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by Kim and Kari Baker

Mirror KB Equine Article Series

Nurturing the Motherless Foal

Article and Photos by Kim and Kari Baker

There is no sight sadder than a bewildered newborn, lying alone in the deeply bedded straw of her box stall. It wasn’t suppose to happen this way. However, during labor things took a turn for the worse and your newborn is now motherless. Or perhaps, for some reason the mare shirks her motherly duties. In either case, the fate of the new arrival is suddenly in your hands.

You’ve determined that for the moment the neonate appears healthy, but since the foal’s own internal defenses are not fully developed at birth, she won’t survive for long without her mother’s "first milk." While the human mother is capable of passing antibodies to her fetus directly through the umbilical cord, the mare’s protein immunoglobulin G (IgG), the primary component of antibodies in horses, is too large to pass through the substantial tissue plane between the mare and foal. Colostrum, provides concentrated levels of protein, energy and vitamin A as well as the crucial antibodies necessary for combating infections. The equine neonate’s "open" digestive tract is equipped with cells that absorb these protein molecules during the first few hours of life. It is essential that the newborn receive this antibody-and-glucose-laden "first milk" optimally from birth to eight hours postpartum to prevent the absorption of bacteria that will lead to septicemia. At about 12 hours old the foal’s digestive tract begins to "close" as the cells are used up and a normal GI barrier is formed. Without this initial store of essential protein, the foal is in constant danger of infection until she develops her own immune system (active immunity).

If the mare rejected her foal after delivery or the mare died due to delivery complications rather than disease, her colostrum can be hand milked and fed to the newborn with a bottle and rubber nipple.

An alternative source of colostrum is often obtainable from large breeding farms who collect a pint of the rich "first milk" from their best milking mares and freeze it for just such a misfortune. The frozen colostrum should be thawed slowly at room temperature. It is vital to note that impatiently zapping it in the microwave will destroy its protective antibodies.

There is a major drawback to obtaining colostrum from a mare not located on the same farm as the orphan. If the farm is lax in vaccination practices the foal could be vulnerable to tetanus and other environmental invaders. The mare is also capable of only developing antibodies against the organisms present in her environment and not necessarily the organisms in the foal’s surroundings (antibody specificity).

If colostrum is unobtainable or the quality of available colostrum is in question, there is another alternative. Commercial concentrated serum products bypass the risk of infection, allergic reactions, neonatal isoerythrolysis and other complications that may arise when colostrum is obtained from a single donor. These preparations can be absorbed by the neonates "open" gut if administered orally during the first 12 hours of life. However, after that time, they can be administered intravenously by your veterinarian. The newborn’s antibody levels should be tested by 12 hours of age. If the IgG levels are below 400 mg/dl, the foal will require additional serum to build up his immunity. The foal’s body will begin to manufacture IgG at about seven to eight weeks of age, but will be vulnerable to infection until he has developed adequate levels of antibodies at around five to six months.

Once the foal has received some form of antibody protection, you may want to locate a nursemare to take over the duties of providing nourishment. Some farms make it a business of providing nursemares for orphan foals. The farm’s mares are separated from their own foals, who are then hand raised. Another option may be convincing a heavy milking mare to nurse her own foal along with your orphan. In either case, it is generally easier to encourage a calm, older mare to accept an orphan, rather than a young, nervous mare.

If a nursemare is acquired from another farm, it is best to let her become accustomed to her new surroundings before introductions are made. To help the first meeting get off to a good start you should prepare the foal in advance. The more she smells like the prospective foster dam the better. Eliminate any odors that the mare may find offensive. Rubbing the foal down with salt water will help remove these objectionable odors. Smudging the newborn’s from head to tail with the mare’s fresh milk, feces, and urine will make the foal smell more like her. A wanting stomach at the time of the first meeting will also encourage the foal to nurse.

The mare can be readied too, by smearing a bit of her milk or some Vicks around her nostrils to help mask odors. She will be less reluctant to nurse the orphan if her bag is fairly full, but not painfully tight.

During the initial meeting you may run into resistance from the mare. If she is just a little hesitant you can often encourage her to stand still by picking up a front foot. If the mare is more aggressively unyielding, it may be necessary to cover her eyes with a towel or even sedating her. At all costs, you don’t want to endanger yourself or the orphan with an extremely reluctant mare. Confining the mare and foal in adjacent stalls or paddocks will allow them to become safely acquainted to each other. During this time you will be hand milking the mare and feeding it by bottle to the foal. Within few days the orphan will begin to smell familiar to the mare and she should readily accept the foal.

Though another mare’s milk is the best substitute, as it provides the proper formula, delivered at all the right times, locating a nursemare may be impossible or impractical. If that is the case you still have other options. Goat’s milk is similar to mare’s milk, and can be fed straight from the goat or from a bottle. Most nannies can be trusted to dispense nourishment at the foal’s insistence and will readily learn to stand on a bale of hay or straw at regular intervals, without your urging, so that the foal can reach the faucet. A goat will also provide the youngster with the all important companionship necessary for the psychological well-being of the foal. Goat’s milk can have it’s problems though. One complication may be firm stools which could lead to impaction. This can be dealt with by feeding ½ to one ounce of mineral oil to the foal once or twice daily. The foal may also become lethargic and uninterested in feeding due to metabolic acidosis from feeding on goat’s milk. This can easily be cleared up by substituting another milk replacer.

