Horsemen's Roundtable: Foaling
Panelists: Abe Allebach, Martin M. Schmucker, Rhonda Cole & Curt Paton
published in The Draft Horse Journal, Winter, 2000 - 2001

Abe Allebach of Windermere Farms, Spring Mills, Pennsylvania, has been involved in breeding horses since 1963, the last 28 of those years have involved registered Percherons. Along with his family, Abe raises anywhere from 10 to 20 foals each year, consisting of Percherons, Clydesdales, Clyde/Hackney crosses and a few Thoroughbred/Welsh Pony crosses. The current herd consists of around 60 head, 50 of which are Percherons.

Allebachs were the first breeders in the draft horse industry to ship chilled equine semen. As a member of the Board of Directors of the Percheron Horse Association of America, Abe was instrumental in developing and adopting guidelines for artificial insemination. Some 35 mares are bred at Windermere each year. Everything is bred via A.I.

Martin Schmucker, New Haven, Indiana, is part of the northeastern Indiana Amish community. His farm, Produce Acres, is one of the leading fruit, vegetable, root crop and preserved goods merchants in the greater Fort Wayne area. It is also one of the top Belgian stables of modern times. The farm work is all done with horses and the Schmuckers raise a good many foals each year. They are frequently responsible for the top selling consignment at many of the major draft horse auctions.

Produce Acres was the home of the famous stallion, Constrico, for many years. Produce Acres-bred horses have done extremely well for many breeders on both sides of the border. Many have also done very well in the All-American program.

Martin was elected to the Board of Directors of the Belgian Draft Horse Corporation of America earlier this year. With his genuine concern for breed improvement and an eye for nurturing, he is sure to be a good one.

Rhonda Cole is an indispensable member of the Pennwoods Percherons Farm in Centre Hall, Pennsylvania. The Cole Family maintains a herd of some 50 head of registered Percherons, including three mature stallions from which semen is shipped. In addition to the shipping end of it, they breed around 80 mares on-farm and deliver from 15 to 20 foals of their own in a year’s time. Rhonda worked as a veterinary technician for a few years in her native Manitoba, Canada, before marrying and moving to the U.S.

In addition to the breeding program, the Coles are well known for their top shelf hitch of registered mares and halter strings at many of the largest draft shows. Prior to the switch to mares, their successful gelding hitches have won various awards including national breed and Classic Series championships.

Curt Paton is part of the family team that operates MM Ranch, near Carnduff, Saskatchewan. Curt and his wife, Cathy, have two sons and are expecting their third child in February. Also involved in the ranch are Curt's parents, Mel and Donalee, and brother Clint, with his three children. Curt specializes in the livestock end of the business. He is in charge of the breeding, foaling, training, showing and marketing of the horses.

MM Ranch consists of approximately 275 Belgian horses, 350 Charolais cattle and around 2,000 acres of farm land. The farm land is mostly oats and barley, grown for feed. The Paton ranch operates with approximately 6,000 acres of owned and rented pasture land, as well as 1,400 acres of contracted hay land.

The Patons have been in the PMU business since 1966. Born in 1969, Curt was literally born and raised in the business. He and his brother, Clint, are the third generation of Paton brothers to operate the farm. The PMU season starts in October and ends in March. PMU is contracted by the gram on a yearly basis. The contract varies year to year therefore the number of pregnant mares required varies each year as well. The number of mares foaled out each year also varies with contract demands and conception rates.

1. If the colt does not nurse on its own, how soon do you assist? Why?

Do you use a bottle? Why or why not?

