CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Like any other newborn, the neonatal horse can be a challenging patient. Its immune system is still under construction, its blood chemistry can vary wildly, and - like most infants - it wants to stay close to mom. Show These factors are magnified in the critically ill foal, said Pamela Wilkins, a professor of equine internal medicine and emergency/critical care at the University of Illinois and the author of a new paper on equine neonatal intensive care. The paper, in Clinical Laboratory Medicine, offers guidance to the large-animal veterinarian and demonstrates the very real challenges of the job. Sickness can play havoc with a foal's blood chemistry, Wilkins said. Teasing out the causes of these changes requires that the veterinarian first understand what is normal in a newborn horse, and then how it can go wrong. To help address current gaps in knowledge, Wilkins regularly conducts blood tests or other tests, such as X-rays and CT scans, on healthy foals to determine how their body chemistry or physiology differ from that of an adult horse - or from that of a sick foal. "Roughly 3 to 7 percent of newborn foals are going to have some kind of significant health issue in the first month of life," Wilkins said. "And because our patients can't talk to us, we have to figure out what's wrong with them based on physical examination and testing and histories given by their owners." The paper also offers guidance in the use of portable "point of care" devices to measure and monitor a sick foal's changing health status. Such tools can offer immediate results in the field and cut costs associated with care. But the practitioner needs to know how to use each device and interpret the results, Wilkins said. "For example, foals with severe infections can have a very, very low or a very high glucose level," she said. Low blood glucose could be the result of the foal not taking in enough nutrients from its mother. Or the animal may not be able to make use of the glucose that is already stored as glycogen in its body. It's the practitioner's job to find out what's going on, she said. To do that, veterinarians must understand the normal fluctuations in levels of glucose and other "biomarkers" of health or disease, Wilkins said. "Blood glucose levels are going to be different between the normal, healthy adult horse and the healthy foal," she said. "And they're going to be different at different stages of the foal's life." Hormones, immune cells, red blood cells, protein levels, enzymes and electrolytes all vary between the adult and the infant horse, Wilkins said. And many of these markers change as the foal matures and grows. The challenges of treating sick foals don't end there, she said. A horse, even a foal, is a big, precocious animal. "Horses are a prey species, so they have to be able to get on their feet and run pretty quickly after birth," she said. "The older and slower I get, the harder it is to approach them. You spend a lot of time on your knees dealing with them, and they can kick. I get bruises all over my body during foaling season and I have no idea where they're from because I'm focused on what I'm doing." Add a very protective mother to the equation, and the task gets even trickier. "The mom needs to be there," Wilkins said. "She gets really upset if she's not." So when a foal comes into the hospital for critical care, the mother comes too. And like any mother with a sick baby, she hovers. "Figuring out a way to keep mom from pulling the IV lines out and getting upset when you're between her and the baby, that takes some doing," Wilkins said. "The mothers don't sleep; they don't lie down; they don't rest. They're on their feet with their heads hanging over their babies most of the time. So it's tough for them." If a foal needs surgery, the medical staff will sedate the mom until the foal is back at her side. Wilkins' patients may be the progeny of racehorses or performance horses, but many are also just people's pets, she said. The cost of care can be high, so owners with a strong economic or emotional incentive are most likely to bring a critically ill foal to the hospital. Despite the many challenges, Wilkins loves the work. "Foals are just wonderful, wonderful creatures," she said. "I can't imagine working with anything else in my life." Editor's note: To contact Pamela Wilkins, email . Foals have to go through their share of experiences - with and without humans, and a lot of them are stressful for the young horse. In order to reduce stress exposure, what should we teach them? As far as foal care and „foal pre-school“ goes, we believe that it is best to do as little as possible, as much as necessary and to keep things
as natural as circumstances allow. Cheerfully cantering around meadows, playing with other foals in endless fields, keeping mummy nearby in case things get scary, and no trace of humans whatsoever: this must be foal heaven. Unfortunately, in most cases, the reality is far from this idyllic picture. There are appointments at the vets, the blacksmith, foal shows and children wanting to touch and play with the little one. The bottom line is that we are responsible to teach our foals about life. Some adoptive foal-parents simply leave the youngsters alone and see what happens once an appointment is due. Of course, this can go well, but it’s more likely that the foal undergoes enormous stress. The results: Humans are associated with traumatic situations. How much intervention is necessary and how can we teach our foals that neither foal shows, farriers or vets have to cause trauma? Since we cannot avoid contact with the real