life has always allowed mares to foal outside in a position where the mare felt most safe and was able to give begin without any predators to contend with. Nowadays, we tend to manage the birthing of horses and therefore the foaling stall is something that has become common practice with many horses breeders. One biggest consideration is the cell that you are able to offer the mare.
The stall should be entirely stripped bare and disinfected long before the mare is to be located in there. By removing all the old or current bedding you are able to assess the flooring of the stall. If it is a concrete or timber floor then care should be taken to ensure that there are no wear patches in the timber, and if so, it should be replaced fully rather than patched up.
Should the surface of the flooring be earth or earth related, such as clay or limestone, then efforts should be made to keep the surface as even as possible. Many times horses that are stalled can develop arrant habits such as pawing, especially around feeders or water bins.
A very popular material is horse stall rubber matting. Many of the reasons why horse owners choose this flooring option comes down to the safety for the horse, as well as comfort, less bedding requirements and also warmth .
If you have holes, dips or divots then make sure they are filled prior to laying the rubber matting. Failing to do so can cause injury to the horse and foal and can be uncomfortable for the mare to lay upon. Once you have evened out the under surface of the stall flooring then you are able to lay the rubber mats.
Keep in mind that the stall should have been completely stripped prior to this application and the stall thoroughly disinfected and cleaned. All sharp and protruding objects including feed bins and waters should be removed, and thoroughly sanitized also.
Straw can have a high dust volume and using excessive amounts in a stall can construct respiratory problems for horses. Foals in particular do not need to compromise the quality of air they need to breathe and so it is important to choose a dust free or dust reduced bedding for the stall.
The exact type of bedding materiel differs greatly and is often times dependent upon an owners budget and experience.Others believe that straw is deep enough to allow the mare to comfortably allot birth and allows the foal to find traction when trying to stand. The best way to ensure that you use a minimal amount of bedding and yet still be able to offer maximum comfort is to lay specialized horse stall rubber matting down .
When this happens the foal will need a surface where it can easily grip in order to stand within minutes. Rubber mats can offer the best in traction regardless of whether the mat is dry or wet. This can be essential in getting a foal up and suckling as soon as possible, and any delay in this first suckle should be avoided.
Cleaning manure and checking that the foal has had its alpha bowel actions is imperative to the health and well existence of the mare and foal. Use rounded edge, rubber type feed bins in the stall as well as water supply so that the foal does not knock or damage itself on them. Make absolute there is a light within the stall area but not in a place that may disturb the mare and foal.
After allowing the mare to have at least 48 hours of abutting with her foal, give them some time outside in a safe and well fenced day yard. Ensuring that you can provide the safest and most agreeable foaling ambience for your mare, your foal will enter the world in a safe and protective fashion.