Abe Allebach: “I don’t wait for the foal to get up and begin nursing on its own. I wash the mare’s udder with warm water and dry it with paper towels. Do not use soap. My mares are usually quiet enough that I can milk them right away and sometimes, even while they’re still lying down. I milk the mare into a cup and then strain the milk through a sterile gauze pad into a glass soda bottle which is soaking in water slightly warmer than the milk would actually be directly from the mare. I then top the bottle with a lamb’s nipple, which has a slightly enlarged hole. I make sure that the bottle is offered to the foal before it has stood up. A foal has a natural instinct to suckle during this time, before it can even stand. It won’t cause nipple confusion at this point. Sometimes, it helps to cover the foal’s head and eyes. We normally use a bath towel to help dry them and then use that towel over their head.”

Martin Schmucker: “If the foal does not nurse within an hour, we will assist by getting the foal by the mare to help it find the nipple. If this does not work, we will milk the mare and put it in a shallow pan, first. If the foal will not drink out of the pan, then we will try a bottle. We prefer a shallow pan. The first milk is very important!”

Rhonda Cole: “Once the foals are on the ground and have their wits about them, we always milk the mare out and give the foals between 8 to 16 ounces of milk from a bottle. Most will take it readily, unless they are dead set on trying to stand first. If they won't take it, we don't fight them, we just try later if they have not got up and nursed on their own within 3 to 4 hours of birth. We like this procedure, as it gives the foal the early nourishment and strength to stand. Some will use all their energy trying to get up and then are too tired to nurse. It also stimulates their sucking reflex right from the start.”

Curt Paton: “If a colt does not nurse within the first two hours I will try to help it. I think the sooner a colt sucks the better. We are breeding for big colts with long necks and long pasterns. Unfortunately, this makes for a bigger, more clumsy foal. This type of foal seems to have more trouble finding the teat. These big foals tire easily. I feel they need to suck fairly soon to give them some strength.

“I will use a bottle to make a colt suck if I can't get the colt to suck the mare. I use an old milk bottle with a long nipple and a big hole in the end so the milk comes easily. I find that most mares will let you milk them if you have the colt in position. Sometimes they won't suck the mare after they learn to suck the bottle. If I can't get the colt to suck the mare or the bottle I will try to get it to drink out of a pail. If that doesn't work I use a stomach tube through the nose. I have spent 2 or 3 days with a colt before it actually sucks the mare by itself. The most important thing is to have a lot of patience and a little progress is better than none.”

2. How important do you consider it to get colostrum into the colt? Do you keep frozen colostrum on hand? Why or why not?

Abe Allebach: “Top priority! Because that is the thing that’s going to help the colt in every aspect. It provides energy for the foal to get up, energy to start nursing and even energy to make that all-important first bowel movement. Colostrum is also better than any medication at providing antibodies for the foal. Since I milk it from my mares right after birth, I can easily keep a supply of frozen colostrum on hand. My neighbors and local veterinarians have even come to count on my supply of it.”

Martin Schmucker: “Colostrum is very, very important to get into the foal as soon as possible. Sometimes, we have frozen colostrum on hand. After 24 hours, if we are doubtful or if the foal seems to be slow, we will have our vet take an I.G.G. test. This will confirm if the blood count is right. If it is not OK, our vet will do a Plasma Transfusion.”

Rhonda Cole: “VERY IMPORTANT. This should go without saying. All the antibodies that the foal needs to survive and fight off infections are in that colostrum. We always keep frozen colostrum on hand. Even if we don't need it, it seems that there are always neighbors or neighboring vets who call looking for it. If we can help out someone's foal, we are happy to do so.”

Curt Paton: “I consider it very important to get colostrum into a colt. The colostrum contains the antibodies needed to bolster the colt's immune system. Colostrum also helps to get the foal's bowels working. We find that a colt that doesn't get much colostrum usually has trouble down the road with scours or some other complication.

“We do not keep frozen colostrum on hand. We usually try to milk the colt's mother or get some from another mare. In the past we have had trouble thawing colostrum and the foals don't seem to like the taste if it is not the right temperature.”

3. Do you breed your mares back on foal heat? Why or why not?

Abe Allebach: “If they have a textbook foaling and the mare and foal appear to be doing well, I breed back on foal heat. I like to have early foals because they have an advantage in the show ring and because they’re old enough then to utilize spring grass and they lose their foal hair by the time the weather gets hot.”

