage of delivery. Initial uterine contractions cause signs of mild discomfort, tail switching, sweating, and frequent urination.

As the uterine contraction become stronger and more frequent, they force the white glistening fetal membranes and foal’s feet forward through a dilating cervix. Once the water bag breaks and fetal fluids are expelled, most mares lay down and begin strong abdominal labour. Both of the foal’s feet will then appear with one foot leading the other by a hand’s breadth. This unlocks the shoulders and allows easy passage of the foal through the pelvic canal. The nose of the foal follows close behind.

From this point, the foaling process is almost explosive with each abdominal effort moving the foal through the birth canal within a short period of 15 to 20 minutes. Variations in this normal presentation are an indication for veterinary assistance.

After delivery, the mare may remain laying down for up to 30 minutes before standing and bonding with the foal. This period allows the mare to rest and the foal to become familiar with its new environment. The umbilical cord often remains attached as long as the mare remains down and allows a reserve of blood to flow from the placental unit to the foal. As the foal begins to move around the umbilical cord separates about six to eight inches from the umbilicus. During the final stage of delivery the placenta is passed.

Ideally the newborn foal will stand within one hour of delivery, nurse within two hours of birth and the mare will expel her placenta within three hours. Healthy foals will pass their first manure and/or meconium shortly after ingesting colostrum. The 1-2-3-hour rule following foaling is directly linked to the health and well-being of both mare and foal.

If there are any delays, a call to your veterinarian is crucial, as this is a critical time.

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Galvayne’s treatise became widely accepted and uncontested amongst horsemen for over a century. The Galvayne name even became memorialized when a distinct groove which travels down the side of the corner upper incisors was aptly named Galvayne’s Groove.

This yellow-brown groove was said to appear at the gum line of the upper corner incisors at the age of 10 and would lengthen as the horse aged. It would span the entire tooth by the age of 20, then leave the gum line and advance toward the bottom of the tooth until it wore out at age 30.

Recently Galvayne’s treatise was taken to the test by the scientific world where the century-old system was discovered to hardly be the science that we once were led to believe, and that the practise of aging horses using dental characteristics has a degree of uncertainty.

Researchers in Britain and Belgium compared the traditional marking system as outlined by Galvayne against the horse’s accurately known date of birth and/or true age as recorded in the horse’s registration papers.

The researchers discovered surprisingly significant discrepancies in their comparisons, placing the reliability of a century-old practice for aging horses by their dentition under marked scrutiny. The studies showed that specific ages could not be assigned to individual horses according to the dental criteria outlined by Galvayne’s treatise due to the tremendous variation amongst individuals.

Researchers found there to be no consistency in dental traits amongst horses within specified age groups and that horses showed marked variability from the “textbook” findings.

Knowing the age of a horse can be important for a number of reasons. Not only does age determine the dollar value of a horse in horse-related transactions, age also determines what type of handling and care the horse will receive. Although registration of horses is a common practice today, there exists a surprising number of horses without a paper trail identifying their date of birth.

As a result, veterinarians are commonly called upon to identify the age of a horse. For example a 10-year-old gelding will be a better riding investment than a 20-year-old gelding, a two-year-old will require different handling than a four-year-old, and a six-year-old brood mare has more foaling potential than a 16-year-old mare.

Without argument, significant changes do occur in the teeth of horses as they pass through time. Dental maturation of the horse progresses over a five-year period taking the horse from toothless at birth, through 24 baby teeth and ending with a count of between 36 and 42 permanent teeth.

Horses, just like human children, shed their baby/milk teeth at a highly predictable pace. Young horses lose their central incisors at 2-1/2 years, the ones next to the middle at 3-1/2 years and the corner incisors at 4-1/2 years. Due to the timely nature of tooth shedding and eruption a strong correlation exists and the age of horses by inspection of the teeth can be developed to a considerable degree of accuracy when identifying horses under five years of age.

