Pregnancy in a horse: important tips and rules

Horse pregnancy is an important moment for a farm owner. The herder must ensure that the entire process goes smoothly and without complications. It is important for any breeder to know how long pregnancy lasts in horses. A horse's gestation period is usually 11 months, but, of course, premature birth and post-maturity are possible.

It is necessary to strictly follow all the veterinarian’s instructions to eliminate the possibility of complications, then the process will be easy. A horse's pregnancy lasts on average just under 1 year, and this period is divided into 3 semesters of approximately 100-plus days.

Any period of a horse's pregnancy is very important. In the first trimester (from 1 to 100 days) the horse is fertilized and a fertilized egg is formed. The second trimester lasts from 101 to 200 days. At this stage, the embryo grows, increases in size, develops and receives all the necessary nutrients from the mother. The last trimester is the third. The gestation period for horses in the third trimester is already from 201 to 300 days. During this period, the embryo is already at the last stage of development, finally matures and is ready for life outside the mother’s body. Of course, throughout pregnancy, careful monitoring, constant examination and special care of the horse are needed. Any deviations require an urgent call to the veterinarian.

Caring for a horse during pregnancy

It is necessary to clearly monitor the horse's diet so that the foal does not turn out to be premature. Three months before birth, the total nutritional value of the food provided increases by 40% compared to the first months. The size of portions decreases, and the number of meals, on the contrary, increases, since the mare cannot eat large portions.

The company that produces horse feed always provides a variety of nutritional mixtures that can satisfy the hunger of pregnant mares.

There are a number of instructions that must be followed while the mare is in position.

Result evaluation

It is physically impossible to say for sure whether a bitch is pregnant immediately after mating. This is not possible for another 3 weeks. After 3 weeks, it is possible to confirm or refute pregnancy using an ultrasound examination. In the early stages, it can be difficult to make a 100% reliable diagnosis (depending on the quality of the image, which can vary depending on the condition of the internal organs and some other factors), but with each week the ultrasound result will be more and more reliable.

Towards the end of pregnancy, signs such as roundness of the abdomen, swelling of the mammary glands appear; caution in movements increases day by day

Determining whether a horse is pregnant

It is very important for any farmer to determine whether a horse is pregnant, even at home. A horse's first pregnancy takes longer than usual and can last 12 months. Also, the duration of pregnancy in any horse can vary, depending on the condition of the animal and other characteristics. This is quite normal and common, so it is important to prepare for this outcome.

How to determine if a horse is pregnant? An exact answer can only be obtained in the second week after mating. Of course, the very fact that there was a mating does not guarantee that a horse’s pregnancy can be immediately determined. Pregnancy may not occur the first time. To confirm a positive outcome, you must call a veterinarian for a medical examination. Diagnosis is carried out using ultrasound. The vaginal examination method is mainly used. A speculum is used to take a smear of vaginal mucus.

Afterwards, cytological and cellular examination is carried out under a microscope. During such an inspection, it is better to call a second person for help. He must lift the horse's head to shift the center of gravity. Fetters are placed on the mare's limbs, but you can also simply wrap them in a dry, warm cloth such as a sheet. This is necessary to protect against a sudden blow. The labia are disinfected, then a Polyansky speculum is inserted into the vulva. This is how the vaginal mucosa of horses is examined. In the third week, the animal’s vaginal lining becomes dull and cyanotic.

Associated symptoms:

sleep can last much longer;
in the later stages, even during wakefulness, a lot of time is spent lying down;
appetite becomes slightly higher;
“sexual desire” (interest in the opposite sex) disappears;
a pregnant horse tries to defend its territory;
there is a desire for solitude, separation from other individuals;
a couple of weeks before giving birth, the udder noticeably enlarges.