Martin Schmucker: “Normally, we breed back on foal heat if we have had no foaling problems and we see no abnormal discharge. If we see a abnormal discharge, we will have the mare flushed and wait 30 days. Keep a close record. We have had mares cycling as early as 6 days, up to 14 days after foaling. Keeping records is very important for your future information.”

Rhonda Cole: “We make that decision on an individual basis. If the mare has had a normal birth, cleaned well and examination shows that her uterus has returned to an acceptable size and tone, we will breed. We always flush our mares post foaling and use a lot of Oxytocin. We also give the foal heat mares an antibiotic "post breeding" treatment. We find that if we stick to this regimen, it boosts our foal heat conception rate considerably.

Curt Paton: “Yes, we breed our mares back on foal heat. In our business, we only have a two month breeding season. All our mares are range bred so some mares are bred in their foal heat. In fact, some mares have to catch on their foal heat or be open. This year, we bred 185 mares in sixty days with a 90 percent conception rate.”

4. In your experience, what are the differences between a maiden mare foaling and a veteran brood mare foaling?

Abe Allebach: “Usually, you can expect the maiden mare to take longer to dilate and so you want to be sure to give them more time before you assist. Because they haven’t experienced the mare/foal bond, you need to be careful not to interfere too much and allow the mare time to develop that bond on her own.”

Martin Schmucker: “On a veteran brood mare, we keep records every year. They normally follow a pattern as to the number of days, some will have wax, some will have milk and some have no wax. It is important to keep records.

“We find normal foaling days are 344, but we have had some go from 328 to 375 days and the foals were still OK.

“On maiden mares, you will just have to watch them closely as you don’t have records on them yet. (Keep Records).

Concerning 2 year olds, we have had good luck if they are mature enough. Take special care and do not overwork them. We find that by breeding 2 year olds, they will only have 3 foals by the time they are 6 years old.”

Rhonda Cole: “The biggest difference is not having any previous foaling records to go by. Some (not all) of the older mares will follow a pattern and make it easier on us. We do see many of these maiden mares nest for a few days before, act very restless and just not want to lay down and let it happen. Whether they are scared or just unsure of what's coming, they seem able to hold off labor for a period of time. We have had some maiden mares that did this long enough that our veterinarian opted to induce. No problems were encountered. As far as 2 year olds, we seldom breed any of our mares before 4 years of age. We like them to be more mature physically and mentally than they are at two.

Curt Paton: “I don't find much difference between a maiden mare and a veteran brood mare. Some maiden mares don't make much bag or wax up before they foal. They come into their milk after they foal. We foal our young mares with our older mares and some of them have trouble keeping track of their foals in the first few days. Sometimes a maiden mare isn't sure she wants the colt to suck. If this happens, we isolate the mare in a box stall. She will usually settle down and give in. If not, I will give her a shot of Atravet. We breed our maiden mares to a Quarter Horse stallion. We find they foal easier and the smaller foals jump right up and suck. I think it helps get the mares off to a good start as brood mares.”

5. What is your routine for delivering a foal, including any medications and/or vaccinations?

Abe Allebach: “You need to have patience. Foaling should be as natural a process as possible. Most everything that goes on has a purpose. Wait for the legs to be started out and the mare pushing quite hard before you try to help pull the foal out. The process of labor will cause the mare to dilate more and will also ease the delivery of the afterbirth later on.

“After the foal has been delivered, keep it near the mare and stay quiet. You would like both to remain lying down with the umbilical cord attached as long as possible. I take this time to dry off the newborn foal and milk some colostrum from the mare. I will try to feed some of the colostrum to the foal. After this first attempt to feed the foal, I will leave the foal and mother alone for half an hour or so, so they may become acquainted with each other. After the foal has received its colostrum from a bottle, I help the foal up and balance it by the tail. If the foal shows interest in the mare, help it towards the teat. If not, just get out of the stall and let it walk around a little bit.