If your search for an equine or caprine wet nurse runs dry, an orphan can be raised successfully on a commercial milk replacer. Use only milk substitutes formulated for foals and follow the directions carefully according to the manufacture’s directions. In areas where commercial milk replacers are difficult to obtain you may wish to mix up a batch of home-made formula. They work just as well as the commercial formulas but are not as convenient.

The newborn will require hourly feedings for the first five to ten days of life. The milk replacer should be a lukewarm 98 to 100 degrees and fed with a clean sterilized bottle outfitted with a lamb nipple. After ten days it is safe to cut back to two-hour intervals at night, but continue the hourly feedings during the day. After two weeks of age the feedings can be cut back to every two hours and gradually to three hours. Teaching her to drink from a bucket or bowl as soon a possible will make things much easier for you and safer for the foal. During bottle feeding the youngster is more likely to swallow air or choke on milk coming too fast. Also, be sure to hold the bottle no higher than the foal’s head. It should be noted that a foal with a weak suck reflex should never be bottle fed due to the likelihood of aspiration pneumonia or the inadequate intake of nutrition. In these cases, the use of a nasogastric tube is recommended until the foal has a strong suck reflex.

The youngster can be introduced to mold and dust free, leafy alfalfa hay as early as ten days. A pelleted milk replacer may also be offered along with a high protein grain at twenty days of age. The grain mix should be fed twice daily, starting with one cup of the milk-based pellet to a half-pound of 16% sweet feed. Follow the feeding directions on the manufacture’s label, gradually increasing the grain mix and decreasing the liquid formula until the foal is weaned.

Check the foal regularly to be sure the foal is not becoming dehydrated. The pinch test isn’t as accurate on foals as adult horses so watch for other telltale signs of dehydration such as dry skin and mucous membranes, cold extremities, a pinched, drawn appearance, and a sunken look to the eye. Check the youngster’s temperature daily and be on the look out for diarrhea or any other abnormal signs.

With your vigilant care over her first difficult weeks of life, your foal may very well be as large and robust as the rest of the foals, but the youngster must now become socialized to the proper conduct of equines. It is essential that she be encouraged to associate with other horses. Allowing the orphan to join a small herd of mares and their foals at pasture will teach her acceptable herd behavior. The mares and other foals will discipline your motherless youngster and act as excellent role models. Likewise, the orphan must learn the same lesson from you. Mothering a foal is much like mothering a child. If you indulge either youngster they will quickly turn into a little terror, but just like a child, your youngster will need reassurance after a reprimand.

As a foster parent to a motherless foal you will be responsible for the physical and psychological well-being. You’ll slave through many days of hard work and struggle through sleepless nights fretting over your charge, but there is no greater reward than watching your orphaned baby develop into a healthy, well adjusted adolescent.

Sources for Colostrum and Milk Replacer

Commercial concentrated serum products for oral use

Sermune™ Equine IgG – Phone 800-552-3984; 913-541-1307

Lyophilized Equine IgG – (Lymphomune™) Diagnon Corp. Phone 800-208-3149

Commercial milk replacer

Foal Lac™ – Pet-Ag, Phone 800-332-0877

Mare’s Match – Land O Lakes, Webster City, IA

Nutrifoal™ – Ken Vet, Phone 800-338-7953

Buckeye Mare’s Milk Plus – Buckeye Feeds, Phone 800-321-0412

Make your own recipe

8 oz. 2% milk -- standard cow’s milk is higher in butterfat and protein and lower in water and sugar than mare’s milk. If used, it must be diluted because it is much too rich and will cause intestinal ailments.

One teaspoon white corn syrup -- honey or molasses can also be used. The simple sugar glucose is an essential source of energy for the newborn, who will require plenty of it to keep up her strength.

You may also want to add two tablespoons of plain yogurt to the formula if diarrhea occurs. Lactose, a natural sugar present in milk, sometimes causes diarrhea when it is ingested in its unprocessed form. Be sure the yogurt you choose contains the live bacterial organism lactobacillus, which predigests lactose. Yogurt is also another digestible source of calcium.

If the foal begins to suffer from scours, try substituting the following formula with electrolytes.

Two quarts water
One package Sure-Jell
Four to five tablespoons Dannon yogurt
One tablespoon each of low-sodium salt, baking soda and flavored gelatin

This formula is especially useful on hot days when extra electrolytes are needed and can also be given to foals who get diarrhea from consuming too much of their dam’s milk. Most foals will readily devour it and will continue to grow and gain weight if the amount of yogurt is gradually increased until it comprises 50 percent of the mixture.

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Mirror KB Articles about horses & horse care

Mirror KB Articles
about horses & horse care