As the horse ages beyond five years, errors in judgment tend to increase as a number of variables play a role in how the horse’s teeth age, thus making it more difficult to specifically age the horse. For example, breeds such as the Arabians are known to have slower wear patterns than draft horses due to the increased hardness of their enamel, thus presenting their mouths to be more youthful than they actually are. Other variables affecting tooth wear include diet, grazing conditions, management practices, vices, and more recently, dental work. The probability of error increases as age advances and becomes an informed guess as the horse enters its late teens and 20s.

Good reliability exists when distinguishing the difference between a six-year-old horse and a 16-year-old horse. However, correctly identifying whether a horse is 15 or 16 years of age is not too likely. Galvayne’s system for assigning dental features to specific ages of horses offers more of a guideline than an absolute for age determination.

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The Miniature Horse registry is based solely around height. Registries won’t allow membership to a Miniature taller than 34 inches, although there are Miniature Horses as tall as 38 inches.

Dwarfism has been an unfortunate outcome of selective inbreeding for size and many Miniature Horses express some clinical degree of dwarfism. Dwarfs or variations of dwarfism exhibit various degrees/combinations of conformational flaws such as dome-shaped skulls, and misshapen limbs, spines and jaws. Those mildly affected can lead normal lives whereas those more severely affected struggle to thrive.

Three major physical attributes have stubbornly refused to downsize in the Miniature Horse: the teeth, the fecal ball and the umbilical cord. Many health conditions unique to Miniature Horses can be traced back to this genetic glitch/hiccup/snag.

In the small head of a Miniature Horse we find the same number and size of teeth as found in a full-size horse. As a result, dental overcrowding, malocclusion and interrupted shedding of caps/baby teeth are quite common. Since these horses often do not wear a bit and easily maintain adequate body condition, years of abnormal dental wear can smoulder before it is recognized. Identifying and correcting dental problems in the early years is even more important in these horses.

Miniature Horses have an increased incidence of colic caused by feed impactions and obstructive fecaliths (dried hard feces) in the small colon. This type of colic is unique to Miniatures, likely due to the disparity in size between the diameter of the intestine and the fecal ball. If identified early, medical intervention may relieve the obstruction, circumventing surgery.

• More with Carol Shwetz, DVM: Vesicular stomatitis and the rules for transporting horses safely

Health challenges

Miniature Horses tend to have more reproductive problems than their larger cousins. The incidence of abortion/stillbirths is often more common and can be attributed to the increased rate of congenital abnormalities, malformed fetuses, or deaths due to a twisted/entangled umbilical cord. Dystocia or difficult births are also more frequent.

Predicting the date of foaling can be quite difficult in Miniatures as many do not show the classical signs of imminent birthing such as udder “bagging up” and teat waxing. It is extremely important to take special care of breeding Miniatures ensuring a rising plane of nutrition in late gestation, continuing throughout lactation.

Miniature Horses have inherited the “thrifty” gene from their pony ancestors. If measures are not undertaken to manage the body condition of the Miniature Horse, they risk metabolic derangements and founder/laminitis. Many live sedentary lifestyles further compounding their propensity towards obesity. Restricted grazing, grazing muzzles, drylots, and slow feed netting will allow these horses to move around and interact with their companions while restricting caloric intake.

Regular movement is essential for these animals. In the past many served as companion animals with little athletic expectations. However, in the last decade job descriptions of Miniature Horses have become increasingly diverse ranging from driving and agility, to becoming invaluable guide/service animals.

Hyperlipidemia risk

Obesity increases the risk for hyperlipidemia, a significant metabolic disease specific to Miniature Horses, small ponies and donkeys, whenever these animals experience a sickness or stressful episode where feed intake is interrupted for 24 hours or more a life-threatening energy “crisis” is sensed by the body. This energy “crisis” triggers fat to be mobilized from body stores where it goes to the liver to meet the demands of an energy debt. Breakdown products from fat metabolism in the liver are released into the bloodstream, causing “fatty” blood.