“Most of the time, I can get a foal on the mare for a little bit and then give it a Fleet enema. I give the enema to help break up the manure plug that develops in the foal’s bowels. Never give the enema before the foal is standing on its own. In getting the foal on a mare’s nipple, I am very careful about not giving it my fingers for fear of it becoming attached to the texture of me instead of the mare’s nipple.

“The mares get a tetanus shot three weeks before their due date. The foals get selenium as soon as they are born and a tetanus booster within a few days.”

Martin Schmucker: “Thirty days prior to foaling, we try to have our mares fully vaccinated like our (local) vet’s recommendation. Vaccinations vary in different parts of the country.

“As soon as we get to the mare, we will examine her to see if everything is in the correct position. If it is not correctly positioned, contact your vet immediately! We stay close by while the mare is delivering, to see if she needs assistance. We dip the navel in Batadine solution. We give one tube of Equine Coli Endotox to the foal in the mouth, also 10 cc of Probiop and, in 30 days, another 10 cc. As soon as the mare stands, we offer her water, then she will get a Rhino shot and an Ivermectin wormer.

“Regardless of whether the mare has or has not cleaned, she gets a shot of Dr. Neumann’s A & B Miracle Clean. We have used this for four years and haven’t had to clean a mare. If she hasn’t cleaned within an hour, follow directions on the bottles. It will work!

“Back to the foal, be sure to give an enema immediately. (We use the Fleet-type) Watch the bowel movements. It may need a second enema. Most times, the foal will not nurse until it has had a good bowel movement. Enemas are very important!”

Rhonda Cole: “Barring no complications, we try to be close enough to supervise, but not interfere too much with the mare's labor. We do like to step in in time to cut the umbilical cord at an acceptable length, rather than letting it be torn away. After it has been cut, we dip it into a tame iodine solution. If the cord is overly thick, we will put an elastrator band on it to help prevent infection from getting up through it. At this point, we will drag the foal out in front of the mare so they can begin bonding. The foal is given a warm enema to ensure passing of the meconium, and given 2 cc of Vit E/Selenium (as we know we are very deficient in our area). As far as vaccinations, we prefoal all our mares one month ahead with VEWT/Tetanus, Rabies and Influenza. The foals are also given a tetanus shot within two days of birth.”

Curt Paton: “When I see a mare start to foal, I will check her every 1/2 hour to 3/4 of an hour. If she is making progress I will leave her alone. A mare might be in trouble if she is getting up and down a lot. Also, a mare that starts to foal and then just seems to quit or strains a lot and nothing is showing, may have complications. If this happens, I will go into the mare to make sure the foal is positioned properly and assess the situation.

“When the foal is born I make sure that his head is clear of the sack. Then, I will wait until the mare gets up and breaks the cord. I then check to make sure the colt's navel has stopped bleeding. If a colt is bleeding badly, I will tie the navel with a piece of string and soak it in iodine. I will leave the foal for about an hour before I come back to make sure it gets up and sucks. If the colt is making progress, I leave it alone until I see it suck, then I will put a docking ring on. In the event the colt has to go to the barn, I will give it a shot of antibiotics to help prevent joint-ill.”

6. How long do you give a mare to clean before becoming concerned? How do you handle the situation at that point?

Abe Allebach: “Usually, when they get up and they didn’t clean, I’ll make a knot out of the cleanings, so that they don’t step on it and tear it and to provide weight. Usually, they are done in an hour or two, but if they haven’t cleaned in three hours, I get concerned. You want the mare to stay lying down as long as possible and since I’ve already gotten colostrum into the foal, they don’t have to get up right away. Quite often, by keeping the mare down this extended period of time, she cleans when she gets up.

“If she hasn’t cleaned in three hours, call the vet and tell them it’s an emergency.”

