How many months does the mare walk. To help a novice horse breeder - how horses give birth and possible complications of pregnancy. Correct delivery

A horse has long become not just a pet, but something like a close four-legged friend, and for everyone who has it on the farm or in personal possession, its pregnancy (especially the first one) and the expectation of offspring is an exciting period in life. The excitement is understandable: a horse's gestation period is one of the longest in the animal kingdom and averages 11 months, during which anything can happen. In addition, depending on a number of factors, deviations up or down are possible for about two weeks. And all this time the horse requires very careful and attentive care. Only under this condition, the process of childbirth takes place practically without human intervention. And in order for a mare not only to give birth to a good foal, but also to endure the birth itself well and be able to give birth further (like, for example, a Brabançon horse that managed to give birth to its last baby at 40), it should be prepared for this with the very beginning.

Mating: when and how to do it

Many mares reach sexual maturity at 16-18 months, depending on the breed. That is, theoretically already at this time they can happen with stallions and expect offspring. However, in practice, it quickly becomes clear that horses that have happened at this age bear foals poorly, after giving birth they lag behind in development and, in addition, after giving birth, feed their cubs poorly. This is due to the fact that, despite such an early puberty (akin to how it happens in humans), physical development the horse itself is still not enough for almost a year's normal bearing of a foal. Surely not a single normal horse owner wants his horse to be underdeveloped in any way, so hippologists strongly recommend not to rush to mating. Healthy offspring begins to appear in mares at the age of four, therefore it is best to carry out the first mating of a horse with a stallion not earlier than at the age of three.

Since after puberty the horse's hunting period occurs every 30 days, the time of year in which you decide to mate your horse with a stud male plays an important role. At stud farms, kumis farms and large farms that use stables and pasture maintenance, mating and foaling of mares takes place almost all year round. This is quite natural: well-developed, firmly standing farms are not only provided with warm spacious stables, but can also offer their horses full-fledged balanced nutrition, which is so important for a pregnant horse, especially in the last trimester. We have no doubt that a zealous, anxiously caring for his farm, the owner of the backyard can also create ideal living conditions for his horse, but nevertheless we will join in our opinion those hippologists who advise at home to start mating horses from March-April and finish in mid-July. In regions with harsh climatic conditions, it is advisable to postpone this period by two weeks later. This simple precaution can save a horse from many colds and thus make it much easier for him to bear a foal.

The mating technology is quite simple. Having chosen a suitable time, in your opinion, you should wait for the next sexual hunt (this is not difficult, given its frequency) and the next day after it began to release the mare to the stallion. The rest, as they say, will be done by nature. A mare with a stallion should happen until the hunt stops. There are several ways to mate:

1. manual.
2. cooking.
3. kosyachny.

It doesn't matter which one you choose, the main thing is to remember the date. last issue mares to stallions. In order to determine the approximate date of birth, 340 days should be added to it (the conditionally maximum gestational age of the horse). The date obtained must be written either on the gate of the stall where the horse is kept, or on a special plaque, which must then be fixed in a conspicuous place in the stable.

Pregnancy progress

After the mating takes place, you have to worry the first time - until you understand whether the mating was successful or not. The fact is that it is possible to immediately understand whether a horse is pregnant or not, it is possible only two weeks after the last coating after carrying out special analyzes and diagnostics with ultrasound, which are used only in large industrial horse breeding farms. At home, the determination of a successful mating and pregnancy is possible only after 6 months, when the horse's belly begins to noticeably increase. Here you can no longer doubt that everything went well.

There is another way to determine a successful mating, but it is based more on indirect signs and is available only to experienced horse breeders. Successful mating and pregnancy may be indicated by:

1. the presence of a small seal on palpation of the horse's abdomen in the uterus. If the mare was not sick with anything before mating and she does not have any abnormalities, then this seal indicates pregnancy.
2. lack of sexual desire.
3. the appearance of previously uncharacteristic aggressiveness, the desire to protect their territory.

Pregnancy is divided into three trimesters, each of which covers an average of 110 days:

1. in the first trimester, fertilization and development of the ovum occurs.
2. in the second - the active development of the embryo, during which it acquires the shape of a foal.
3. in the third - its final maturation and preparation for the exit from the mother's womb.