The problem is complicated further as the liver becomes overwhelmed with the influx of mobilized fat. Late-term pregnancy, lactation, stress, travel, weather change, illness, or any factor that impairs appetite for more than 24 hours can initiate a crisis. Affected animals will often show inappetence, lethargy, weakness, depression, neurological signs, ataxia, mild colic, tremors, diarrhea and jaundice.

Prevention of hyperlipidemia is very important because reversal of this condition is difficult in spite of aggressive veterinary intervention. Any sickness or loss of appetite in a Miniature Horse is best addressed immediately.

Clinical eclampsia is another life-threatening complication seen more commonly in Miniature Horses. It is associated with the metabolic demands of gestation and lactation when systemic calcium concentrations drop below levels necessary for sustaining electrical activity in the body. Clinical signs include muscle tremors, sweating, anxiety, bloat, colic and pupil dilation. Once again, early recognition and prompt veterinary intervention is necessary to avert death.

The colourful personalities, intelligence, and small stature of Miniature Horses have earned many of them the social status of “pet.” However, it is important to remember Miniature Horses are still a horse and/or livestock requiring similar management in many ways to their full-size counterparts. Appropriate nutrition, space to move, shelter, proper hoof and dental care, timely vaccinations and parasite control are essential to their health. It is also fundamental to educate these pint-size steeds on ground manners to ensure a healthy and safe relationship with their human companions.

The post Miniature Horses: Not quite the same as a horse appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Colic is the most common cause for emergency calls. Colic is a broad term which describes abdominal pain or “pain in the belly.” Causes range from mild and inconsequential to life threatening or fatal. Since horses respond in a typical fashion to abdominal pain regardless of cause it can be very difficult to distinguish between a mild colic and a potentially fatal colic, especially in its early stages.

Signs of mild colic may include refusal to eat, pawing, flank watching, circling, kicking and/or biting at the abdomen, stretching and/or lying down. As the pain escalates the horse becomes obviously distressed, sweating, no longer standing, rolling, dog-sitting, and even thrashing violently. Due to its potentially life-threatening nature it is appropriate to handle all cases of colic seriously.

Upon notifying the veterinarian, encourage the colicky horse to remain standing, preferably walking. Walking the horse supports normal gut function and helps to keep it calm. Horses with severe colic can become violent so it may be necessary to stay well back. Always use caution.

Lameness

Horses that are fine yesterday and “dead” lame today are another emergency and need immediate medical attention. Conditions that cause sudden lameness in horses range from a simple hoof abscess to major injuries such as fractures and tendon ruptures. Horses with laminitis/founder can also present suddenly lame, at times being reluctant to move at all. It is best not to move these animals too much until a further diagnosis and plan of action is formulated.

Wounds

Acute injuries such as lacerations and puncture wounds benefit tremendously from early medical attention. At times there may be significant hemorrhage associated with these injuries and it will be necessary to apply direct pressure to the wound and a snug, dry bandage until veterinary help arrives. Open wounds and lacerations to the head and lower legs tend to be more time sensitive as their window for successful suturing and primary closure tends to be quite short. In general, wounds and lacerations should be kept clean and the horse kept quiet.

Injuries or abnormal conditions of the eye such as squinting, swelling or discharging require prompt attention in order to minimize secondary complications. The sooner the eye condition can be treated, the sooner it will be on its way to recovery and optimal visual acuity. Generally it will be advantageous to move the horse with an eye condition into a dark, quiet space until a veterinarian arrives. A warm compress with a small amount of lavender oil can be utilized to soothe the eye. The eye tends to be very reactive to injury and soothing this response can minimize the ill effects of inflammation.