world, I feel it’s the owner’s responsibility to prepare the horse for the life to come. I love this quote (translated) from barnboox.de: „To find its identity as a „horse“, the young animal has natural needs in form of playing, moving, social- and other horse-specific behaviours that it wants to address due to its instincts. A healthy body, spirit, and soul can only be developed if the foal experiences a social structure with other horses and play mates." As much as necessary, as little as possible In order for my foal to get used to humans, I started to introduce myself more and more after a few weeks. For example, once mother and foal were out in the fields I would just go and sit there. Since Tara, our little one, was naturally curious, she soon came over and soon I was able to stroke and pet her, and she really enjoyed it. I soon introduced halters to her, and I put it on and took it off playfully. I don’t think it's good for a foal to wear the halter all the time, just in order for you to catch it faster. A foal learns quickly, and the only „lesson“ it takes away from this treatment is to how to avoid your grasp and become head shy. My foal-tips:
Tying & Leading of the foal Once the animal is accustomed to the halter, you can slowly introduce the lead rope. Take your time - patience and playfulness are the most important attributes here. If you want to teach the foal how to be led, take a long lead rope and simply try to walk your foal, without any pressure. If the foal doesn’t follow up because it doesn’t know what to do, put the rope on its hind legs and apply light pressure. They usually learn really fast. I also use my voice to give commandoes and extensively praise the foal if it does a good job. Don’t overwhelm the young animal - it should also enjoy its kindergarten time. And don't forget: a foal has an attention span of 5 to 10 minutes only! It’s not necessary to have lessons every day. Grooming your foal Immediately after birth, foals imprint on their mother. The mare is obviously the most important social contact, and the licking and cleaning is one of the first experiences the foal has after birth. I don’t think you should introduce yourself immediately, but within the first few weeks, you can briefly hold a brush towards the foal and brush it lightly, and start to pet it. During the times you brush your mare, you can also accustom the foal to brush, sponge and cleaning products. Keep it that way, and the foal gets used to you checking it for injuries easily. Check it on a regular basis, and if you plan to go to foal shows, make sure your foal knows rugs too and enjoys to have a bath as well. Keep it simple with your horse care products and pay attention to natural grooming products. Use as little chemicals as possible and wash the foal only if it’s absolutely necessary. Keep an eye on parasites or fungi, since foals are more prone to skin diseases than adult horses. If you want to learn more about our natural horse care products, check our products our here. When does my foal need the first hoof care? Hoof care is important, as is teaching a foal to to pick up its feet. Start as soon as possible and definitely as soon as necessary, and definitely within the first year of life. Immediately after birth, the hooves are very soft, in contrast to adult horses. But they harden fast in order for the foal to get up soon after birth. The hoof is not only growing externally, but internal structures are developing as well. Carefully watch the development of the hooves, you neither want contracting or narrow hooves, nor growth disorders or dislocation of the limbs. The most important prevention is exposure to many different grounds, most of all hard surfaces, in order for the hooves to be stimulated. Also, a professional should keep an eye on their shape. Let the hoof care specialist pick up the hooves regularly, check them and decide whether or not to correct them. If strong deformations are developing, the hoof care specialist must intervene. My conclusion: Teach your youngster the necessities from an early age. Do as much as necessary, and as little as possible. You won’t be able to shield the foal from the real life, nor should you. But you can minimize stressful or even traumatic situations. In terms of foal care, I think you should use natural horse care products instead of chemicals. Have a fun time with your foal, until next week, Nicole #foals Can you keep a foal on its own?Separating mare and foal
“Horses are herd animals and it's inappropriate to keep a weaned foal on its own,” she said. “They need company and it's also important for their normal development. Either team up with someone who has another mare and foal, or find a suitable companion.
Can a foal survive without its mother?Foals can absolutely not survive without their mothers until they are about 3 to 4 months old. A newborn has in fact only 6 hrs time, to be rescued before it is not viable. Gideon is a good example of that and with some intensive effort, he made it!
What age can you take a foal away from its mother?Weaning is usually done somewhere between 4 and 7 months of age, although some ranches leave their foals on the mares a bit longer.
How do you deal with a foal rejection?If foal rejection is expected because of experience with a mare in previous years, handlers can ask a veterinarian for assistance. Some success has been achieved by using mild tranquilizers like acepromazine or reserpine to decrease aggression. Regumate® is another drug that has helped in some cases.
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What happens if you dont wean a foal
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