How to Care for Newborn Horses

The first few minutes, hours and days of a newborn foal's life can influence its entire life. A horse owner may help with the horse's first breath, its first unsteady steps and its first sips of nourishing milk. The mare's first milk, colostrum, delivers antibodies up to 12 hours after birth that will protect the baby horse for the first few critical months of its life. A veterinarian is necessary to test whether the foal has received enough, but it will be up to the mare and owner to guide it safely through the rest of its infancy.

Things You'll Need

  • Iodine
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Instructions

  1. Breathing

    • 1

      Gently walk up to the foal and mare, and remove the birth sack from the foal's head. The goal is to make sure the newborn horse is breathing. If the foal is breathing, leave the area and watch from a distance.

    • 2

      Tickle the foal's nostril with a blade of grass or straw, if the foal is not breathing. You can also blow into the foal's mouth to activate the breathing reflex.

    • 3

      Vigorously rub the foal if those methods fail and the baby horse is still not breathing. Squeeze its ribs, or drop it from a height of a few inches to slightly shock it into respiration.

    Umbilical Cord

    • 4

      Back away from the foaling area to give the mare and foal time to recover and bond. The foal usually stands up, breaking the umbilical cord. Experts say not to immediately cut the cord after birth.

    • 5

      Dip the umbilical cord stump in a mild 1 to 2 percent solution of iodine. Iodine dries the stump and guards the stump against bacteria and serious infection.

    • 6

      Watch the cord. Urine dripping from the stump, which should close immediately at birth, is called "persistent urachus." If this occurs, contact a veterinarian.

    Nursing

    • 7

      Allow the foal to stand on its own, even if it seems to struggle. Standing too soon could strain tendons, and affect bonding between the baby horse and its mother.

    • 8

      Allow the foal to find the udder on its own. Guide the foal, however, if it has not nursed after two hours after birth, or if the mare aggressively rejects its attempts to nurse.

    • 9

      Hand-milk a few drops of milk from the mare, and coat your fingers and the mare's teats with it. Allow the foal to suckle your finger, and move your finger beside the mare's teat. Slowly remove your finger, so the foal will switch to the teat. You may have to repeat before the foal switches.