Stroppy mare with foal trying to feed

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Beatrice5

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Hello,

Filly is well and strong and bouncy but Mum has gone a bit stroppy about little one trying to feed. Admittedly the foal has been taking 2 sucks here and 2 sucks there and being a bit of a pain but Mum was just putting up with this no questions.

But this morning she was swishing her tail and threatening to kick foal when she tried to feed. I was told mares can get a bit stroppy about the time of the foaling heat but is there anything I can do? Foal is still doing long clear wee's and very bright and bouncy But I haven't seen her actually feedingso far today :(
 
They will settle down, foals are very determined when it comes to feeding. Mares can look very cross with their foals but usually let them feed. Maiden mares can be sensitive sometimes. Our mare as a maiden had to be tied up on the first day or two for the foal to feed. After that she was fine and every foal since she has been fine with albeit with cross faces, nips and leg lifts when foal latches on.

If you look at your foals mouth you will notice this is the time his centrals are coming up so he may be nipping mum too. As long as the foal is well they will settle down.
 
Beatrice5 said:
But this morning she was swishing her tail and threatening to kick foal when she tried to feed. I was told mares can get a bit stroppy about the time of the foaling heat but is there anything I can do? Foal is still doing long clear wee's and very bright and bouncy But I haven't seen her actually feedingso far today :(
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Watch like a HAWK - and if the mare is being stroppy - and there is no apparent reason (eg swollen, or hot udder) then hold - and if necessary twitch - the mare and make sure foal DOES drink - and often. Young foals will go downhill VERY quickly if they don't get a decent feed every 2 hours - so it might mean a few sleepless nights!
 
I checked her bag lastnight and she was very relaxed about me handling it. I think as Irishlife said filly is getting teeth and chewing everything in site including mum. She was feeding well this morning and although did get a nip on the bum from mum they seem back to their usual happy selves although mum is having her foal heat and little one is slightly loose but I am keeping an eye.
 
I am glad all is well and they are doing fine.

There is some research regarding worming that seems to indicate that it is not the foal heat that causes scouring but the worm burden becoming active in the foal. Has anyone read this or know anything about it?
 
I had also heard something similar would you advise I worm them both now and if so which wormer. Mare was done with Ivermectin at the end of Jan and had had worm count done then too which was low so we wormed to air on the side of caution. She had panacur 5 day in November so I thought we had covered all bases but will worm again now if necessary.
 
Hi, any pics of your foal yet??

As a matter of course I always worm a week before due date whether needed or not and give the mare a tetanus shot for extra immunity for the foal.

However well we worm , we only ever control and don't eliminate. Worms do pass in the mare's milk and the concensus is that it is worms not the foal heat that causes scouring.

Anyway I would definitely worm your mare now as she was not done since Jan (i accept she had a worm count). You can use Equimax safely on the foal now and then start him on routine worming from 4 weeks.

Foals have incredibly high worm burdens regardless and in time will begin to eat mum's poo to populate gut bacteria so its important to get them off to a flying start.

I must stress this is how I do things and I am sure there are masses of opinions out there, so possibly give your vet a ring but definitely worm the mare as a priority.
 
JanetGeorge said:
Watch like a HAWK - and if the mare is being stroppy - and there is no apparent reason (eg swollen, or hot udder) then hold - and if necessary twitch - the mare and make sure foal DOES drink - and often. Young foals will go downhill VERY quickly if they don't get a decent feed every 2 hours - so it might mean a few sleepless nights!
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I hate to be morbid but this is something i KNOW VERY WELL unfortunately. 2 sucks here and there is NOT enough. You can get the vet out to give your mare some sedation if she's being that funny about it and then basically hold the foal in place until both of them get the hang of it together.
 
Yes I posted pics last week if you look on my previous posts you should be able to see them. I'll do some more when the sun comes out :)

I will worm them tomorrow as am going into Taunton to get yet more stud mix and sugar beet ! So shall I do both with Equimax and what is the active ingredient in that?

Bayjosie she is feeding really well again now so there is nothing to worry about in that respect thankfully but plenty of other stuff as always for me to think about !
 
If you are going to Taunton, go to Unicorn Saddlery in Hatch Beauchamp and ask Jamie, he is BRILLIANT with advice on foals being a breeder himself, and also is hot on the best wormers to use for them.
 
JanetGeorge said:
Watch like a HAWK - and if the mare is being stroppy - and there is no apparent reason (eg swollen, or hot udder) then hold - and if necessary twitch - the mare and make sure foal DOES drink - and often. Young foals will go downhill VERY quickly if they don't get a decent feed every 2 hours - so it might mean a few sleepless nights!
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Brava to JanetGeorge- this is the best advice anyone could give. You could be lucky and after a bit of twitching the mare should settle.
 
Irishlife said:
I am glad all is well and they are doing fine.

There is some research regarding worming that seems to indicate that it is not the foal heat that causes scouring but the worm burden becoming active in the foal. Has anyone read this or know anything about it?
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Worm 12/18 hours Ivemectin after foaling.
 
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Blacklist said:
Brava to JanetGeorge- this is the best advice anyone could give. You could be lucky and after a bit of twitching the mare should settle.
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I had the experience last year with a visiting mare! She had NO milk when she foaled, and wouldn't let the foal near. I left it with her and bottled it every two hours with artificial colostrum. After 12 hours, she let her milk down but wouldn't let it near the milk bar. I twitched her every two hours and the foal drank well each time. After 24 hours, we just had to hold her, and after 48 hours, I just had to put my head over the door and yell "Stand-up BITCH!" at her! But she still wouldn't let him drink on her own. That went on for 5 days - I was ready to KILL her due to loss of sleep!

I have to say it was funny in a way - the foal didn't even TRY to drink until I appeared at the door and yelled - she then leapt to her feet and zoomed in! After 5 days I decided stronger measures were needed, so I let them loose in the manege and brought the dogs in. Mare SUDDENLY decided it was HER foal and she was going to protect it - she was fine after that!
 
I did apply some of the same logic JanetGeorge I allowed my newforest who had previously been kept up the top of the paddock in a sectioned off bit back down by the corral and the mare decided little one needed protection and got all motherly again. All is well now apart from little one having a very good aim with her back end!! thants another thread :)
 
JanetGeorge said:
I had the experience last year with a visiting mare! She had NO milk when she foaled, and wouldn't let the foal near. I left it with her and bottled it every two hours with artificial colostrum. After 12 hours, she let her milk down but wouldn't let it near the milk bar. I twitched her every two hours and the foal drank well each time. After 24 hours, we just had to hold her, and after 48 hours, I just had to put my head over the door and yell "Stand-up BITCH!" at her! But she still wouldn't let him drink on her own. That went on for 5 days - I was ready to KILL her due to loss of sleep!

I have to say it was funny in a way - the foal didn't even TRY to drink until I appeared at the door and yelled - she then leapt to her feet and zoomed in! After 5 days I decided stronger measures were needed, so I let them loose in the manege and brought the dogs in. Mare SUDDENLY decided it was HER foal and she was going to protect it - she was fine after that!
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Not funny at the time I'm sure, but PMSL at "Stand up BITCH!" and the foal zooming in :)

I had a maiden mare once that foaled unexpectedly early out in the field, she took one look at her colt and buggered off across the field in the pitch dark. It took us 2 hours to catch her and she had to be twitched for days to let the colt feed, she had another 4 foals for me, and while she never ran away again she ALWAYS had to be held to feed for the first 24 hours, it didn't matter how much boob groping we did before hand.
 
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