Foaling complications

The events that occur around the birth of a foal are incredibly time sensitive. Dystocia/difficult birth, uterine prolapse and hemorrhage, and retained placenta fall within this category. These emergencies must be dealt with quickly and efficiently and at times efforts are directed at saving the lives of both the mare and foal.

A sick foal is always an emergency. Since the health of a neonatal foal, or a foal less than four weeks old, is precarious, early recognition of any sign of ill health in a foal could save its life. Any foal failing to nurse eagerly or behave normally is cause for immediate concern and veterinary attention. Place the mare and the foal in a quiet space and note the nature of the foal until the veterinarian arrives.

“Choke” is a term used to describe esophageal obstruction in horses. Esophageal obstruction arises when feedstuffs or foreign bodies become lodged in the horse’s esophagus and the horse can no longer follow through on swallowing. These horses will show obvious signs of distress. Common presentations may include anxiety, neck extension, retching/gagging, repeated attempts to swallow/gulp/cough, and will often have a greenish mucoid discharge from their mouth and nostrils. The quicker the choke is identified and relieved by a veterinarian the fewer, if any, complications result. When you suspect that your horse is choking keep it in a calm environment and remove all feed and water.

It is also important to recognize the horse that just “ain’t doing right.” Horses that go off their feed, separate themselves from their herd mates, or fail to interact with their environment may be struggling with an early illness and/or fever. Horse owners who familiarize themselves with the normal behaviour, demeanour, and habits of their horses better equip themselves to detect illness in its early stages. Detection of illness in its early stages plays a key role in a timely and successful outcome.

The post Dealing with the eight top equine emergencies appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Weaning has a significant lifetime impact on a horse s well-being because of the nutritional, emotional, mental, physical, and social changes that occur at that time.

Foals are very dependent on their mother s milk at four months of age, after which they gradually become nutritionally independent. Ideally by six months they will have made the transition from milk to forage. Foals that eat increasing amounts of grain and hay alongside their dams during this two-month time frame make this nutritional transition in diet slowly and smoothly.

However, foals weaned prior to this dietary transition experience symptoms of nutritional stress. They may develop rotund bellies, which indicates their digestive tract was ill-prepared for the abrupt change to forage. Due to the digestive tract s stifled ability to assimilate nutrients, a foal s growth is often temporarily stunted. Once the digestive tract does accommodate the new diet, these foals often spike a non-productive growth spurt that lacks a stable foundation. Foals weaned closer to six months of age experience less nutritional stress.

Protein-rich, processed and grain diets can also be nutritionally stressful for weaned foals. These feeds, when fed in surplus, fuel growth of body mass at the expense of skeletal development, which stages developmental bone diseases such as OCD (osteochondrosis dissecans) and angular limb deformities. Optimal steady growth is preferred to rapid growth. Strong skeletal frameworks are seemingly invisible in comparison to muscle mass growth, yet are the foundation for a sound horse.

This time frame between four and six months also coincides with the emotional maturation of foals as they become less dependent upon their dam s presence and begin exploring their environment on their own. Foals left alongside their dams for six months develop an emotional maturity and stability that benefits them their entire lives in social situations amongst horses and humans.

Separation of the mare from the foal can occur in the number of ways. Fenceline contact does seem to have its advantages with the foals becoming gradually independent over time and finally electing separation on their own. Removing the mares from the foals in a familiar environment minimizes stressors since these foals will be already accustomed to water and feed locations. Providing companionship during weaning reduces separation anxiety, whether that companion is other foals, or babysitting geldings.

Foals will search for and call to their dams, eat and drink irregularly, and rest infrequently for days following the weaning event. Their eating, drinking, and resting patterns become more consistent after four to five days, as does their eagerness to explore their environment and their companions. Access to good-quality grass hays, abundant fresh water, salt and a free-choice mineral supplement is important at this time. As time progresses, a large pasture with a shelter will ensure adequate exercise and protection from the winter elements. Accommodating a young horse s natural urge to play and move will aid in the development of sound bone structures.

