The High Risk Mare

the foal develops a life threatening immune mediated anemia. The risk of acquiring NI from a donor is quite low and only a low percentage of mares with blood group risk develop red blood cell sensitization thus many managers will use unmatched colostrum if there is no history of NI in the mare. Conversely mares with a history of having a foal with NI may benefit by testing for blood group compatibility prior to mating to choose a compatible stallion or the foal should be prevented from nursing and the mare milked for two days following foaling to remove colostrum from the udder after which the foal may be allowed to nurse the mare. It is recommended that a foal receive at least 1 5 litres of good quality colostrum in the first 24 hours of life. Some colostrum even from another species such as a cow or goat is better than no colostrum at all. Oral commercial colostrum supplements are also available and plasma may be fed orally to foals to provide some protection. Foals may need to be transfused with plasma to achieve passive antibody protection if more than 24 hours has elapsed since birth.
Parturition
Parturition is the process that prepares the foal and dam for birth initiates the labour and delivery of the foal and placenta and prepares the mare for the beginning of lactation. In a broader sense perinatology encompasses parturition and many other aspects of clinical importance. It has been best described by Dr. Peter Rossdale Perinatology contains elements which are both maternal and foetal adult and newborn in a remarkable example of collaborative biological function that is partly parasitic partly symbiotic and partly independent. It involves a wide variety of disciplines and has evolved through direct scientific experimentation and by more clinical observations. 
In spite of remarkable advances in many other areas of equine reproduction our understanding of perinatology and parturition in the horse still remains unclear. Parturition in the mare is an exciting time where almost a years worth of waiting comes to fruition. Mares are notoriously sneaky at foaling while unobserved hence many monitoring systems have evolved to determine when a mare is foaling. Closed circuit TVs baby nursery monitors contact devices with transponders electronic tampons such as Birth Alert and magnets such as Foal Alert have all been used with some success. The disadvantage of these monitoring methods is that the observer