Throughout their entire length, the foal mare needs special care, so it will not hurt any horse owner to take into account the following simple recommendations:

1. from the fourth week of the "interesting position", be sure to reduce the stress on the pregnant horse during work. Hippologists strongly recommend not to use such horses for work during bad weather, ice, snowstorms, strong winds and for moving and transporting goods on very dirty and unsettled roads.
2. handle her calmly, avoiding sudden movements, rude shouts, jolts and blows. In principle, this should not be done on ordinary days, but especially during pregnancy.
3. be sure to control the quality of the feed given to the horse. It is strictly forbidden to give her caked, moldy, frozen musty food and straw affected by fungi and rust. All this negatively affects the health of the horse, its ability to bear a foal and can ultimately cause an abortion. Let's say a supportive diet during the first eight months of pregnancy - that is, with its help, you can adjust the horse's weight.
4. The stall in which the mare is kept must be warm, free from drafts, and with abundant warm bedding. When grazing, it is recommended to return the mare to the stall at night.
5. in the cold season, you cannot drive a foal mare to a watering place, especially in the last trimester: there is a great chance that she will slip, fall and abort.

Sometimes, fertile mares at 2-3 months of gestation may suddenly become sexually active. If this happens, the veterinarian should be called and the horse should be examined carefully. You should not "succumb to provocation" and immediately lead the horse to the next mating: natural or artificial insemination can cause a miscarriage in it.

The fetus grows most intensively in the last trimester, 2-3 months before birth, so the closer the birth, the more carefully and carefully you need to treat the horse. In this sense, one can envy mares of valuable breeding breeds: their pregnancy, especially if it is with complications, proceeds under supervision, with frequent ultrasound diagnostics and regular sampling of tests, and a veterinarian is always present during childbirth. An ordinary workhorse cannot boast of such attention from veterinary medicine, but nothing prevents its owner from treating it with increased attention and caution - in particular:

1. increase the proportion of concentrates in the daily diet by about 1 kg. and the frequency of the given feed. The horse should be fed 5-6 times a day in such portions that he can eat them whole. It does not hurt to include in the diet special feed for pregnant mares rich in vitamins. Ideally, they should take up 30-40% of the total feed given to the horse. A good help will be the inclusion of apples and carrots in the horse's diet, as well as vitamin-herbal flour.
2. exclude drinking with cold water, as this can lead to abortion of the mare. Drinking water should be stored in advance and kept in a warm room.
3. about half a month before the expected birth, release the mare from all work, even the lightest, replacing them with active rest in the form of a daily walk, which prevents the appearance of edema of the legs, abdomen, lower sternum. In the presence of edema, the process of childbirth is not only difficult, but can also be accompanied by negative side effects.

Preparing for childbirth

The approaching birth (or foal) can be unmistakably determined by the changed behavior of the horse. She refuses to eat, becomes anxious and restless, walks in a stall or levada, lies down and gets up, often looks at her stomach, sweats and makes attempts. If she is in the herd, then she seeks to separate from him, if she is in the stall, then, on the contrary, she may strive for society. Visually, she has:

1. the udder swells.
2. drops of milk may appear on the nipples.
3. filaments of mucus hang from the external genital organs.
4. the labia are swollen.
5. the pelvis turns into a generic one.
6. the depression between the base of the tail and the ischial tubercle increases.

As soon as you notice these signs, start preparing for the upcoming process:

1. carefully clean the stall, disinfect it and the existing equipment with a solution of iodine or potassium permanganate. It must be warm and dry in it.
2. provide the horse with privacy. During childbirth, only the owner can be present next to her, and then only if the horse is tied to him - this will calm her down and cheer her up. In some cases, you may need the help of a veterinarian.
3. line the floor with clean, dry straw. If it is cold outside, the bedding should be placed in advance so that by the time of delivery it has time to warm up and acquire the room temperature.
4. it will not hurt to spread a thick canvas or other rough fabric under the mare, which will prevent the floor from contaminating the birth secretions.
5. dim the lighting by making it dim. The bright light will disturb the horse and cause him discomfort.
6. you can tie the mare's tail by folding it in half and tying it with a bandage or a clean rag. Many experts believe that it will be convenient for her to give birth.

Birth of a horse and your actions

Usually a mare gives birth to one foal, but there are also cases of twins. Unfortunately, most of them end sadly: one or both foals are born dead and much smaller than one. There are also happy exceptions to the rule. In this case, the second baby is born 10-20 minutes after the first.

It is known from horse breeding practice that horses often give birth at night, between 8 pm and 7 am (although there are exceptions). The process itself depends on the position of the fetus in the mother's body and its size and can take either 20-40 minutes or 2 days due to the fact that the mare's cervix can open for a long time.

