Orphan Foals

antibodies so if you have an orphan whose intake of colostrum is limited or none at all it would be wise to have this test done.
Regardless of whether the mare dies or rejects the foal it is vital to try and milk as much colostrum from her as soon as possible.
A live mare may need to be restrained in a crushstocks or sedated by the vet in order to do this unless you have taught her to accept touching around the teats before foaling highly recommend!.
How to milk the mare
A large 30 or 50ml syringe with the nozzle cut off and the plunger inserted into that end will make an effective device to suck milk from the mare. Make sure the udder has been cleaned with mild soap and water beforehand and is moist to give a good seal.
Always use a clean sterile container to hold the milk which can then be offered to the foal in a human baby bottle or carefully dripped into their mouth via a syringe.
The foals head must be elevated to simulate the suckling position under the mare so the milk goes down the throat rather than the windpipe. Forcing the foal to take colostrum or milk can result in it entering the lungs and causing pneumonia.
If you dont have ready access to colostrum for some reason then give the foal some glucose or honey dissolved in boiled water.
They usually only drink up to 250ml each feed in their first 24 hours so small amounts every 1520 minutes will simulate a normal drinking pattern.
Housing the foal
Once you have given the foal its first feed of colostrum you need to ensure it has shelter from either cold or heat especially at night when it should be kept warm.
A foal blanket is a good idea along with deep straw or hay for bedding inside a shed or stable.
If you dont have shelter available then a horse floattrailer can make a temporary home or even a tentmarquee that has a roof and sides.
If the mare has died then its important to provide equine company over a fencebarrier if you can. If not then get your sleeping bag out and be prepared to bed down with the foal.
You will need to feed it every 12 hours to start with so you might as well stay close.
If the mare is alive but has rejected the foal keep her close but