Weanlings adopt a lean growthy appearance and may look unbalanced in conformation. This is how young horses grow and it is best to reserve judgment on conformation for three to four years as the youngster s body shape changes continually. Many ugly ducklings at nine months of age become stunningly sound five-year- old horses.

It is best if weaning occurs separate from other events, such as deworming and vaccinating, so as to reduce added stress.

Well-managed weaning programs care and support the nutritional, emotional, mental, physical and social dynamics of a young horse.

———

carol shwetz

dvm

The post Weaning Too Quickly Cause Aftereffects That Last A Lifetime appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Foals are born with a functional immune system, but it takes a few months for the young horse to produce its own antibodies. Until then it is reliant on what is provided through the mare’s colostrum.

The physical appearance of colostrum is different than that of milk. It is viscous, sticky like honey, and green or yellow in colour. Colostrum is produced in the mare’s udder during the last two to four weeks of gestation in response to hormonal changes. It contains concentrated immunoglobulins (antibodies) which come from the mare’s bloodstream. This is a specific process that provides the newborn foal with protection against pathogens found in its new environment.

ALMOST IMMEDIATE NEED

Early consumption of colostrum is very important, ideally within the first one or two hours after birth, as there are specialized epithelial cells in the small intestine that allow for the absorption of large molecules, such as maternal antibodies and other colostral proteins. Once the foal has suckled a certain amount, or 24 hours goes by, whichever comes first, these special cells die off and the intestines no longer absorb any large molecules.

Foals that do not drink anything for many hours after birth but are exposed to manure, dirt, mud and other unclean environments may ingest bacteria into the mouth and therefore their gut. Once in the gut the bacteria may be absorbed into the bloodstream by this same mechanism, predisposing the foal to systemic infections that can be life threatening.

When a foal does not ingest a sufficient concentration of immunoglobulin/ antibodies as a result of inadequate colostrum intake, it suffers from failure of passive transfer. This can stem from a foal’s inability or unwillingness to nurse. The mare might also contribute to failure of passive transfer if she rejects the foal, is injured, ill, or prematurely drips milk. Premature dripping of milk, known as streaming, dilutes colostrum, thus the foal does not get the optimum concentration of protein and antibodies for fighting infection.

A commercially available rapid test kit can measure the immunoglobulin level in the serum of a foal. It can give a good indication of the foal’s status, especially when the results are combined with information about the foal’s behaviour and nursing history since birth.

MECONIUM

Meconium, the first feces passed by the foal, is a dark-green sticky/tacky mass that accumulates in the bowel during fetal life and is discharged shortly after birth. It is not uncommon to see tags of sticky greenish meconium on the foal’s hindquarters within six hours after birth. This can be evidence of a healthy ingestion of colostrum, which provides laxative qualities.

A foal’s environment must be evaluated in order to determine whether the foal needs supplemental colostrum, a course of antibiotics or, in the case of foals older than 24 hours, intravenous plasma or gammaglobulin. A foal which experiences failure of passive transfer has more potential to get sick if subjected to unfavourable environmental conditions, like dirty stalls or paddocks, rain, cold, or overcrowding.

If the foal is too weak to nurse, is injured, or is rejected by the mare, the mare can be milked of her colostrum and the foal fed with a bottle. If the foal will not accept a bottle, a veterinarian might choose to administer colostrum through a nasogastric tube – through a nostril, down the esophagus, and into the stomach. If the problem is with the mare, then frozen colostrum from another mare will suffice. If natural colostrum is not available, a veterinarian can administer commercially produced plasma, gamma globulin, or oral IgG. However, commercial products are not as effective as a mare’s colostrum in fending off specific infection and disease.

