by Al Badia
Newborn foals need care, but they’re not very demanding. Here’s how to care for your newborn foal:-
- Make sure the foal is breathing. If you’re not sure, blow gently into its nostrils. If the lungs are clear, you should feel some resistance. If there’s no resistance, then the lungs aren’t working yet and you need to help them along. Try gently rubbing down the ribcage with your hand in order to stimulate breathing. If this doesn’t work, then call a veterinarian right away!
- Put iodine on the foal’s umbilical stump. The stump can become infected if it isn’t cleaned properly—and if it does get infected, it can be very painful for your little one! To make sure that doesn’t happen, just rub some iodine onto a cotton ball and wipe it over the stump until it turns white (usually about 20 seconds). This kills bacteria and germs that could cause infection from forming inside the cut end of your foal’s belly button.
- Make sure the foal (including orphan foals) receives colostrum soon after birth. Colostrum is a thick substance produced by mares during pregnancy that contains antibodies against many diseases as well as other nutrients essential for proper growth in newborns.
