If your mare has made it through 11 months of pregnancy, you’re almost home free. Labor and delivery, while momentous, are generally uneventful.  In most cases, you will simply need to be a quiet observer – if, that is, you are lucky enough to witness the birth.  Mares seem to prefer to foal at night in privacy, and apparently have some control over their delivery.  Because most mares foal without difficulty, it is usually best to allow the mare to foal undisturbed and unassisted.

What you can do, however, is prepare your mare for a safe and successful delivery.  Follow these suggestions from the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) to help the new mother and baby get off to a great start:

• Write down your veterinarian’s phone number well in advance of the birth and keep it by all phones.
• Keep a watch or clock on hand so you can time each stage of labor.  When you’re worried or anxious, your perception of time becomes distorted.  The watch will help you keep accurate track of the mare’s progress during labor.
• Wrap the mare’s tail with a clean wrap when you observe the first stage of labor.  Be sure that the wrap is not applied too tightly or left on too long, as it can cut off circulation and permanently damage the tail.
• Wash the mare’s vulva and hindquarters with a mild soap and rinse thoroughly.
• Clean and disinfect the stall area as thoroughly as possible and provide adequate bedding.
• Consider using test strips that measure calcium in mammary secretions to help predict when the mare will foal.  Sudden increases in calcium are associated with imminent foaling.

If a mare is taking longer than 30 minutes to deliver the foal, call your veterinarian immediately.

For more information on labor and delivery and postpartum care for the mare and foal, ask your equine veterinarian for a copy of the “Foaling Mare and Newborn” client education brochure, provided by the AAEP in partnership with Educational Partner Bayer Animal Health.  Additional information can be found on www.myHorseMatters.com, the AAEP’s Web site for all horse health topics.

*Reprinted with permission from the American Association of Equine Practitioners

• Have multiple fans in a horse’s stall (ceiling and wall mounted) as the breeze makes it harder for the flies to land on the horses.
• Insect proof your stalls and stables with fine mesh screens.
• Stable your horse at night or at least in the hours around dusk and dawn.
• Use protective “fly wear” for your horse – this includes fly masks (with ears), leg wraps and fly sheets (make sure the sheets cover as much of the abdomen as possible).
• Since Culicoides midges breed in wet areas, maximize drainage of pastures and be sure to keep water troughs clean.

The best insecticides are those containing pyrethrins or pyrethroids (DuraGard by Absorbine or Knock-out Spray by Virbac).  Anecdotal reports suggest that consistent use of Fipronil (Frontline spray, Merial) can be used for Culicoides sensitivity.  Avon Skin-so-soft mixed with equal parts water has also been used as insect repellent.  Use caution with Skin-so-soft as dermatitis has been reported in some horses.

Stress, both environmental and physical, can increase the likelihood of ulcers, as can hauling, training and mixing groups of horses.  Strenuous exercise can decrease the emptying of the stomach and the blood flow to the stomach, thus contributing to the problem.

The treatment and prevention of gastric ulcers is directed at removing these predisposing factors, thus decreasing acid production within the horse’s stomach.  Follow these tips from the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) to properly treat your horse’s ulcers:

• Allow free-choice access to grass or hay.  Horses are designed to be grazers with a regular intake of roughage.
• If the horse must be stalled, arrange for the horse to see the horses he socializes with. Consider offering a ball or other object that the horse can enjoy in his stall.
• Feed the horse more frequently to help buffer the acid in the stomach.
• Decrease grains that form volatile fatty acids.

Medications that decrease acid production are available, but are only necessary in horses showing signs of clinical disease or when the predisposing factors, such as stress, cannot be removed.