Clydesdale Foaling Tips

There is not a sight more prettier to behold or anything more heartwarming than a newborn Clydesdale foal. How ever, there are some aspects of folaing out these gentle giants that are different from your average equine. So, if as a new Clydesdale person, you have decided to breed your own, as opposed to buying one "ready made" here are some of those differences, as well as a review of some important factors in common with those "other" kinds of equine.

The average lenght of equine gestation is from 338 to 343 days, however normal gestation can range, at the extremes, between 320 and 380 days. At approximately 30 days before they are due to foal, mares should be vaccinated with the annual vaccines recommend for your area, including tetanus. This will help boost the passive immunity the foal abtains from the colostrum, or first milk. At the same time the mare should be dewormed with a broad spectrum dewormer. Deworming the mare again right after she foals should take care of any strongyle parasites that may be located in the mammary glands which could infect the foal right after birth. Ask your Veterinarian to recommend appropriate deworming products.

It is very helpful to put toghter a foaling kit a head of time. Some things to include are the Veterinarian's telephone number, towels, a foal blanket, an electric blanket, 0.5% Nolvasan or Iodine, a "shot" glass for dipping the navel, several dissposal enemas, latex gloves, heavy thread, scissors, wash cloths, a 4 cup measuring bowel( for collecting milk) a baby bottle, syringes, a foal predicting kit, and a camera. You should put anything in there that you might need, because when you need it , you need it NOW. And always carry your Mobile Phone . A big ice chest makes a good container to keep all those important items safe and dust free...

The following is a review of signs of impending birth. Understand that not all mares exhibits all of these changes, nor will the changes always occur when you exspect them too, and no two pregnancies in the same mare are necessarily the same..

* Filling of udder- two to four weeks prior to foaling

* Flabbiness/relaxtion of buttocks- seven to nineteen days before foaling

* Distension of teats - four to six days before foaling

* Waxing - one to four days before foaling

Where to house your mare when she is due to faol ia an important consideration. The mare's first choice would probably be a nice, clean, quite unused grassy paddock. Since it seems most mares foal in the middle of the night, and they can't necessarily wait for a warm dry evening, and we want to keep a close eye on things, sometimes the second choice is best. That would be a LARGE, CLEAN STALL, at least 16' by 16', preferably bigger. The type of bedding to use is another important consideration. Fine sawdust can be inhaled by the foal and cause respiratory problems, so clean non-dusty straw or coarse pine shavings are probably best.

STAGES OF FOALING

This information isn't unique for Clydesdale. but very applicable.

Stage 1- Preparation Phase. The mare is restless and may get up and down frequently. These symptoms, as well as tail awitching and sweating resembles the symptoms of mild colic. This stage lasts at least 2-3 hours and ends when the mare's water breaks .i.e. 2.5 gallons of amniotic fluid released.

Stage 2- Active Parturition Phase, the mare's cervix dilates and uterine contractions increase. The feet and nose of the foal are forced into the pelvis and then you should see the amniotic sac and encased feet protuding from the vulva. If you don't see two feet CALL THE VET , or if the bottom of the presenting feet aren't facing towards the mares hocks, CALL THE VET . Sometimes the mare will get up and walk around allowing the foal to get re positioned . At any rate, time is of the essence at this point. Under normal circumstance, the mare is usually lying down and the foal will be born within 15 minutes. If this does'nt happen, CALL THE VET. Once the foal's ribcage is exposed, you should make sure the amniotic sac is cleared away from the foal's head and that it is breathing. If breathing is slow and shallow, or not apparent, try tickling the inside of the foal's nostril with a straw. If the mare is calm, allow the mare and foal to rest for 10-20 minutes before proceeding. If the cord has not detached after this time or if the mare is getting nervous, you may want to cut the umbilical cord to help prevent a hernia. Some Clydesdale umbilical cords are very thick and tough, and do not break easily on their own. You should ask your Veterinarian to show you the proper procedure ahead of time. If the mare is delivering in cold weather, a vigorous rubdown of the foal with dry towels will not only dry the foal quicker, but will also stimulate better, deeper breaths by the foal and begin getting it used to your touch early. However, to much handling of the foal always has the potential of upsetting the mare, even to the point of causing her to reject the foal. This is especially true of a maiden mare. The more alone time they have togehter at first, the better.

Stage 3- Delivery of the After Birth, Most light horses will deliver the afterbirth (placenta) within an hour. Draft mares usually take longer. If it takes longer than 4 hours call the Vet. Do not pull on the exposed part of the placenta, as a piece can tear off and remain inside and/or you may cause damage to the uterus. Many serious complications can arise from a retained placenta. It is also important to check the placenta carefully for missing pieces or unusual appearance. This can wait until the foal's needs have been attended to and can could also be done by the veterinarian. Take care not to leave it where any dogs might get hold of it before it can be inspected.

For light horses there is a 1-2-3-, rule after a foal is born. The foal should stand within 1 hour, nurse by 2 hours, and the afterbirth be delivered within 3 hours. This timetable does Not work for most Clydesdales, sometimes, and maybe even most of the time, the mares and foals do juat fine on their own. However, it is recommend that ALL foalings be supervised and assistance offered when needed. Clydesdale foals are so long legged and big, they often take longer to get up and longer to nurse on their own. Usually these foals are up within a couple of hours, but sometimes it takes up totwelve hours to get these little guys to really nurse. Most Clydesdale mares are wonderful mums and they will do everything possible to help by positiong themselves and standing patiently. The colostrum in the first milk is VERY important . If you have a foal that hasn't nursed by 2 hours post delivery, milk the mare ( after first washing the udder with warm water and patting it dry) and put 8-16 ounces in a baby bottle or a syringe and feed it slowly to the foal.

Once your Clydesdale foal stands up, dont be concerned if their legs seem weak. Many times the pasterns and fetlocks may almost touch the ground. Their legs should straighten up within a couple of days or it can be as long as one to two weeks.

Now that your georgeous Clydesdale foal has stood up, had its naval dipped, passed the meconium stool, is a pro at nursing , and mum has delivered the afterbirth, and is eating and drinking and loving her new arrival, all the family photos taken, Take a deep breath, kiss the baby , and get some sleep..

We the Clydesdale Horse Society of Ireland , would like to take this oppurtinuity to thank the Clydesdale Breeders ot the United States for these CLYDESDALE FOALING TIPS by CHRISTINE DEERINWATER.

Disclaimer; These guidelines on this web page are for general references and are not intended to take the place of horse owners working closely with their regular equine vets.