Questions regarding orphan foal situation please

vetsbestfriend

vetsbestfriend

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 May 2009
Messages
476
Location
Peterborough
Visit site
Evening, looking for a bit of help or details of personal experience.

Tragically following a freak accident we lost a mare at our livery yard earlier today. She had a 4 week old foal. Owner of the mare/foal has been and purchased foal milk and has successfully managed to get foal to drink out of a bucket 3 times since the accident and will continue getting him to feed every 3 hours onwards (as advised by Newmarket). He also has the companionship of an older known to him gelding. Although calling when mum was taken away he has suprisingly setled quite well.

Vet advised that the owner could try for a foster mare however admitted that with a slightly older foal the fostering may be more difficult.

Has any one got any experience of being through a similar experience with a foal of the same age and was a fostering successful or did you chose to hand rear the foal. All a bit surreal still at the yard.

Thank you in advance for any help you can give.
 
So sorry to hear this and hope you do find some help.

I had a similar experience with an older foal but with a terrible ending so I can't offer any help or advice.

To cut a long story short, pony brood mare broke her hind leg at stud farm, she had a stunning 5 week old colt foal at foot. Foal refused to drink from bucket. Eventually found a foster mother who took on foal but foal died 2 weeks later of a brain haemorrage (? broken heart) with no apparent causes.
(Vet did postmortem because he wanted to know casue of death) .

I do so hope that you can find a foster mother for the foal.
 
Sorry to hear your sad news.i was at the other end,lost foal at 18hours old.i instantly knew I had to try help someone else's foal to have a better start -mare by this point was squirting milk every step she took, so knew we needed to do something soon. That was at midnight,we rang national foal bank and were paired up instantly.we left yard with mare and foal at 7am next day to arrive at the stud by lunchtime. The orphan foal was around 3 weeks old and had been bottle fed for a few days.even before the process had been done the mare and foal were calling each other as if they were meant to be together.needless to say it all went well in our case. Sorry such a long story. All I can say is don't rule it out.
 
Im sorry to hear that, its dreadful when that happens. We lost a foal last year and tried the Foaling bank to try and help another foal, but that was a complete non starter.
Have you looked at the Fosterfoal page on facebook, theres sure to be someone who has experience the same on there.
 
Thank you everyone so far, the owner will check out the availability of a foster mare tomorrow. Pleased to hear of the success story above, gives a little bit of hope.

Sorry to hear of the ones that have lost foals too.
 
Vetsbestfriend,we fostered an 8 week old foal last week and mare has taken to him brilliantly.He was away from company and feed for an hour and a half before new mare brought in.He took to her no problem as he was hungry.Mare was blindfolded,had hobbles,cradle and a bib initially as he is a well bred TB foal.We also gave her some sedalin initially as well but Joanna will be able to help you out wih the ins and outs of the situation.
 
I lost a mare when foal was 8 weeks and we couldn't get him to drink milk from a bucket or a bottle. A client had a mare who had just foaled a dead foal and we contemplated fostering but she didn't have much milk - and even less by way of maternal instinct! So we mixed a little milk in with some grass chaff and Bailey's Stud Balancer - couldn't put much milk in or he wouldn't eat it! But he did absolutely fine on that and some very nice soft haylage.

This foal is younger, but if he'll drink milk from a bucket I'm not sure I'd bother with the hassle of a foster mum - it WILL be hard, I think, to get him to take to her. Our chap grew up well and we weaned anothe colt a little early (not for this purpose) so put them together and they were fine. He got a LOT of attention after he lost his Mum so he was a little turd for a couple of months - but he soon settled down!

Best of luck!
 
Really appreciate all this useful advice and experience, I will get the owner to read for herself in the morning and to contact the various fostermare helplines and webpages. Today has just been a huge shock for the whole yard and just doing what was immediately required, practical mode resumes tomorrow.
 
I just want to chip in with one last thing.There is nothing better than mothers milk and if you can at all give the foal every chance by trying to find a foster mother.Its bloody hard work for a few days but seeing them after they have bonded makes it all worthwhile.I am saying this as we also raised a foal on a bottle as she would not take from a bucket.That was hard going and she always looked under weight even though we tried our best to feed her every two hours.My mother even chipped in to help and she hates horses as we were exhauseted trying to keep the foal going.
 
Sorry to hear your news. At that age, I personally would rear on the bucket rather than have the hassle of finding a compatible mare.
I was in almost the same boat a few years ago when I took on an orphan foal from a stud; a week later I was lucky enough to have another sent so they had company which was the biggest help of all. This is a thread I started http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=140329&highlight=foster+foals
These are other posts that came up from a foster foals search. I hope they're helpful. If you need anything else, do shout (or PM if you like) always willing to help if I can.
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/search.php?searchid=6738668
 
My only advice would be if you stay as a hand reared keep on the milk as long as you can afford it
I was told to wean at 3 months I kept going till 4 months wish I'd carried on longer but she ate so well it seemed too expensive I felt with the advice given I'd already given her extra
My foal is 11 months old and still true to suckle me frantically it's really upsetting i'v tried telling her off now I have to just ignore it and hope it will go away
 
Thank you for the additional inputs, everything everyone has posted has been extremely useful. Foal is continuing to cope well at present with bucket feeding, the owners are considering options.

Thanks again all.
 
Hi,
Sorry to hear about the mare :(...I lost my TB mare Sammy this year foaling :(

I'm an experienced breeder of 25years but never lost a mare and even though I knew of Fostermare services and The National Foal Bank it took me by total shock and I was running round like a headless chicken trying to find a foster mare for my filly Amber.

Just a couple things that may help :
Please don't panic if you can't find a suitable fostermare...don't just except the first offer you get. Not all mares are suitable as I found out. Someone kindly lent me their mare but she just wasn't maternal at all and it didn't work out. I still had to pay to get the mare to my foal( and back again) and all the vet fee's while trying to get the mare to accept my foal.

Please do not send the foal away to a mare unless it is an experienced stud...many mares that have lost their foals are owned by first time breeders and may not have the experience needed and remember not everyone keeps their horses to the best standard or equal to yourself. A mare is more resilient than a foal in lesser conditions.

If you can't find a mare raise them on the bucket...it's hard work but gets easier and is soooo worth all the trouble :)
If you search the internet you can find cheap deals on the larger size bags of milk powder...I use Aintree foal milk 10kg bags for Amber and get it from the internet.
I also buy Dodson and Horrell Foal creep pellets for her straight from the D&H website.

You must treat an orphan as a horse and not your own baby...I know it's very hard but you have to discipline them just as their mother would...so don't laugh when they rear up playing with you but smack them on the chest!

Get them safe company...a known to be gentle gelding or old broodmare and at weaning another weanling if possible....they must be socialised but make sure fencing is safe etc. (my foal has panicked and run through the fence to be with me)

Be wary of some of the well meaning advice you get...if in doubt ask your vet and a professional stud.

Good luck :) x

If I can be of any help you can call me (Leigh) on 07752909887
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top