Preventing Illness in Foals

Colostrum, the first secretion of the mammary glands, contains antibodies that are important in the rapid response to disease. The foal loses its ability to absorb these antibodies after 24 hours, so nursing within the first few hours of life is essential.

Studies have shown that foals exposed to salmonella before they ingest colostrum are at increased risk of developing an infection, a situation that can be minimized by careful attention to cleanliness. An older foal may not be affected by salmonella exposure; however, it may be quite serious in a neonate with an underdeveloped immune system and low nutritional stores. As insurance against disease, managers at some farms strip 4 to 8 ounces of colostrum from the mare and tube or suckle it into the foal immediately after birth.

When bottle-feeding, care must be taken to prevent an enthusiastic foal from drinking too quickly and aspirating milk. It is also important to make sure that the hole in the bottle’s nipple is not too large.

In the management of foal health, prevention of disease is far preferable to treatment, with excellent hygiene being the key. A foal may actually get its first exposure to pathogenic bacteria as it passes through the birth canal; from the time it draws its first breath, its environment is full of potentially harmful organisms.

Cleanliness is vitally important and cannot be overemphasized as a factor in preventing outbreaks of diarrhea. Some farms begin daily washing of the pregnant mare’s ventral surfaces as much as a week before foaling, especially during wet weather when mares are turned out in muddy pastures. In any case, washing is important just before foaling, as the foal’s early attempts to nurse may put its muzzle in contact with bacteria on the mare’s legs and belly. Foaling outdoors or in a foaling barn is a choice each farm must make, and each situation has advantages and disadvantages.

Foaling stalls should be thoroughly disinfected and equipment should be sterilized before use. Overcrowding of horses should be avoided, as disease can be spread between horses by direct contact or by aerosolized bacteria carried by dust.

Read more from Advances in Equine Nutrition III.

Related reading:

• The Nutritional Demands of Lactation in Horses
• Drinking and Eating Behavior in Foals
• Feeding and Care of the Orphan Foal