Features of sexual physiology of dogs

Dogs reach sexual maturity before the age of one year, on average at 8-12 months. This does not mean that the animal is ready for mating. For the health of the animal and the health of future offspring, one should wait until “physiological maturity” - roughly speaking, the moment when the dog truly becomes an adult in both appearance and behavior. By drawing an analogy with a person, we can understand the reason for this need. The process of puberty in dogs is similar to puberty in adolescents, and you should think about mating when the dog comes out of it.

The age at which a dog reaches puberty is affected by the gender and size of the animal - bitches and small breed dogs reach it faster.

A dog, ruled by instincts, will not care about the owner’s opinion regarding the timeliness of conceiving offspring, so you need to be vigilant on walks.

For the dog's physical health, sexual contact must be allowed regularly (twice a year). Twice a year you need to think about where to put the puppies, if any. In the case of a male dog, of course, there is no such problem, but increasing the population of stray dogs is also not a good choice, although it looks as if responsibility for the future generation has been removed from the owner’s shoulders.

Preparing for horse birth

Giving birth to a horse is a crucial moment. It is important to carry out regular deep cleaning of the stall. Accordingly, at a period of 10-11 months it is necessary to clean the place where the birth will take place. A new and warm bedding should be laid on the floor, the light should be adjusted: it should not hurt the eyes, but at the same time it should be enough for the comfort of the person controlling the process. Providing a calm environment is essential for both the veterinarian and any individual. But most of all, this is important for the horse itself, so that its offspring are healthy and the birth process goes without complications.

It is recommended to tie the mare's tail with a clean cloth, which can be pre-treated with an antiseptic for complete sterility.

Before giving birth, it is important to slightly adjust your diet. When the baby does not appear on time, it is better not to overfeed the female; you need to give her light food, and also monitor the availability of clean drinking water. At the same time, you need to feed the female with food rich in minerals and vitamins.

Deadlines

The duration of maternity leave directly depends on how the woman experienced the period of bearing a child and how the birth itself went. Now in Russia there is a scheme that you can rely on and understand how many days of rest a pregnant employee is entitled to:

• 140 calendar days - a woman goes on vacation 70 days before the day of birth and rests for another 70 days after the birth of the child. Issued to those who have given birth to one child and whose pregnancy proceeded normally; • 156 calendar days - the essence here is simple, because 16 additional days are added to the 140 allotted days. Such leave is granted to those who have one child in the family, but the birth was accompanied by complications. Issued 70 days before birth; • 194 calendar days - such a long leave is given to those who are expecting the birth of more than one child. Issued to women who feel normal during pregnancy. They can go on vacation 84 days before the birth of their children. It is also worth noting that the same long leave is granted to those who only learned about a multiple pregnancy during childbirth. After the birth of a baby, a woman is given sick leave for 54 days, which is added to the required 140 days; • 156 calendar days - allocated to those women whose pregnancy ended between 22 and 30 weeks. This leave is issued from the moment of premature birth; • 70 calendar days - due to those who adopted a child under three months old. Employees can go on this leave from the day of adoption; • 110 calendar days - issued to employees who have adopted more than one child under three months.

Pregnant women who live or work in places with increased radiation contamination can be placed in a separate category. In such cases, leave is issued 90 days before the expected birth, and its duration depends entirely on the condition of the expectant mother. Thus, women whose pregnancy proceeded normally can count on 160 calendar days, 176 days are allocated for those who experienced complications during childbirth, 200 days of leave are given to those whose family has two or more children.

It is worth noting that it is the complexity of childbirth and the number of children that regulate the number of vacation days. If the pregnancy was multiple, then the process of giving birth to children will be considered difficult in advance. The law provides for these nuances to ensure the optimal number of rest days for new mothers.

We have also explored other options for the development of events. Let’s say a woman refused maternity leave, but later decided to take it. In this case, the sick leave certificate will not include the full time period of leave due to the expectant mother, but will include dates taking into account the missed time. Thus, the period of leave before childbirth may be slightly reduced.

It also happens that sick leave certificates are not issued to pregnant women due to the fault of doctors. The reasons may be different, but one thing is worth noting - the duration of validity of such a disability document is not reduced.

