Essential foaling kit

[lauren1988]

Just wondering if anyone with previous breeding experience could give me some advice please. My mare is due to foal in April, we have a baby monitor with screen ready to use and will be on foal watch, but what items should I have in a "foaling kit"? So far I have towels and purple spray. Thankyou

 

[eventrider23]

Breeding Supplies is quite good as you can buy 'ready made' foaling kits of different types: https://breedingsupplies.co.uk/foaling-supplies/page3/

 

[Gucci_b]

You can buy most of the foaling kit at Sainsbury's, Tesco's and the chemist for a lot less.

 

[eventrider23]

Very true - at least the list of what is needed though is laid out in those kits.....

 

[cruiseline]

I would also include the following to the advertised foaling kits :-

A torch (with batteries)
A fully charged Mobile phone
A twitch
A clean bucket
A video camera
A Photo camera


and a bottle of Champagne

 

[Whizz105]

Does anyone use the predictor kit...?

 

[Enfys]

I also have a couple of syringes of Jump Start too- off the shelf colostrum supplement, presumably it (or similar) is also readily available in the UK.

http://mcintoshproline.com/single_products/jumpstart.html

No, I don't use a predictor kit, I don't use anything, the foal will come when it comes in my book.
Easy for me to say when my barn is only 50' from the house and I am not camping out I suppose.
I am terribly traditional and annoy my mares considerably by checking to see what colour (or not) their milk is.

 

[xena_wales]

So far I have towels and purple spray. Thankyou

I've only had one foal, so am no expert at all, but I used purple spray and he got a navel infection. You might want to do a little more research on whether you'd be better off with iodine or chlorhexidine digluconate (Hibiscrub).

 

[lauren1988]

Thankyou for all your replies.
Eventrider23 - I have had a look at the foaling kits and might invest in one or if not use it as a guide and buy the items separately if cheaper.
Cruiseline - champagne sounds like a great idea! Camera will definately be ready will also make sure we have plenty of spare batteries for the torch!
I will have a look online tomorrow and find out if there is something similar to Jumpstart int he UK.
There is so much conflicting advice I don't know whether to use purple spray or iodine! Will speak to our stud vet nearer foaling about it.
Thankyou all for your help and advice

 

[eventrider23]

The predictor kits you can get from FSH are SUPER.....really accurate!

 

[KarynK]

My foaling kit has grown over the years and most of it thankfully I have not had to use, but it's there if I need it because if things do go wrong I am too far from the vet to wait!

I'm sure there is more going from memory and I have a load more in the barn!!

Main Kit in a big box

Head collar and lead rope for mare
Torch
Crib sheet on mal positions and what to do
Laminated Sheet & Pen for various observations for labour and after the birth timings etc (really useful)
Sheet with numbers to call
Stopwatch
Obstetric gel
Surgical gloves and long exam gloves
Long examination gloves
String to tie up afterbirth
Towels
CX Powder bottle for navel
Wormer for mare
Scissors
Refractometer to check colostrum quality
Container so I can freeze some colostrum
Sterile medical wipes for udder prior to feeding
Sterile handwash gel


Emergency kit - in a small red box in the big one - The bit I hope not to have to use
Sterile Bottle
Sawn off syringe for milking
Replacement Colostrum
Leg straps for assisted delivery
Enema kit
Scalpel for red bag delivery

P.S. though it was stolen in a burglary the other week but after much swearing I found it in another building phew!!

 

[parkside]

...and Dopram - a respiratory stimulant - just in case.

 

[cruiseline]

We used a mixture of hibiscrub and water (as advised by the vet) as that is apparently what is being used in Newmarket nowadays and foal got a navel infection. So we switched back to the terramycin spray and didn't have a problem. It is far easier to use a spray on the navel (especially when foal is still on the ground), rather than trying to dip it into a container, especially if the mare is a little foal proud. I have had some interestingly coloured back legs though!!!!!!

ps. purple spray bought from your saddlery is not strong enough, so do get it from your vet.

 

[zippo]

Vets phone number.

 

[rachi0]

our foaling kit at work consisted of...

Box of rectal gloves + a few small gloves
Lube
String (to tie up placenta)
a couple of sample pots (to collect some colostrum to test)
pad + pen to write down important times
umbilical clamp
foaling ropes
spray bottle filled with solution for spraying the umblicus
Oxygen!!
Bute
finadyne (already drawn up and labelled in a small sealed box)
scalpel blades
twitch
tail bandage

I have a refractometer and bottles (but they aren't in the foaling kit)
Foal muzzle

I have a crash kit for an emergency that contains
- Foal resuscitator
- nasotrach tube
- selection of catheters (Hep saline made up in the fridge!)
- injectable sedative in case of dystocia
- injectable ventipulmin (incase of dystocia)
- adrenalin
- dopram
- foal twitch (our vet designed in case of dystocia - if a head is back.. he would put his hand in - try and get the rope around the nose of foal.. we'd pull the string so it would tighten and try and help pull head round.. can't quite describe what it looks like.. but its great and it works so well!!)
- selection of needles and syringes
-
A horsebox on standby in case of emergency

I always have my phone on me and have the vets number
(our stud has an onsite vet - they live 5 mins down the road!)

Basically.. as long as you have the basics.. naval spray, gloves, ropes & lube +vets number to hand!!!

 

[rachi0]

* a stethoscope