The behavior of a mare during childbirth changes depending on the stages of the process. When the cervix opens, she can show only minimal anxiety, just rub her tail against various parts of the stall, keep it raised and sweat. It is this generic stage that can drag on for the two days mentioned.

In fact, childbirth is a strong pushing of a horse lying on its side, with which it pushes the foal to the exit. At the same time, her behavior is appropriate: she can wag her tail strongly, roll on the litter, kick with her hind legs, sweat. Sometimes a horse gives birth while standing. In this case, it is characterized by a frequent change of position (gets up and lies down), digging a litter, waving its tail, severe anxiety, sweating. The most difficult thing for her is to push the foal to its chest part, then the process is easier. Every 10 minutes, the fetus should move significantly forward - this is the norm. If this does not happen, you should immediately call your veterinarian.

If the baby is positioned correctly (with the muzzle and front hooves towards the exit, with the stomach down), then only one thing is required of the person: not to make noise, not to make unnecessary and abrupt movements, not to worry (the owner's nervousness affects the horse's condition) and to observe without interfering with the foal ... The only way a horse owner can help his pet is to hold her legs if she kicks in a lying position. The horse does the rest by itself. Intervention in the process (and even then it should be carried out only by a specialist) is necessary only if the foal is weak and during childbirth has taken the wrong position - with its hind legs forward. There is no need to pull the foal on your own - there is a high risk of injury to both the horse and its baby.

A foal is born in a white-blue bubble, which, after leaving, must burst itself. If this does not happen, you should immediately break the bladder membrane and free the baby's nostrils from mucus, otherwise he will suffocate. After doing this, you must make sure that the foal is breathing. You can not pay attention to the umbilical cord: a maximum of 6 minutes after giving birth, the horse gets up, thereby tearing it on its own. During childbirth while standing, it breaks off itself when the fetus falls to the ground. If it is not torn or torn in the wrong place (more than 8-10 cm from the abdominal wall), it is tied with a strong thread at a distance of 2-3 cm from the abdomen, cut off with sterile scissors and immediately disinfected with a 5% iodine solution. If there is no need to deal with the umbilical cord, it is better to focus your attention on something else, more important:

1. wipe the foal with a sheet to speed up drying.
2. wash the udder, hind legs and tail of the mare with warm water.
3. replace the bedding in the stall soiled with secretions with fresh ones. By the way, this will need to be done daily, since the mare will have these secretions for another 3-7 days. If they continue after 8 days, you should immediately call the veterinarian, since this is considered a pathology.

A firstborn horse may take some time (usually about ten minutes, but sometimes a little more) to rest. After the horse is back to normal, he will begin to lick and bite the foal. She does this in order to:

1. establish contact.
2. remember the smell of a newborn.
3. help him up. In this case, light biting stimulates the muscular activity of the foal.

When the foal gets to its feet - and this happens on average 49-50 minutes after giving birth and no later than 2 hours 23 minutes after birth - it is necessary to check if it has a limp and if it does not tighten its legs. An hour and a half after giving birth (maximum two hours), the foal is already actively looking for the udder. If he does not succeed, the owner must help him cope with his first assignment. If by this time the sucking reflex has not yet been developed, it is necessary to milk the mare and feed the foal with milk every hour and a half. This feeding of the foal is very important, since the first milk of the mare - colostrum - contains all the vital substances for it.

If the foal does not eat well, is lethargic, drowsy and has diarrhea, cough, red mucous membranes or behavioral disorders, you should again contact your veterinarian: in front of you is a sick baby who must be cured.

Two hours after giving birth, the foal excretes the original feces - "meconium". This is also very important point in assessing his condition. If the meconium does not come out and the foal also shows symptoms of colic (worries, kicks in the stomach, turns in one place), you should also contact the veterinarian: perhaps the baby has some serious problems and will have to use an enema or an injection of an antispasmodic.

Postpartum period

Approximately one hour after the foal emerges, contractions that are weaker than those in labor may begin. So the mare expels the afterbirth from itself, which must be immediately taken out of the stable so that the horse does not take it into his head to eat it. If after two hours the afterbirth has not come out, it must be urgently separated, for which a veterinarian should be called. After the placenta comes out, it does not hurt to subject it to inspection for defects. Sometimes it happens that part of it can remain in the uterus, which is fraught with infection. In this case, the intervention of a veterinarian is also required.

When the mare dries up, you can give her a few sips of water, and after 5-6 hours, give her a chatterbox of bran and give the best hay from everything that is prepared. After 3-4 days, the mare with the foal can be released for the first walk. In general, the postpartum period is no different from all other periods in the maintenance of a horse, except that the udder should be observed, it should not be allowed to be edematous and inflamed (the first signs of mastitis), and quality nutrition should be provided (the need for this is already clear).