Martin Schmucker: “One hour maximum. At that point, we give the shots. (Refer back to #3).

Rhonda Cole: “We rarely have mares retain their placenta. However, for future reproductive reasons, all the mares are given a shot of oxytocin within an hour or two of foaling regardless of whether they have already cleaned or not. If they have not cleaned within three hours, we will keep them on constant shots of oxytocin. By six hours, we will contact our veterinarian to come and manually clean the mare.”

Curt Paton: “If a mare hasn't cleaned within 4-6 hours, I will give her 3 cc of oxytocin every hour until she cleans. I will try to move the cleanings every time I give an injection. I put steady pressure on them as long as they are coming. If they don't come, I will twist the cleanings counter clockwise while putting pressure on them. The mare usually cleans after two or three injections. If the mare is a long time cleaning or if she retains a lot of fluid I will flush the mare and infuse her with antibiotics.”

7. In your experience, what are the most common mistakes made by horse owners during foaling?

Abe Allebach: “Getting over anxious and pulling the foal too soon, too hard and incorrectly.”

Martin Schmucker: “Do not induce labor unless your vet insists upon doing so. Refer back to #6 on the number of days that mares may carry their foals. Have a nice clean stall. Use straw for bedding for the first 10 days. Shavings may irritate the navel, etc. We try to be present and keep a close watch on them.”

Rhonda Cole: “We all make mistakes...that's how we learn. Probably the most common mistake people make is thinking that when the foal hits the ground, your job is done, and you can go back to bed. No one is around to make sure the foal gets up, nurses and takes in that important first colostrum. Soon that foal is flat out.

Many people having foals have never had or taken the time to study or talk to their veterinarian about the basic concepts of the labor and foaling. Owners should learn how the mare's stages of labor progress, what the danger signs are, and how to determine if the foal is being presented normally or not. If you see you are in trouble and a veterinarian is too far away or unable to be reached in the middle of the night, having the knowledge to push a leg back, straighten the head or just safely help to pull the foal can be the difference between a live foal and a dead one. So I consider not doing the proper research on reproduction and foaling, a common mistake made by horse owners.”

Curt Paton: “I think one mistake made by owners is that they interfere too much. They don't let the mare settle down and let nature take its course. A person can cause more problems by trying to help too much.”

8. What, if any, foaling aids such as FoalAlert, cameras, milk tests, etc. do you utilize and why?

Abe Allebach: “I think every one of these things is good and if it works for that person, they should use it. For myself, I don’t use any of them. I watch closely for waxing and when the mare sinks in around the tail, I use my experience to know when she will foal. I don’t miss many. Out of the 18 or so mares that foal here each year, I might miss one or two by an hour or less. I do not like the milk test because it can initiate the production of milk on the mare, potentially depleting its colostrum before the foal is born.”

Martin Schmucker: “We use the ‘Foal Alert’ system. We have had some false alarms, where the mares will rub their butt and set the alarm off. We have found by giving the mare a nice clean wash around the udder area, will prevent a lot of false alarms. If you use soap, be sure to use a very mild one, such as ‘Baby Shampoo.’ There are other systems that work well, but are not appropriate for us. For instance, we don’t have the same ‘camera’ because we don’t have electricity.”

Rhonda Cole: “We have a security system in the foaling barn with cameras and sound on all of the stalls. The monitor resides in the bedroom. We also use the milk strip tests, and find that if used properly can be very helpful in predicting births within hours.”

Curt Paton: “We foal approximately 150-200 mares a year. Our foaling field is 300 acres. We pretty well live with the mares during the day. I check them just before dark and will not disturb them until dawn when I feed grain. Some days, we can have as many as 10 foals. Foal alerts and cameras don't work in this environment. We have done milk tests on some mares that have a history of trouble or, if we are putting a colt on a different mare. I guess you could say the best two foaling aids we use are mother nature and luck.”