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The Thrill Of A New Life
“A fine little
smooth horse colt, should move a man as much as doth a son.” Thomas Kyd, an
English playwright, couldn’t have described the experience of witnessing the
birth of a foal more eloquently. Without a doubt, watching a baby horse make its
entrance into the world is one of the greatest thrills of a lifetime. Despite
the presence for potential problems, every moment is absolutely precious from
the time the mare begins exhibiting signs of giving birth to those first
wobbling, precarious steps of the colt or filly. Even for someone who may not be
enthralled with horses, a brand new baby bobbing around on stick-figure legs is
a sight to behold.
Anticipation
rises as the end finally nears – after eleven months of pregnancy, the mare
indicates she is ready to deliver her baby. She will show several significant
signs when the birth time draws near. Her flanks will drop towards the ground
and the muscles around the hindquarter area relax to make easier passage for the
foal. The simplest way to check for this relaxation is to press the mare’s
quarters; her rump will feel like Jell-O. The udder will fill with colostrum,
the first milk, and the mare’s teats will “wax” a short time before the foal
arrives. Waxing is the dripping of milk from the swollen bag. The mother-to-be
will pace around her stall, often with discomfort, and will seem unable to stand
still. She may even lie down and stand up frequently as the foal changes
position inside her distended belly. Although for the most part a horse’s
contractions are barely visible to the viewer, the mare may pull back her lips
to show her gums as a sign of intense internal pain.
Wild horses
deliver their babies without help out of necessity, but human intervention is
occasionally necessary for the domesticated horses of today. Onlookers, although
eager to help, generally will only be in the way during the birth and would do
best to let the mare perform as nature ensues. Ideally the foal should come out
of its mother’s womb with the head lying on extended legs; in such a case the
bottom of the hooves will be pointing towards the mare’s feet. However, if the
foal were to be “breeched”, or born with its back feet first, the hooves would
be pointing up towards the mare’s tail. A breeched foal must be hand-delivered
quickly or it will drown from breathing in the amniotic fluids gathered in the
womb, and the mare also will most likely die. The hooves will break through the
placenta as the birth progresses, enabling the baby to breathe when it is
completely out of the womb. If the placenta does not break the foal will
suffocate; this is not usually a prime concern because the mare will usually
stand and break the sac.
Mares prefer
privacy and darkness to give birth, partly because of their vulnerable position
on the ground. Many broodmares stand until the baby’s hooves emerge, then lie
down for the remainder of the process because the foal’s shoulders, the widest
part of the body, are the most difficult part to push out. Most mares perspire
liberally during the delivery and may also act distracted or somewhat subdued.
Once the baby’s shoulders are past the opening of the birth canal, the rest of
the body should come swiftly and without difficulty. The standard time for the
birth is around two hours from the point the mare’s water breaks until the foal
emerges completely from its mother.
The mare may
take a little while after delivery to stand and break the umbilical cord because
she will, expectedly, be exhausted. When she does stand and the cord breaks, the
foal is given passage to begin life on its own. It is still on the ground,
helpless, wet, and small. The mother will lick her baby dry with a rough tongue
and clear away the afterbirth from its nostrils so her foal can breathe. The
caressing of her tongue warms the foal and stimulates its blood circulation, at
the same time creating a bond between mare and foal.
More energized
by now, the baby will begin to move around a bit and try to gather its long legs
under its body. Typically within thirty minutes of its birth, the baby will
attempt to stand. Because of its newborn status, the foal is very uncoordinated
and will fall back to the floor several times. The urge to nurse, coming from
both nature and its mother, convinces the foal to keep trying. Eventually those
long legs will bring the baby’s body up and brace it until balance is obtained.
Often the mare will nicker to her child with encouragement, even touching it
gently with her muzzle until it can make its way to adequate nourishment,
nursing for the essential first milk the mare provides. The mare’s milk has a
sleep-inducing factor to it, and within minutes the foal will lie down and sleep
as its body begins to adjust to an exciting new environment.
When the phenomenon is over the spectators can sit back and relax, having just
witnessed an incredible miracle. Excitement is evident when the mare begins
showing signs she’s ready to foal because witnessing the birth is a thrill that
would animate almost anyone. Once problems are proved to be nonexistent, all
spectators must do it sit back and let nature run its course. Although the
ecstasy of watching the new baby stand and nurse for the first time is over,
many more fantastic events will mark the foal’s life throughout the years. |