Horse lovers often ask the following question on Internet forums: when, after giving birth, can a mare and a stallion happen again? According to many experts - veterinarians and livestock specialists - if the birth went well, it can be done as soon as the first postnatal hunt begins. Practice shows that it can begin as early as 5-7 days after foaling. Well, there - as they say, look and decide for yourself.

10-15 days after giving birth, the horse can already be used for work - first on the lungs, then gradually increasing the load. At first, the foal must be close to the mother: firstly, it will be calmer and more obedient, and secondly, in the first months of life, the foal very often sucks its mother (sometimes even 30-45 times a day), and a violation this regime may not have the best effect on its growth and development. And the horse itself, not feeling its cub next to it, refuses to feed, becomes disobedient at work, and sometimes even runs away in search of it to the stable with an inviting neigh. In order not to injure either the mother or the foal, they should not be separated until about 6-7 months: it is at this age that experts recommend weaning.

Some emergency situations

Unfortunately, it is not always possible for a foal to pass successfully and safely for a horse. It so happens that a mare aborts her cub. Most often, the reasons for this lie in the carelessness and inattention of the owner to his favorite. If this does happen, all the litter in the stall should be carefully collected, removed from the stable and burned, and the stall itself should be disinfected. The horse must be thoroughly examined, for which the veterinarian must be invited, and the aborted fetus must be burned after visiting the veterinarian. It should, however, be said that abortions of horses, which are kept in a private courtyard, are quite a rare occurrence. Usually everything goes well.

Another abnormal situation for the owner of the horse (although it is quite normal for the animal itself) may be giving birth on a pasture. There is nothing wrong with that, almost always these births end very well. Even the firstborn, obeying the genetic instinct, will do everything right and bring the foal to the stall to the delight of all household members.

Finally, signs that you should definitely pay attention to during childbirth are:

1. an overly drawn-out process.
2. one leg sticking out of the birth canal, two legs without a head, or any other abnormal position of the fetus.
3. no foal advance for every 10 minutes.
4. violations when leaving the placenta.
5. ruptures of the birth canal.
6. stagnation after childbirth, cramps, udder inflammation, fever and lethargy in the horse the day after childbirth.

In all these cases, it is imperative to consult a veterinarian.

Conclusion

If the horse owner does everything right, then there should be no problems with pregnancy or childbirth at all. The horse, by its nature, is distinguished by a very strong body and tremendous vitality, which help it in everything, and in particular in childbirth. A person can only be there, in order to come to her aid in difficult times, and then rejoice at the birth of a new creature and engage in his upbringing.

Pregnancy and childbirth for your horse is a very challenging and exciting period. But here it is important to know how a horse gives birth and how you can help the animal, and in what cases it is better not to interfere.

The pregnancy is usually calm for the animal and ends with the birth of a live foal. Only in this case is the pregnancy considered successful. But it is important to remember that the closer the birth, the more the animal needs high-quality nutrition. The diet of a mare in the last three months of pregnancy should be 40% more nutritious than at the beginning of the term. It is necessary to feed the pet more often, since it is already difficult for her to eat a lot.

All horse food companies also produce food for foal or lactating mares.

You can visually determine pregnancy in a mare starting from the 6th month. Before this time, fertility is usually determined by the results of an ultrasound scan or tests (they are carried out by a veterinarian). If the mare has recently been covered by a stallion, tests can be done in a week or two. Also, pregnancy is determined by probing the abdomen and uterus - if there is something solid in the abdominal cavity on the left, then most likely this is her future foal.

The main signs of pregnancy: the mare lies more, especially in the later months of the term, eats well, the appetite is slightly increased. In addition, a pregnant individual actively defends its territory, often retires, and can walk at a distance from the herd.

Pregnancy or fertility in a mare takes 341 days or 11 months. Depending on the feeding, the size of the fetus and the season, the period may be slightly longer or slightly less. Veterinarians say fillys can be born earlier than stallions. In general, a 14-day deviation from the final delivery date is allowed. If the horse is pregnant with twins, the term lasts as many months as with one cub.

Twins are extremely rare and often have one dead foal or even two in twins. Gemini foals appear slightly smaller in size than single babies. Basically, mares give birth to one baby at a time.

If the breed is valuable and the pregnancy is at risk, the horse is monitored with blood tests and ultrasound. Childbirth in this case must be monitored by a veterinarian.

