Although horses have a gestation period of around eleven months, the point at which the mare will foal will vary. For owners, this can result in an anxious wait and a few sleepless nights as they wait for the new foal to arrive. Whilst horses will usually foal without any need for human intervention, it is wise to monitor the mare closely so you can act quickly if necessary. Therefore, it is important to be able to recognise the signs that your mare is about to foal. This blog article outlines the main signs that your mare is ready to foal.
There are several signs that your mare is ready to foal. Some signs will begin to show a few days or weeks beforehand, whilst others will only occur a few hours before your mare foals. Furthermore, not all mares will show all the signs of imminent foaling.
Your mare may begin to behave differently when she is about to foal. For example, the mare may want to be by herself, and she may appear restless, agitated or colicky. The mare may walk restlessly, bite at her sides, lay down repeatedly and begin to sweat.
Horses are prey animals, so will naturally want to give birth somewhere quiet and where they feel safe. This same instinct can also make it difficult to tell when a mare is close to foaling, because they are programmed to hide signs of vulnerability.
Avonvale Equine Vet Practice is a British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) approved clinic for horse AI. We offer AI using chilled or frozen semen, and our experienced and dedicated stud vet team provide excellent veterinary care for broodmares and foals. Our vets carry out a range of services, including broodmare management, infertility investigation, post foaling care and intensive care of the foal if required. If you are considering putting your mare into foal, call us on 01295 670 501 to speak to a member of our team.
