So, I finally have my first foal!! Last year my mare aborted untected twins at 7 1/2 months.
Today she delivered a healthy filly at 9:00 this morning. The delivery was textbook and the 20 year old madien mare is an excellent mother.
There is one thing about her behavior I question though. She does not seem to want the foal to lie down and rest. Since standing, the filly has only been down twice for about 10 minutes each time. The mare licks and prods her to get up, but I have seen the foal sleeping standing up.
I realize some of this behavior may be instinctive but is the mare overreacting??? The foal is about 7 hours old now.
The barn is quiet with no activity as I have a camera in the stall.
TIA
The foal really does need to lay down and sleep comfortably and get off it’s feet for periods of time. While this mare is learning about being a mom, perhaps when the foal wants to lie down, tie her in her stall in a place where if she is anxious, moving around, she can’t accidentally step on the sleeping foal. You might give her some calming supplement (check w/your vet) such as the ones sold over the counter. Stay with her while she is tied and be sure she is ok. Give her something she likes – maybe some alfalfa hay or cubes or something to keep her chewing and occupied. It is really important for the foal to rest lying down, though. Once she gets used to the foal lying down for periods of time, she should adjust and be ok with it. If she doesn’t tie, you might need to configure something so the foal is separate from her in the stall to rest and she can see him. Good luck!
PennyG
I wouldn’t worry too much about baby. Some of the foals don’t want to lie down to rest because they can’t figure out the logistics of getting down, and they will nap on their feet… As long as the mare isn’t frantic, I would just leave them alone and let things settle. They will both eventually catch some ZZzzzzzs
I agree with TKR. This is probably a maiden mare inexperience thing. I would try the distractions that TKR recommends. Hopefully mama will chill in the next day or so.
I agree. We had a maiden mare do this years ago, and I went in the stall and kept the mare distracted so the foal could eventually sleep. I did this a few times to help “teach” the new mom. As others have said, not all mares get to read the handbook before they foal :lol: Sometimes it can happen because the mom really wants that foal to drink and other times it’s just because they are a bit overprotective and inquisitive on the new life that has suddenly taken over theirs! 
It did take about 3 days for our mare to finally chill out a bit and let her kid go rouge.
When she aborted the twins she probably pawed at them trying to get them to get up. She obviously could not.
Now , she probably doesn’t want this foal laying down because she is afraid it will die.
I had a seasoned mare abort a foal one year…every year after that she would not let the newborn lay for more than 5 minutes without pawing to make it “come alive” . I had swollen legs and the foal was exhausted. we had to “ace” her and after a few days when she was convinced it would always get up , she finally let it sleep.
Hadn’t even thought of that…and makes total sense! :yes:
:)Thank you for all of the suggestions and insight. I tend to believe it was a combination of what Bayhawk suggested and the mare’s inexperience. She refused to let the foal lie down the first night. We tried just holding her and distracting her while on a lead shank. She became distraught.
This morning just as I entered the stall the filly lay down at my feet ( what an opportunity ). I spoke to the mare and just held her halter if she tried to paw the foal. She eventually relaxed and the filly slept for 30 minutes then got up on her own and nursed.
It only took that one training session. The mare has let the foal lie down to sleep several times now and stands quietly protecting it.
Thanks for helping it made it much easier for me to understand her behavior and to have several options to try.
Now I am going to get some rest!
Glad the mare is settling in, so you and the foal can get some rest!
