Preparing for an Orphan Foal

Foaling season leaves many mare owners worried about what will happen if a foal arrives to a mare with poor-quality or insufficient colostrum. As breeders know, this first meal is undoubtedly the most important for priming a foal’s immune system and providing infection-fighting antibodies. Subsequent meals occurring over the next few months are still high priority because a foal relies on milk to survive. What do you have planned if your mare cannot support her foal?

“Newborn foals nurse about seven times every hour and remain reliant on milk for the first three to four months of their lives,” explained Kathleen Crandell, Ph.D., a Kentucky Equine Research (KER) nutritionist.

Foals have so little energy storage that they must nurse often to maintain an appropriate body temperature. Further, a foal’s digestive system is not sufficiently adapted to a fiber-based diet like its dam’s, because hindgut fermentation does not begin to develop until later.

“If a foal is orphaned or otherwise unable to nurse during this initial three- or four-month period, then special dietary considerations need to be implemented to meet its nutritional and behavioral needs,” said Crandell.

The short-term goal for feeding newborns, those only a few days old, is to provide enough energy to maintain growth. Commercial mare milk replacers provide this energy; however, feeding a foal several times an hour is a daunting task to say the least, even if a bucket or bowl are used, as recommended.

According to a recent review on the topic*, most foals successfully make the switch to milk replacer within two to four days, but a long-term solution is still required. Realistic scenarios include either finding a foster mare, also called a nurse mare, or hand-rearing the foal.

When considering these long-term options, experts warn us that hand-rearing a foal without the social interaction of other horses can lead to serious behavior issues. If hand-rearing is the only option, a docile older companion may be worth considering.

*Stoneham, S.J., P. Morresey, and J. Ousey. Nutritional management and practical feeding of the orphan foal. Equine Veterinary Education. Equine Veterinary Education. In press.