Length of pregnancy

A horse's pregnancy lasts 341 days (up to 11 months). In a normal course, pregnancy (another name for pregnancy in horses) will take exactly this period of time. A certain season, stage of development, size of the embryo, food used - all this can slightly increase or shorten the duration of fetal ripening (up to two weeks in one direction or the other). Typically fillies are born a little earlier than stallions. When carrying twins, the process lasts no longer than with one baby.

If a horse is carrying a foal for the first time, it will certainly turn out to be premature or post-term.

How long does it take to bear a baby?

The average gestation period for a baby is 11 months (340 days). This time is enough for the full development of the fetus. In reality, the deadlines can be shifted and depend on a number of factors:

the horse's health status;
features of the course of pregnancy;
multiple births;
a first-time mare carries longer – up to 12 months;
Pregnancy with a male foal lasts an average of 2 weeks longer.

Mares can go pregnant for 310-370 days, this is within physiological norms.

The first signs of impending labor in a mare

It is important to understand in time that the horse’s labor has begun and it is time to prepare for the birth of the foal. The best assistant in this matter is attentiveness. There are several signs that help you understand that a foal is about to be born. Before giving birth, the animal behaves worried and agitated, is constantly on the move, and refuses to eat.

In addition to behavioral signs, external signs are also indicative: mucus is released from the mare’s genital tract, milk flows from the udder, and active sweating is observed. The udder increases significantly in size, and the horse's stomach moves closer to the pelvic area.

What to do if things don't go according to plan

What to do if the birth was complicated? The most important thing is the presence of a veterinarian. Usually, with proper diagnosis in the modern world, it is not difficult to identify possible problems. If physiologically the whole process is unfavorable, you need to understand that this should be detected in time and there are several signs of this.

length of the process;
non-standard position of the embryo, as a result of which the movement along the birth canal is incorrect, limbs or only one leg protrude from the genital canal, but no head is observed;
the foal's movements are limited and slow, there are no movements every 10 minutes;
numerous lacerations in the mare's perineum.
the placenta does not come out a couple of hours after the foal emerges, the mare may become internally infected.
fever, signs of inflammation and seizures.

Correct birth delivery

On the eve of giving birth, the mare's behavior changes dramatically. She may refuse food, a certain anxiety is felt in her actions (constantly changes position, rushes from the herd to solitude in the stall and vice versa).

External signs of this condition include:

swollen udder;
drops of milk appearing on the nipples;
mucus on the external genitalia;
swelling in the labia area;
expanded pelvis.

Regardless of how long a horse's pregnancy lasts, it is desirable to minimize the need for outside participation in the birth process. But here everything may depend on how well the contact is established between the person and the pet. It is quite possible that the presence of a well-known groom will have a very favorable effect.

When labor begins, the horse is placed on its side and begins to push. At this moment it is better not to disturb her again. Try to be as calm as possible (your feelings will easily be conveyed to the animal, and this is completely useless) and make as little noise as possible.

How many foals can it give birth to?

The maximum number of foals produced by one foal is two. If a mare carries two foals, she will become significantly emaciated and both foals will be born weak or dead. Most often, one fetus is stillborn and the other is healthy. Normally, a mare carries and gives birth to one foal.

Important! If the birth of a multiple pregnancy proceeds normally, the second foal will appear 10 minutes after the birth of the first. In this case, you should not allow the mare to turn her tail towards a wall or fence, otherwise the second baby will be crushed.

Mating

At approximately 1.5 years the mare becomes sexually mature. However, at this age, it is not yet developed enough for pregnancy to pass without complications and a normal foal to be born. Physiological maturity of the mare's body occurs at the age of 3-4 years. Therefore, the first mating of a mare is carried out when she reaches physiological maturity of the body - i.e. at the age of 3-4 years.

Horse owners wishing to receive a full-fledged offspring from their mares should be given a period from March-April to mid-July for the horse to mate. In regions with harsh climatic conditions, in order to avoid the occurrence of colds in the animal, the beginning and end of the breeding period are shifted forward by two weeks.