The need for colostrum is a rare event. However when the need arises one can often find that several Internet sites are available to help owners locate frozen mare colostrum. Veterinary clinics may have some colostrum available or can be a resource for locating some. If mare colostrum is not available, calf colostrum can be used. While this is not the first choice, it is highly preferable to no colostrum at all. Frozen colostrum is best thawed slowly, never in a microwave, and warmed up to body temperature. It can then be fed to the foal by bottle, or if necessary your veterinarian can give the colostrum through a stomach tube.

In the event that the foal dies the mare’s colostrum can be collected and frozen for future use. It could make a difference in the life of another foal.

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CAROL SHWETZ

DVM

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Whenafoaldoesnot ingestasufficient concentrationof immunoglobulin/ antibodiesasa

resultofinadequate colostrumintake,it suffersfromfailure ofpassivetransfer.

The post Colostrum — Giving A “Jump-Start” To A New Foal appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

A well-cared-for broodmare pays forward, producing a splendid foal. The nourishment a foal receives during gestation is of equal value to the nourishment it receives after birth.

Although there are many essential elements in caring for broodmares, nutrition is a mainstay. The mare must call upon the resources of her own body to build a young horse. Since vastly different things happen in the mare’s body at different stages of the production cycle, it is perceived that her nutritional needs at each stage need to change. Even though this is justifiable it is important to remember that broodmares need good nutritionallthe time.

The adjustments to any nutritional program during the various stages of reproduction are merely fine tuning to an overall good nutritional program 365 days of the year. Free-choice minerals, free-choice water and free-choice, good-quality nutrient-dense hay/pasture are necessary.

Mineral availability, whether in the feed source or offered free choice, is as relevant to the long-term soundness of the broodmare as are a feed’s energy and protein levels – perhaps more so over several pregnancies. The mare uses her body as a storehouse of resources which she calls upon during reproduction, from conception to weaning. She continually replenishes this storehouse from her diet whenever she has the opportunity.

In nature, horses are grazing animals and during the spring the quality and quantity of available forage increases, and along with this, there is a gradually increasing nutritional plane available to the horse. This is one of several ways that the mare’s body “recognizes” it is time to reproduce and in a year’s time this abundant grazing will once again be at its best when the mare is lactating with a young foal at her side.

Mares reproduce with the seasons to capitalize on the energy and mineral density readily found in the natural world.

Once the mare has conceived, the fetus goes through a period of differentiation, becoming more complex daily. By the beginning of the eighth month, it starts to grow rapidly, doubling in size during the third trimester of pregnancy. Quality nutrition can meet many of the needs of the late-gestational mare, but she will also call on her own body’s energy and mineral reserves. This is the reason good nutrition mattersall the time. Mineral reserves in the bones act as sinks which the mare mobilizes for the framework of fetal development and growth.

AFTER FOALING

Nutrient and energy requirements dramatically increase when lactat ion begins. A good mare can produce up to 30 pounds of milk per day. Weight loss during this time period is not uncommon and may even be a natural and healthy part of the reproductive cycle. After four months of lactation, the requirements for milk production gradually diminish as the foal begins to eat forage on its own terms.

Throughout her production cycle, moderate fleshing is the best body condition for a broodmare. Adding whole grains to a mare’s feed during gestation and lactation can be beneficial since they are nutrient dense, increasing both the energy and mineral profile of a mare’s diet. Their addition can also be advantageous during the breeding season to increase the nutritional plane and “flush” the mare. Quality pasture in the spring also serves this purpose.

Since the demands of reproduction are substantial, fillies bred before they are mature simply cannot eat enough to meet all the requirements for both growth and reproduction.

Other practices that benefit the broodmare are appropriate dental care, timely deworming, and hoof care. Movement and exercise are also key to a healthy outcome for both the mare and her foal.

Remember that horses, like all people, are individuals and experience varying needs from time to time that may require further attention.

Carol Shwetz is a veterinarian specializing in equine practice at Westlock, Alberta.

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carol shwetz

dvm

The post Broodmares Are Performance Horses Too – for Mar. 17, 2011 appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.