With the unseasonably cold temperatures that much of the US has been experiencing, is there anything different that you recommend for foaling and for young foals. Obviously draft free barn… deeper bedding. Do you find foal blankets a benefit?
[QUOTE=M.K.Smith;7404832]
With the unseasonably cold temperatures that much of the US has been experiencing, is there anything different that you recommend for foaling and for young foals. Obviously draft free barn… deeper bedding. Do you find foal blankets a benefit?[/QUOTE]
I normally wait till end of April-mid-June for my foaling…we are way up north; 90 miles S of the Canadian border, so our winters can be tough.
However, afew years ago I had an “oops” breeding (my only one BTW) and that foal was born in the middle of Feb.
I slept in the barn and attended the foaling (as always). Perfectly normal foaling and healthy, robust filly with a coat like a YAK!! She was born in a covered, but far from draft-free barn. I dried her as quickly as I could, but I honestly never saw her shiver.
In 3 days she was out in the snow and weather w/her dam…although obviously they could come in the barn if they wanted.
My take would be to use common sense. If the foaling/foal is normal and you do not see signs of hypothermia (shivering), then all is well. If you do, then you can certainly use blankets & such.
Obviously if the foaling was difficult or the foal has been compromised in some way, that is a totally different story. But I’ve found them to be super hardy in most cases.
My earliest foal born was late January probably 8 or 10 years ago and it came out with yak like hair on it as well. My intention was to not blanket her until I spoke with the vet and he changed my mind.
He said they are born with “0” fat stores so even though they have long hair and look hardy - they’re not. They can crash and go downhill very quickly as there is exactly nothing to protect them from the elements except hair and muscle fibres which isnt enough. And if the dam is happy being out, she wont go into a run in shed thinking “Oh! My baby must be cold - I’ll get him/her out of the wind” so they stay out and the baby bears the brunt
Mine lived in her little foal blanket for 3+ months. Needed to buy a few for her as she kept outgrowing the one she was in and it was labour intensive for sure. Sometimes it was warm enough in the barn I could pull it off for a few hours and sometimes she kept it on 24/7 for days on end and it just came off long enough to wash and dry it
My vote is 100% for you to blanket the baby
Foal saver blankets are literally a life saver for cold weather foals. It wicks away the moisture and keeps them warm as they are drying off. I have never blanketed a foal past the day or two they wear the foal saver blanket however. The blanket does get kind of gross from all the birthing fluids so it will probably need to be laundered that first day.
What about the mare side of things? I’m thinking she will be quite sweaty from the foaling…
How cold is cold?
Right now a foal would need a heated barn here.
We live in BC and have an unheated barn. We have had mares foal when it is -20C. Lots of straw and no wind makes it pretty good. Foals were out with mares during the day and did wear blankets for a bit until the days warmed up. No issues with the health of either mares or foals.
[QUOTE=K~2;7405923]
What about the mare side of things? I’m thinking she will be quite sweaty from the foaling…[/QUOTE]
I had my mare foal once in late February during a winter it was unseasonably cold (like this year). In preparation I took an old turn out blanket and cut it shorter on the sides (to just about stifle height), cut off the belly straps and removed the leg straps. I am so glad I did because my mare foaled at 2am on a freezing night and was shivering violently after foaling. I dried her as best I could and threw on my makeshift blanket. Freed me to focus on the foal who I put a foal blanket on as well. Once he was up and nursing and daylight hours came I removed the blankets from my mare and foal. All was good. I did put the blanket on the foal during the evenings when it was cold until he "bulked’ up a bit.
I am waiting on a mare to foal here in Georgia. It has been pretty darn cold for us and my poor mare has no hair! I have been blanketing her when it gets really cold with just a stable blanket no leg straps, keeping an eye on her all night long, will pull the blanket if she is wearing it when she foals. Have a chill chaser as well to put on her. Have two foal blankets depending on foal’s size and ordered the sstack foal drier as well (thanks for posting it! I could not remember were I had seen that blanket and could not find it again). Stall is bedded deep with straw and base of shavings. Actually prefer foaling in the cold here than the heat of the summer. 100+ F is hard on little foals.
Agree - blanket the foal in cold weather. Not only don’t newborns have body fat they are unable to regulate their body temperature very well.
