Use these tables of information as a quick reference on the vitals of your horse:
99-100.5* F |
36-48 bpm |
14-24 |
pink |
2 sec. |
5-6 |
6-7 |
- Good Pasture: 7 hours = 12 pounds of hay
- Vitamin/Mineral supplement
- Broodmares, horses under five require mixed pasture or concentrate with
- amino acid supplement, energy supplement.
|
99-100.5* F |
- 80-120 bpm
- may have low murmur at 3rd ICS for 3-4 days.
- Heart rate decreases, but should remain over 60.
|
30-40, w/ some abdominal muscle effort |
pink |
1-2 sec. |
- hyper, jumpy.
- up in 1-2 hours, nursing in 2-3 hours, membranes passed from mare in 3 hours.
- Foal should pass meconium by 8-12 hours. Any straining should trigger Fleet enema 1 time.
- See Foaling Management Handout.
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Silky skin, floppy ears, red tongue |
- yellow-brown staining to hair and placenta if oxygen deprived during birth.
- contracted tendons, weak flexors, angular limb deformities, fractured ribs, joint distension.
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- Nurse 4-5 times per hour for the first few hours.
- Older foals will eat the mare's manure to establish gut microbes and acquire vitamins.
- Milk is no longer adequate by 6-8 weeks of age. Phase in feed + mixed pasture or hay.
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- Free pasture exercise essential for joint cartilage maturation—by 6 months of age.
- 3.5-4.5 minutes of sprints, trotting and loping necessary.
-
WARNING: If foal is not nursing well, straining, colicy, limping, breathing hard, or mare’s bag enlarged or
dripping, call your veterinarian ASAP.
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