Horses use several methods of mating:

1. Manual mating - individual selection of mares and stallions is carried out, sexual intercourse takes place under the direct control and supervision of horse owners. This type of mating allows you to keep accurate records of inseminations, regulate sexual load, and conduct an examination by a veterinary specialist.

One stallion is assigned 40-50 mares. Only healthy animals are allowed to mate. Before coitus, the external genitalia are washed with warm water, the mare’s tail is bandaged with a clean bandage and pulled aside to prevent hair from injuring the stallion’s penis. The mare must have her hind legs unchained. To avoid injury to the stallion, a breeding harness is placed around his neck. The stallion's penis and preputial sac are washed with warm water and dried with sterile wipes. Mating is carried out in a quiet, calm environment. The stallion's first coitus is allowed on the second day (in the evening) after detecting heat in the mare and is repeated until bedtime after 48 hours, and in the presence of pronounced heat - after 24-36 hours.

2. Cook mating. Mares scheduled for insemination are brought into a spacious enclosure (varok, baz) and a stallion is released to them, who himself selects the queens in heat and inseminates them without the intervention of caring staff. Mares and stallions should be relaxed. The burden on the producer is the same as with manual mating. The stallion is kept separately from the mares and released into the breeding area for 1-2 hours in the morning and evening.

3. School mating is used in herd horse breeding. The stud stallion is kept around the clock along with the mares in the pasture under the supervision of the herdmaster, who records the insemination of the queens. In this case, coitus is carried out by the producer without human assistance. One adult stallion is assigned 20-35 mares; for the young -12-20, for the old -12-15 mares.

Organization of necessary conditions

In order for the mare to give birth safely, care should be taken to ensure that she is in a warm room without drafts. Also, at the time of resolution of pregnancy, no strangers or animals should be near the horse. Lighting should be moderate (not too bright). It is advisable to cover the floor with dry straw bedding at room temperature.

Pre-disinfect the walls, floors and feeders with drinkers. For these purposes, a solution of iodine or potassium permanganate can be used. There should be a coarse cloth on the floor under the straw, which will absorb birth secretions.

The end of pregnancy is usually known a day or two before it happens, by the swollen mammary glands of the mare. Childbirth can take place not in a stable, but in “field conditions”. There is no need to worry too much in such a situation: for a horse such an environment is natural, so it will be able to take care of both itself and the newborn.

Before the foal begins to be born, be sure to tie the mare's tail (this will make labor easier). To do this, fold it in half and wrap it with a bandage.

Preparing the premises

Labor in horses begins late at night or early in the morning and usually lasts about half an hour if it occurs without complications.
Start preparing for foaling several hours before the expected time. Clean the foal horse's stall, disinfect it and cover it with fresh deep bedding; dim the lights in the stall. It is also recommended to cover the bedding with clean natural fabric.
Shortly before giving birth, the horse begins to turn around on its croup, worry, lie on its side and sweat profusely. At this point, you need to clear the stall of strangers and not disturb the mare in the future. Important! A horse before foaling can behave calmly. In this case, a sure sign of impending labor will be a large amount of mucus on her labia and frequent attempts to rub her tail against the walls of the stall.

Care and feeding of the foal from the first days of birth

In the first few days after birth, the foal and its mother should be placed in a semi-dark room so that bright light does not irritate the baby’s eyes. Around the fourth day, the foal and mare can already be released into the yard. To begin with, walking should be done in cloudy weather so that the sun does not spoil the foal’s vision. The raising of young animals must be done from the first days of its life. The first step is to teach the foal to trust people and not be afraid of them. To do this, you can scratch the baby, stroke him or caress him. Foals really like such caresses.

Did you know? Horses have fairly well-developed vision - thanks to the special structure of their eyes, these animals are able to distinguish all colors except red and blue.
In addition, horses have the ability to see in the dark, easily navigating in space even without light.
And the viewing radius of horses is 360 degrees, so the animal always controls the situation around itself.