My first foal of the season was born last night. During an ice-storm 
Was in the 20s, but I’ve had multiple foals in Jan/Feb when the temp has been in the single digits. I do blanket the babies, but only for the first few days. After that the blanket comes off (while they’re inside) and they only get blanketed again if they go outside and its cold/windy (they don’t go out in precip). Foals really do handle the cold well; we bed deeply in straw and make sure the doors are shut enough to prevent drafts. Still cold (holding at about 38 in the barn right now) but they do great; this filly is currently running and bucking around her stall I am adamantly opposed to heating barns; in my experience causes more problems than it’s worth…
[QUOTE=Hillside H Ranch;7406893]
My first foal of the season was born last night. During an ice-storm Was in the 20s, but I’ve had multiple foals in Jan/Feb when the temp has been in the single digits. I do blanket the babies, but only for the first few days. After that the blanket comes off (while they’re inside) and they only get blanketed again if they go outside and its cold/windy (they don’t go out in precip). Foals really do handle the cold well; we bed deeply in straw and make sure the doors are shut enough to prevent drafts. Still cold (holding at about 38 in the barn right now) but they do great; this filly is currently running and bucking around her stall I am adamantly opposed to heating barns; in my experience causes more problems than it’s worth…[/QUOTE]
Ditto Hillside said 100%. I never have foals before March in PA, but do prefer April/May. But with March babies, they go out on cold days in their blanket (but not in the stall after 1-2 days). Love the foal saver blankets too – very handy (but not for any precipitation – but mine come in with precipitation.
https://scontent-b-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/t1/524271_3527813608261_1301464095_n.jpg
It is -20 during the days and close to -30C at night (that is -4F to -22F).
I have more experience with calves at these temperatures. They must be dried off quickly and then eat right away. There is frozen ears and sometimes feet/legs if they are born off of the straw pack and they do not get up right away. But I assume you don’t mean these types of temps because there is no way I would want to have a foal without a heated barn. Most riding/stabling barns here are heated.
I would also not want a foal to be in an small space in these temps without heat as horses move to warm up and they can’t do that in small spaces. Now at more reasonable temperatures, like -10C or 14F, calves do fine if they are healthy and get up right away. I don’t see a lot of foals born early here but it does happen. I think the blankets are a great idea. We used old towels and blankets for calves in a bedded barn if they needed help, and heat lamps to get them dry and warm.
During the spring, one of the biggest issues was scours in the calves from drinking run-off water with manure in it. Babies are bad for that. Generally there is more issues in spring when it is warm during the days and cool at nights with the snow melting/water everywhere.
We only breed TBs and in our world the earlier the better. Wish it wasn’t that way but I didn’t write the rules. Have had a number of foals when the temps have been in the single digits. IMO and experience it effects the caretaker/foaling person more the then the mare and foal. Unless there are complications with the foaling and or the foal is born with issues.
Now, one being born in the field on a cold and windy night would be a different story.
A lot of TB farms hang a bank of heat lamps in some of their foaling stalls. The foals naturally gravitate to the heated area. We dry them off with towels as quickly as possible. Don’t much like foal blankets that we have tried. Takes them a while to get the hang of things getting up and down with grace and style. Too easy for them to get a leg hung up on a strap even a snug Velcro. We use sweatshirts with the neck cut larger. Put their little front legs through the arms and it covers the majority of their body. They fit snug with little chance of a leg getting hung up. Makes for a good picture also.
Unless it was a difficult or prolonged foaling most mares don’t sweat up too much. But there is always a “drama queen” in every band. All of ours are turned out within a day or 2 weather permitting and stay out weather permitting. Come early spring they pretty much stay out regardless.
Like the look of the foal saver blankets.
My hats off to the folks in Canada. Going down to the barn in middle of one of our cold winter nights is quite the eye opener. But nothing compared to theirs. Thank god for foaling cams and the fact that foaling is one of the very few things horses do quick and easy with very few complications the majority of the time.
FYI, there are no straps on the foal saver blanket. There is a belly band but it can be made very snug and is attached with velcro so no danger there. I definitely don’t blanket the mares ever though. A cooler if necessary immediately after foaling is ok but I remove it after she dries off, before the foal gets up.
Baby 1 is here she was born on Groundhog Day/ Super Bowl… still waiting on Baby 2.
Thanks for the suggestions on the foal saver blankets… I just got them, but it is a little large for her. Currently, she goes out in a dog blanket! I have the stall bedded deeply and she only goes out for short durations. Her dam, a maiden surprised us… nothing like opening the stall door to a baby!!!
Galloping with her dam
http://www.leakycreek.com/modules.php?set_albumName=new&id=DSCF2655&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php
