How to Care for an Orphan Foal

Foals are orphaned for a variety of reasons: their dams reject them, their dam dies during or shortly after foaling, or their dam has no milk or is unhealthy and cannot care for them. Raising an orphan is a challenge.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. While not all orphaned foals can be prevented, avoiding breeding mares who have rejected more than one foal in the past, avoid breeding unhealthy mares and avoid breeding mares with severe lameness problems that may prevent them from caring for their foal.

2. If you want to watch your mare foal, observe from a safe distance and don't bother her unless she needs assistance. Give the mare and foal time to bond.

3. If your mare is frightened of the foal or aggressive with the foal and tries to kick, bite, strike or stomp him, remove him from her stall immediately so she does not injure or kill him.

4. Foals should nurse within the first hour to two hours of life. If the mare tries to hurt the foal, you may be able to restrain her in a set of stocks and allow the foal to nurse.

5. If the mare does not let the foal nurse or if the mare dies, he will need colostrum and milk or milk replacer quickly. You may be able to milk the mare and provide him with his first drink. If not, you will need to purchase colostrum for him.

6. Sometimes a mare with a foal will produce enough milk for the orphan as well as her own foal. She may accept the foal and allow him to nurse, or you may have to restrain her so he can nurse. Some farms even provide "nurse mares" for foals who have been orphaned for a fee.

7. If a mare is not available, you will need to buy milk replacer and teach the baby to drink from a bucket. He will need to be fed every two hours for the first few weeks of life and gradually the time between feedings can increase.

8. Have your veterinarian check your foal in the first 12 - 24 hours of birth. He should test to make sure the foal received immunoglobulins (IGs) from the colostrum. IGs provide the foal with immunity against disease until his own immune system kicks in.

9. Remember to treat your foal as a horse. He should not be allowed to suckle your fingers, nibble, bite, kick, strike or rear. If he does, discipline him by pushing him away from you and using a stern "NO". Things that might be cute as a foal can be dangerous habits once he's grown.

10. If possible,, provide him equine companionship. A mare with a foal may allow the foal to hang around her even if she won't let him nurse. Some geldings also make great babysitters. A safe adult horse can teach the foal manners without hurting him.

11. Have your veterinarian check the foal periodically to make sure he's growing and progressing normally.

Tips & Warnings

• Raising an orphan can be time-intensive.
• If you provide your foal with equine companionship, carefully introduce the adult horse to your foal. Let them meet through stall gates at first and then supervise them when they're first put together to make sure the horse will not hurt the foal.