Under no circumstances should you allow yourself to be rude to your baby; It is also necessary to ensure that other people do not offend the newborn. Cruelty will greatly affect the character of a maturing horse, not for the better. Also, you cannot hold the foal by parts of the body: tail, ears, nose, etc. - this way you can hurt him. It is better to immediately accustom the animal to a halter, which is put on the foal from the first days. An important factor for the baby’s health is hygiene, especially when it comes to hooves. The fact is that a newborn foal’s hoof is completely empty underneath.

All kinds of dirt, manure and similar debris get clogged into these very voids. All this goes deep and hardens, which leads to inflammation and lameness. To prevent these problems, hooves must be cleaned daily. As for nutrition, there is nothing better for a baby in the first month than mother’s milk. It is from this that the foal receives all the necessary microelements. The owner of a new family needs to ensure that the baby eats all the colostrum, which helps strengthen the immune system and produce meconium (original feces).

A month and a half after birth, the animal can already be accustomed to regular food. For the first feeding, it is better to use oats ground to flour. If you don't want to grind it, you can cook it until soft. Starting from the age of two months, you can begin to prepare nutritional mixtures for the animal using oats, bran and legumes. The daily volume of such food should begin with 0.5 kilograms, gradually increasing the dose to 4 kg at six months of age. In addition to such tender foods, you need to start accustoming your baby to rough food, such as hay.

Find out how long and in what position horses sleep.

You can also start giving it as early as two months, and you should also add carrots to your diet. The baby himself will find vitamin food for himself by nibbling grass with his mother. But in the cold season it is necessary to add nutrients to his diet. It is worth noting that the age of up to one year is the most important in a horse’s life. It was at this time that the foundation for her entire future life was laid. Therefore, a growing body needs to be given monocalcium phosphate, as well as various premixes, which must be fed strictly according to the instructions that come with them.

How do horses give birth?

If the foaling proceeds without complications, the foal emerges from the birth canal with its hooves and muzzle first.
The hardest part is the foal's chest. Further labor takes no more than 5 minutes. During labor, the mare may roll around on the floor, wag her tail, and kick her hind legs. The veterinarian only intervenes if the fetus is in the wrong position in the womb or the horse is too weak to push it out on its own.
He can hold the horse's legs or help the fetus move through the birth canal. Did you know? Until the first decade of the 20th century, the problem of horse manure and urine was the most serious pollution problem in European and American cities.
At the end of the 19th century, New York had a half-million horse population to make up for the lack of transportation, and only the advent of cars three decades later could solve this problem. If a horse gives birth while standing, the foal falls out of the birth canal and the umbilical cord breaks on its own. A horse that gives birth lying down gets up a few minutes after foaling and thereby breaks the umbilical cord.

The fetus is born in a filmy bluish-blue bubble. Normally, the bubble ruptures on its own, but if this does not happen, burst it with your hands and wipe the mucus off the foal’s face with a clean cloth. The baby begins to stand on its feet 40–50 minutes after birth. During this time, you need to wash the horse’s udder and hind legs with warm water and change the soiled bedding.

A horse that has not previously given birth will usually rest for 10 to 15 minutes and then begin licking, sniffing, and nipping the foal to get it to its feet.
The baby begins to feed on mother's milk an hour and a half after birth. Important! Two and a half hours after birth, the foal should pass meconium (first feces).
If this does not happen, it is necessary to stimulate defecation by inserting a finger into the foal's anus or giving him a few tablespoons of castor oil. If the sucking reflex does not appear during this time, wait another half hour, milk the mare and feed the foal milk from a bottle.