Human participation in a process such as giving birth to an animal should be minimal. However, if the animal loves you, then it can calm down when you are around. If you notice that the horse is giving birth (lay down on its side and attempts have begun), do not touch the pet unnecessarily. Try not to make noise or worry, as the animal feels everything.

For the appearance of the foal to be successful, the room where the birth will take place must be closed, warm, without strangers and animals. It is desirable that the lighting be dim, then the woman in labor will be comfortable. Place fresh, dry straw on the floor. If it's cold outside, warm up the litter to room temperature by placing it in advance.

Disinfect the walls, floor and feeders with drinkers. An iodine solution or a manganese solution will do. It is better to lay a rough cloth under the straw so that the floor is not saturated with generic secretions. If it so happens that the birth took place on the street or in the field, do not worry - the horse will clean up both the foal and itself. Tie up the pet's tail - you can fold it in half and wrap it in a bandage, so it will be more convenient for her.

In the process of the appearance of the mother-horse foal, it is necessary to push the voluminous fetus to the exit from the pelvis. Usually the calf weighs about one-fifteenth of the mother's weight. The childbirth process lasts an average of half an hour, so you won't have to wait too long. The foal usually comes out with its hooves and muzzle forward; there is a special hoof horn on the hooves. It protects the mother's birth canal from injury.

If the foal is weak, it may not roll over to face forward. In this case, you should not pull it yourself, it is better to contact your veterinarian. This will prevent injury to both mother and baby. If the mare is worried, try to keep her on the floor by holding her legs so she doesn't kick. The hardest part of the birthing process for a horse is to push the foal up to the level of his chest. Further, the fruit easily slips out by itself.

The mare breaks the umbilical cord herself, getting up almost immediately after giving birth. The foal emerges in a white-blue fetal bladder. If the animal is primiparous, it may take more than 10 minutes to rest. After that, the mare will begin to lick and bite the baby easily. Basically, she does this to remember the baby's smell and establish tactile contact.

If the birth of the foal was successful, you need to make sure that the fetal bladder has come down and the baby is breathing. If everything is in order, the mother will take care of the offspring herself. A little later, when the baby rises to his feet, check if he is limping, if he is pulling his legs. Calculate how much time has passed after the appearance of the baby and compare the indicators with the table of norms below.

Table of norms with average indicators of activity of foals after childbirth

The newborn should suckle well on the udder. If the sucking reflex is absent, milk the mare and water the foal every 1.5 hours. The mares do not eat the afterbirth, so it is advisable to remove the dirty litter and the afterbirth immediately after it leaves. The mare's udder should not be swollen and inflamed. Postpartum discharge disappears completely by day 8, so the bedding in the barn will need to be changed every day.

When watching the video, you will notice that the mother easily bites the baby, thereby stimulating muscle activity.

What is the life expectancy of horses?

I have a horse: looking at the basics of grooming and maintenance

The duration of pregnancy in a horse depends on the timing of insemination, breed characteristics, and conditions of detention. Pregnancy can last from 11 months to a year, during this period the fetus increases significantly in size, and the mare's physiological needs change. Horse care and feeding during pregnancy should be special, and its further health depends on the animal's recovery in the postpartum period. This article will consider the features of horse fertility, the principles of caring for a mare foal, the procedure for foaling and caring for a newborn baby.

Pregnancy in horses

Foal occurs from the moment of insemination, but since the mare is inseminated several times during the hunt, it can be difficult to determine the exact date of fertilization.

Important! Sexual maturity in these animals occurs at a year and a half, but physiologically such a horse is not yet ready to bear a healthy fetus, so the first insemination is carried out at least at the age of three.

How to determine

In total, there are four ways to determine fertility - folk, clinical, instrumental and laboratory.

Folk way

Visual changes become noticeable in the fifth month of fertility. In the mare, the abdominal walls begin to protrude, the left side becomes more round and lowered. When covering the mare with a sheet and listening to the peritoneum with a phonendoscope, the foal's heart sounds are heard.

You can also check for the presence of a fetus by palpation. When you press on the side of the mare, the fetus will move from its place, and then return to it with a tangible push. Palpation should be carried out as carefully as possible, in no case do you press with your fist and do not hit the mare on the side. These methods are effective for later terms of fertility.

Diagnosis of fertility by outward signs: video

Did you know? In 1975, the world's smallest foal was born. The kid named Pumpkin belongs to a miniature American breed. His birth weight was just over 9 kg, and his height was 35 cm. Miniature horses are bred to participate in exhibitions and are used as guides. Most often, the representatives of the breed become the guides. These animals are intelligent and quick-witted, they easily find their way in crowded places and quickly become attached to the owner.

