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Ashbrook's First Foal of 2008!

This month I was intending to discuss the structure of the hoof, how it works, why poor conformation leads to imbalance and the principles of corrective shoeing, but I am not. The equine foot will wait for another day. I am not being contrary, but we had a much more exciting event this week. A foal was born! A bit of a surprise to her owner and to the three year old filly who was hiding an unplanned pregnancy.

Ideally a foal is born into a well prepared world with assistance at hand in case there is a problem. You want a warm dry environment, an uncomplicated birth, and a compliant mother with ample colostrum, the first milk to feed life into the foal. Our foal survived the birth but then was unable to get up on her feet. Cold and wet, she had struggled, becoming tired and hypothermic. If it had not been the timely arrival of her owner she would not have made it.

When mother and foal arrived at the hospital the team sprang into action. Roger assessed the foal’s condition while blood tests showed the filly had not suckled any colostrum. It couldn’t be more serious. Foals are born without any resistance to infection and rely on the first milk to transfer those antibodies. In addition colustrum is a concentrated food source to energise the foal as it struggles to take its first steps and form that essential bond with its mother.

When I arrived back at the hospital later in the day the foal was in intensive care with tubes coming out of her nose and a drip attached to an intravenous catheter. Due to weakness she was still unable to stand. The intravenous drip was infusing a massive dose of antibodies which soon would protect her from infection. These antibodies are contained in hyper immune serum which we store in a frozen state especially for this situation. One of the nurses was slowly feeding proprietary colostrum through the nasal tube that ran into the stomach. Again, we keep the powdered colostrum in stock ready for the foaling season. Ideal when you suspect a foal hasn’t suckled or where the mare fails to produce milk.

Roger closely monitored the situation as the foal gradually came back to life, rejuvenated by the heat lamps and medical care. I was amazed when I checked back in an hour to see the filly up on her feet supported by the nurses. She was making nuzzling actions towards her young mother, who was completely unperturbed munching away on a hay net. This foal gave everyone in the hospital a lift. There is something special about a new foal, particularly when you have saved a life!

The filly has gone on from strength to strength. You can see her with her mother and Roger in the pictures below. Fittingly, she has been named Rain after her untimely introduction to the British weather!

Roger is gearing up for the breeding season and has prepared a series of talks covering artificial insemination, embryo transfer and general breeding advice. Dates are to be announced shortly on the website. However, if you have any questions on foaling or breeding please give him a ring at Ashbrook.