Accepting a foal

After leaving the uterus, the foal is located in a bluish mucous membrane - in a bladder. Most often this membrane is torn, but sometimes it is necessary to pierce it with a sterile instrument. It is important to pay attention to the foal's breathing: it should be clear and rhythmic. Mucus should not be in the respiratory tract. If this happens, you need to be prepared to hygienically remove mucus and other accumulations. The umbilical cord should fall off on its own as soon as the mother gets back on her feet; it is not recommended to cut it yourself at home. In rare cases, this does not happen, then it is necessary, under the supervision of a veterinarian, to cut the umbilical cord using sterile instruments treated with an antiseptic solution and a napkin. Afterwards you need to tie the umbilical cord with a strong thread.

The baby should be wrapped in something clean and warm, such as a sheet, and placed near the horse's udder. After 40 minutes, the newborn is already able to stand on his feet. If this does not happen and he has been lying there for more than half a day, then it is worth inviting a veterinarian, since it is possible that both the foal and his mother may have some pathologies.

After 3 hours, the foal passes feces and appears dark brown. It accumulates while it is in the mare's womb. When the foal stands up, he is hungry, so he is in a state of searching for the udder. You can help him. It is extremely important that after birth the foal eats milk and receives all the necessary nutrients. If the foal has no appetite, does not eat anything, is acting unhealthy and irritable, it is necessary to call a veterinarian to determine the cause and provide medical assistance.

Postpartum period

Postpartum discharge in a horse stops on the seventh day, so during this time the bedding in the stall must be changed daily. The placenta should leave within 3 hours after birth. If it does not come out or does not come out entirely, seek help from a veterinarian, since the placenta remaining in the uterus can cause inflammation.

5 hours after giving birth, give the horse a warm drink of bran and give him a bunch of the best hay.

Monitor the mare and foal closely for a week after birth. The baby should often suck the udder (up to 40 times a day) and rapidly gain weight (from 500 g to 1 kg per day).

A healthy mare will have a full but not inflamed udder, and she will be active and calm. The diet of the mare that gave birth differs little from the usual. It should include plenty of water, high-quality hay and abundant vegetable feeding. If desired, introduce fermented milk cottage cheese and boiled chicken eggs into the mare's diet.

Three days after giving birth, the horse and baby can be released for the first walk, and after another two weeks, the horse can be put to work, gradually increasing the load. You should not separate the foal from the horse, as it will become nervous, distracted, and may break free and run into the stall.

Keep your baby close to his mother and allow him to breastfeed frequently. At this time, he grows rapidly, begins to imitate the behavior of an adult, and separation from his mother will have a bad effect on his health. The foal can be weaned at 6–7 months of age, by which time it will become independent and its bond with its mother will begin to weaken.

Did you know? From the beginning of the 19th century to the beginning of the 21st century, the record for weight and height among horses belonged to a giant shire named Samson. This stallion weighed almost one and a half tons and was more than two meters tall. This record was broken only in 2010 by a Belgian stallion named Big Jack. Jack was born in Wisconsin, USA, and at the age of three he reached a unique height of 2 m 10 cm. This is the largest stallion of all existing stallions in the world.

Pregnancy in horses is called foaling and normally lasts approximately 11 months. It can be determined by external or internal examination, instrumentally, and also using laboratory tests. Most often, a mare gives birth to one foal, less often - two.

As soon as the horse begins to show signs of impending labor, it is necessary to prepare a stall for it and invite an observing veterinarian. If the birth takes place without complications, the mare recovers completely in the second week after foaling and can be used again for work.

Here is a short list of the most common signs that your ferret is not feeling well:

changes in behavior that are not characteristic of the character (any deviation of behavior from the norm, be it lethargy, apathy, decreased mobility, or, conversely, excessive nervousness, anxiety, is a reason for close monitoring of the animal’s condition and, at the slightest suspicion of ill health, a reason for a visit to the doctor) ;
complete lack of mobility (if the animal lies motionless with its eyes closed - an alarming sign indicating a very serious condition of the animal);
rapid, difficult breathing or, conversely, breathing that is sharply slow and shallow;
limited mobility (impaired ability to support the front or hind limbs);
lameness (intermittent or absolute lameness in one of the limbs);
slow growth and development of young animals;
alopecia (hairless areas of skin), redness, peeling, thickening and hardening of skin areas;
wounds, abrasions, scratches, scratches, crusts, etc. on the surface of the skin;
excessive hair loss;
tousled, dry, dull or matted coat;
gradual thinning of the coat, most often starting from the tail and back (signs of the possible development of hyperadrenocorticism - disease of the adrenal glands);
changes in body contour (eg, bloating);
the formation of skin and subcutaneous compactions, swellings (especially the appearance of swelling at the tip of the ferret’s tail - a sign of the formation of a rather aggressive tumor - chordoma);
itching, restlessness, scratching;
itching, restlessness in the area of the ears (a very common disease in ferrets is otodectosis - ear scabies);
discharge of various types (mucous, bloody, purulent, etc.) from the nose, eyes;
sneezing, coughing, difficulty breathing;
excessive drooling, difficulty eating and chewing food (signs of tartar formation, the presence of a foreign body in the mouth, or low blood sugar due to insulinoma);
gradual or sudden weight loss;
decreased or lack of appetite (an extremely dangerous sign, since due to intense metabolism, even a short-term lack of appetite can lead to irreversible consequences);
vomit;
decreased or, conversely, increased thirst;
difficulty urinating in small portions or its complete absence;
change in the color or character of urine;
small, infrequent, dry stools or its absence (especially in combination with signs such as vomiting and lack of appetite may indicate that the ferret has eaten a foreign body);
loose stools, change in stool color, stools mixed with blood, mucus, etc.;
increased fatigue, loss of consciousness (often a sign of cardiac pathology or weakness due to low blood sugar with insulinoma);
convulsions and paralysis.

In addition to self-examinations, it is recommended to conduct regular preventive examinations with a veterinarian. For timely prevention and detection of a number of diseases, it is recommended to visit a veterinarian at least once a year. These examinations can be combined with vaccination.

About some emergency situations

Unfortunately, foaling may not always be successful and safe for the horse. It happens that a mare aborts her calf. Most often, the reasons for this lie in the carelessness and inattention of the owner to his pet. If this does happen, all the bedding in the stall should be carefully collected, taken out of the stable and burned, and the stall itself should be disinfected. The horse must be thoroughly examined, for which a veterinarian must be invited, and the aborted fetus must be burned after visiting the veterinarian. It should, however, be said that abortions of horses kept on a private farmstead are quite rare. Usually everything goes well.

Another emergency situation for a horse owner (although quite normal for the animal itself) can be giving birth in a pasture. There is nothing wrong with this; almost always these births end very well. Even the firstborn, obeying genetic instinct, will do everything right and bring the foal into the stall to the delight of all household members.

Finally, signs that you should definitely pay attention to during childbirth are:

an overly drawn-out process.
one leg protruding from the birth canal, two legs without a head, or any other abnormal position of the fetus.
failure of the foal to advance within every 10 minutes.
disturbances during the passage of the placenta.
ruptures of the birth canal.
congestion after birth, convulsions, inflammation of the udder, fever and lethargy of the horse the day after birth.

In all these cases, it is imperative to contact a veterinarian.

What problems may arise

Various complications after childbirth are not uncommon.

Important! At the slightest deviation, you should immediately call a veterinarian. Timely, qualified assistance will help avoid the death of the foal.

Possible complications include:

Cardiac or respiratory arrest. They require resuscitation of the foal using artificial respiration and cardiac massage.
Placental abruption. Accompanied by a red coloration of the amniotic sac. When a baby appears in such a bubble, resuscitation is required.
The appearance of a green bubble or a yellow tint to the skin. They indicate serious illness in the foal and require prompt treatment.
Meconium retention. Accompanied by cramps in the intestines. The doctor's help consists of using antispasmodics and cleansing the intestines.
The entry of microbes into the baby's body during childbirth.
Congenital deformities of the limbs.
Prematurity.