Clinical method

Includes rectal and vaginal examinations. They are carried out by inserting a gloved hand into the anus or vaginal opening of the mare.

The vaginal method is rarely used, since during the examination it is possible to damage the fetus and bring infectious diseases... The rectal method gives an accurate result.

For examination, the horse is fixed in a barn, the tail is tied up and the anus is widened to induce a bowel movement. After the release of feces, the hand is inserted into the anus and the horns of the uterus are felt.
If the mare is not pregnant, the uterine horns will be equally small. In a foal horse, the horn in which the fetus develops will begin to round and gradually descend into the abdominal cavity. Noticeable changes in the horn and the development of the fetus in it begin to appear in the second month after fertilization.

Important! A vaginal examination is done if the mare has intestinal problems. A special mirror is used for this examination. The reproductive passages of first-born mares are strongly narrowed, so the mirror should be inserted very carefully. If the mare has been fertilized, the entrance to the uterus will be closed by a dense mucous mass.

Instrumental way

Ultrasound examination is considered the most informative and safe for mares and foals. Ultrasound makes it possible to determine fertility as early as the tenth day after fertilization.

After fixing the animal and defecating it, a lubricated sensor is inserted into the anus. They are guided along the mucous membrane and with its help they examine the horns of the uterus. On the tenth day of fertility, the embryo will be visible on the display, on the twentieth day, the embryo. This is the most reliable way to diagnose pregnancy.

Laboratory method

It consists in taking a blood test and a smear from the vaginal mucosa. In the third week after insemination, the level of progesterone, the hormone of pregnancy, rises in the mare's blood. Progesterone protects the fetus from abortion and inhibits the mare's sexual activity.

Did you know? There were never any horses in North America and Australia until the European colonialists brought them there in the 14th century. Artificially imported livestock quickly became native, and individuals who escaped or were released multiplied into huge herds, now known as the mustang population.

The slime smear is checked on a glass slide after alcohol treatment and staining. If the horse is pregnant, the mucus under the microscope will look like small blue balls interspersed with epithelial fragments and individual leukocytes.

The mucus from a horse that has not been fertilized will look uniform and consist of white blood cells along with squamous epithelium. This method is considered not the most reliable, it can be used starting from the fourth month of the alleged pregnancy.

How long does it take

The average gestation period is 320 to 350 days. The duration of pregnancy depends on the size of the fetus, the breed of the mare and stallion, the duration of estrus, the number of mating, and the conditions of the animal. There is an opinion among veterinarians that females are born on average two weeks earlier than males.

How many foals can give birth

The maximum number of foals obtained from one foal is two. If a mare bears two fetuses, she is significantly depleted, and both foals will be born weak or dead. Most often, one fetus is stillborn, and the other is healthy. Normally, a mare bears and gives birth to one foal.

Important! If childbirth with multiple pregnancies is normal, the second foal will appear 10 minutes after the birth of the first. In this case, you must not allow the mare to turn its tail against the wall or fence, otherwise the second baby will be crushed.

Care and feeding during pregnancy

If the foal is in the summer, the uterus should be kept on grazing for 5-6 hours a day. There she will feed herself on the green mass. In winter, a pregnant mare should be transferred to concentrated nutrition - give oats, corn, wheat bran, high-quality meadow hay.
You need to avoid feeds that provoke fermentation - bagasse, stillage, wet mass of legumes, yeast. You can drink mares with extremely warm clean water - cold water provokes abortions in the early stages.

A pregnant horse has a special need for vitamins A, E, calcium and phosphorus. This shortage can be filled with carrots, flavored vegetable oil, which is crushed and given twice a day in portions of one and a half kilograms.

Did you know? In July 2006, an entry about the world's smallest filly appeared in the Guinness Book of Records. A horse named Tambelina was born in the US state of Missouri and with its height of 44 cm holds the undisputed superiority among horses to this day.

You need to feed the mare more often (up to five times a day) and reduce her portions, since the growing fetus takes up a lot of space in the abdominal cavity. Sprouted wheat is added to the diet starting from the fourth month of pregnancy - it will reduce the risk of abortion, will become a source of calcium, vitamins E and B.
In the warm season, a foal mare should be kept on pastures with sheds from hot and rainy weather, driven into a stall at night. In winter, the mare should be walked at least 4 times a day, and taken to rest in a warm and dry stall with deep hay bedding. It is recommended to clean the stall on a daily basis, as a pregnant mare often stains the bedding.

Brush the horse's hide with a soft brush or a bunch of clean hay. The comb during this period acts annoyingly on the animal. You need to be careful when using a pregnant horse. From the ninth month of pregnancy, it is recommended to give her complete rest.

Foal (childbirth) in mares

Childbirth in mares is called foal, that is, the birth of a foal. They pass within 30-40 minutes, but the first signs of foal may appear 2-3 days before the onset of labor.

Room preparation

Horse labor begins late at night or early in the morning and usually lasts about half an hour if it goes away without complications. Start preparing for foraging a few hours before the estimated time. Clean the stall of a foal horse, disinfect it and cover it with fresh, deep bedding, dim the lights in the stall.

It is also recommended to cover the mat with a clean natural cloth. Shortly before giving birth, the horse begins to turn around on its croup, worry, lie on its side and sweat a lot. At this point, you need to free the stall from outsiders and not disturb the mare in the future.

How to prepare for foaling: video

Important! The horse in front of the foal can behave calmly. In this case, a sure sign of the approaching birth will be a large amount of mucus on her labia and frequent attempts to rub her tail against the walls of the stall.

How horses give birth

If the foal passes without complications, the foal leaves the birth canal with its hooves and muzzle forward. The thorax of a foal passes the hardest. Further childbirth takes no more than 5 minutes. During childbirth, the mare can roll on the floor, wag her tail and kick with her hind legs.

The veterinarian intervenes only if the fetus is in the wrong position in the womb or the horse is too weak to push it out on its own. It can hold the horse's legs or help the fetus move through the birth canal.

Did you know? Until the first decade of the 20th century, the problem of horse manure and urine was the most serious problem of pollution in European and American cities. V late XIX For a century in New York, there was a half-million horse population that made up for the lack of vehicles, and only the appearance of cars three decades later was able to solve this problem.

If a horse gives birth while standing, then the foal falls out of the birth canal, and the umbilical cord breaks by itself. A horse that has given birth while lying down gets up a few minutes after the foal and thus breaks off the umbilical cord.
The fetus is born in a bluish-blue membranous bladder. Normally, the bubble ruptures by itself, but if this does not happen, tear it open with your hands and wipe the mucus off the foal's face with a clean cloth.

The baby begins to get up on his feet 40-50 minutes after birth. During this time, you need to wash the udder and hind legs of the horse with warm water and change the soiled bedding.

A horse that has never given birth usually rests for 10–15 minutes, and then begins to lick the foal, sniff it and bite to get it to its feet. The baby begins to feed on mother's milk an hour and a half after birth.

Important! Two and a half hours after birth, the foal should leave meconium (first feces). If this does not happen, it is necessary to stimulate defecation by inserting a finger into the foal's anus or drinking a few tablespoons of castor oil to it.

If the sucking reflex does not appear during this time, wait another half hour, milk the mare and give the foal milk from a bottle.

Postpartum period

Postpartum discharge in the horse stops on the seventh day, so during this time the bedding in the stall must be changed daily. The afterbirth should leave within 3 hours after delivery. If it does not come out or does not come out entirely, contact your veterinarian for help, as the afterbirth remaining in the uterus can provoke its inflammation.

5 hours after giving birth, give the horse a warm bump of bran, give it a bunch of the best hay.

During the week after giving birth, closely monitor the condition of the mare and foal. The baby should often suck the udder (up to 40 times a day) and rapidly gain weight (from 500 g to 1 kg per day).

A healthy mare will have a plump, but not inflamed udder, she will be active and calm. The diet of a mare that has given birth is not much different from the usual one. It should include plenty of water, good quality hay, and abundant vegetable dressing. If desired, add fermented milk cottage cheese and boiled chicken eggs to the mare's diet.

What to do if a mare refuses to feed a foal: video

Three days after giving birth, the horse with the baby can be released for the first walk, and after another two weeks, the horse can be connected to work, gradually increasing the load. You should not wean the foal from the horse, as it will begin to get nervous, distracted, and may break free and run into the stall.

Keep the baby close to the mother and allow him to breastfeed frequently. At this time, he grows intensively, begins to imitate the behavior of an adult, and weaning from his mother will have a bad effect on his health. Weaning of a foal can be carried out at the age of 6-7 months, by which time it will become independent, and its connection with its mother will begin to weaken.

Did you know? WITH early XIX century before the beginning of the XXI, the record for weight and height among equines belonged to the giant Shire named Samson. This stallion weighed almost one and a half tons and was more than two meters tall. This record was broken only in 2010 by a Belgian stallion named Big Jack. Jack was born in Wisconsin, USA, and at the age of three he achieved a unique height of 2 m 10 cm. This is the largest stallion of all stallions in the world. Write in the comments which questions you did not receive an answer to, we will definitely respond!

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Every self-respecting horseman should know how a foal is born. And if you are still going to breed, then the basics, as well as videos and pictures of how a horse gives birth will be useful. So, how long a horse is carrying a foal, how to determine its "special" position and all the features of the foal, we will consider in our review.

Of course, the first and very important question that interests all novice equestrians is how long pregnancy lasts in horses. Feeding lasts about 335-340 days with deviations in the norm from 310 to 360 days. The duration of pregnancy depends on the breed, as well as its individual characteristics. But how do you know the exact date of the foal's appearance?

Of course, for this you need to know exactly the time of the latter and recognize her pregnancy as early as possible. If pregnancy occurred during the last mating, then after 7-10 days the veterinarian can determine the fertility of the mare in 80% of cases. For this, analysis of vaginal mucus and examination of the cervix are used. Professor V. Tsondakom at one time also discovered a method for detecting pregnancy in mares by analyzing urine for the content of the hormone folliculin. From a 1.5-month period, fertility up to 100% can be determined by an experienced veterinarian by rectal examination.

As for other visual methods for determining fertility, then these include the absence of sexual prey, aggression on the test stallion, rounding of the abdomen for 3-4 months of fertility. Some specialists during this period can feel the fetus with their hands with age. In the second half of pregnancy, the rounded and lowered belly becomes clearly visible. Also, the amount of manure in mares increases, the structure of the hair improves, they become round and calmer.

It is important to remember that of all farm animals, horses are the most prone to spontaneous abortion. Especially in the first three months - it was laid down by nature so that the offspring did not appear during a difficult period of the mare's life. At the same time, they can "throw off" or abort the fetus completely imperceptibly, most often it simply dissolves. Therefore, it is very important to protect the foal mare from all sorts of shocks and re-check the fertility after 3-4 months, do an ultrasound scan and a physical examination.

When preparing a horse for foaling 6 months before the expected birth, it is necessary to free it from hard work, and 2 months before from any work at all. During this period, mares are provided with enhanced nutrition and care, warm and dry rooms are provided, and daily exercise is organized in good weather.

For more details on how to determine the fertility of mares, see the video from Diana Galunova's channel.

Childbirth

Pregnancy is successful, which means that the offspring should be expected at the appointed time. 5 days before the expected birth, the mares usually show the first signs of their approach. This is mucus discharge, vaginal edema, the discharge of a wax-like substance from their nipples. At this time, it is important to move the horse to a birthing stall with plenty of bedding.

However, childbirth often occurs unexpectedly, for example, right in a pen or on a levada. There is nothing terrible in this and you do not need to drag the animal into the room by force. At this time, it is better not to disturb the expectant mother, to observe the process, but not to occupy and distract the animal in any way.

On the day of birth, mares often become more restless, they can find themselves from the feed, move away from the herd in the levada, anxiously walk from corner to corner in the stall, sweat profusely. Do not be afraid, and you do not need to drop in "whether it has begun" every five minutes. If it is possible to install a video camera, it is better to use external supervision. So it will be easier and calmer for the animal, since they often delay childbirth if there is an unwanted presence nearby.

When the first contractions occur, the horse lies down and takes a comfortable position, the cervix opens and the contractions intensify. When a horse gives birth, the water that surrounds the fetus first leaves, then the foal's front legs, head and shoulders appear. Making vigorous pushing, the mare tries to push the fetus out every time, so the second part of the foal's body usually comes out quickly. After a time after the foal is born, the placenta (afterbirth) departs. Usually horses give birth to one and rarely two foals, the second - 10-20 minutes after the first.

Care must be taken to ensure that the afterbirth comes out on time. As a rule, no later than 2 hours after delivery. If the afterbirth did not come out or came out partially, it is necessary to call the veterinarian, as this threatens with sepsis. In nature, the mare often eats the afterbirth, but at home this can lead to indigestion.

The newborn foal quickly regains its feet and must suck the mother's milk for the first time no later than 2 hours after giving birth. Vaginal discharge for 1-2 days after childbirth is considered the norm, but it is important to observe the mare, monitor the temperature and its general condition. For another 15 days, it cannot be loaded with work, but only provide a calm exercise.