At the beginning of the new year there are many special photographs, the earliest portraits of Thoroughbreds we have come to know and love.

Related: Tales from the Crib Series by Kelly Reilly

Every day we see newborn horses pictured in the straw with their mothers, and we smile at videos of hours-old babies taking their first steps on limp, unsteady legs. For several days, dams and foals dot paddocks across the country, eternal examples of the continuity of life. The youngest Thoroughbred runs across the grass and stops for a treat while her mother does her job teaching her to be a horse.

As we celebrate this new season of life, we’d like to share with you the process of foal birth and how our favorite racehorse takes his first steps from the safety of the broodmare’s womb to greatness. Let’s see how we got there.

process start

She has been on the foal for months. Her owners were troubled with this year’s stallion selection and her veterinarian and caregiver made sure she was physically ready to breed. Cycles, or the most fertile days of the month, were adjusted. They sent her to another farm to visit that stallion, hoping that her cover would be successful.She returned home, had a veterinarian scan it, and had the foal An ultrasound showed their mare was pregnant. And now, many months later, her foal is due soon.

A horse’s gestation, or gestation, lasts about 340 days and about 11 months. In the weeks leading up to the birth of the foal, the mare’s udders have her two nipples and begin to fill with milk waiting for the baby to be born. This phenomenon is called “bagging up” and indicates that progesterone, the hormone that keeps the growing foal safe in the womb, has been replaced by prolactin, and the mare’s body is preparing to give birth. . The appearance of a white, waxy buildup on the teats just prior to calving indicates that the mare is producing colostrum. Colostrum is the nutrient- and antibody-rich milk that a newborn foal needs immediately after birth.

Additionally, as the mare’s body prepares to give birth to a foal, the muscles of the hind legs relax. Hormones like relaxin encourage changes in the ligaments above the pelvis and below the tail, making the butt appear lowered. In stables, the mare will move her berth as if building a nest, walking around and appearing uncomfortably. These actions signal the onset of labor.

With a roomy stall with plenty of room for the mother to give birth and give birth, months of waiting are nearly over, but the process of bringing that new life into the world has just begun.

first stage

During the first stage of calving, the mare changes from standing to lying down several times. This may help reposition the foal within the birth canal. She even looks at her own abdomen and chews on that part, much like her horse does when she has colic. In her stall, as the handler monitors her progress, she may urinate more often as the foal puts pressure on the bladder. As they move, the white membranes surrounding the foals become more prominent, putting pressure on them. When these membranes rupture and release allantoic fluid, it signals the arrival of a new foal within minutes.

They are close, but her human helpers keep them out of the way. They make sure nothing is wrong and monitor her via a closed circuit television system, then check on her in person. It is a situation that requires veterinary help. A human ensures the foal is in the correct position for a smooth birth. A veterinarian should intervene if the foal is not in the correct position.

As soon as the membrane breaks, her labor accelerates. First small hooves appear on her one, then her second, and then the nose peeps out. Then the foal begins to emerge as if it were popping out of the mare’s head. When the mare pushes the foal out, the head, neck, shoulders, and hindquarters will soon emerge. Finally, this new life welcomes a world still somewhat wrapped in the membrane that keeps him safe inside the mare’s womb and is attached to his mother via the umbilical cord.

Soon the cords will naturally separate and the foal will be able to function on its own. The birthing process is now complete as the focus shifts to caring for both the mare and foal.

new life is born

Foals are born with an eponychium, a capsule of a white layer of soft keratin that surrounds each hoof, in addition to being covered in allantoic fluid that has been swimming all through the months of development. These layers have the nickname “fairy fingers” because they look like fingers and are designed to prevent the foal’s sharp hooves from piercing the mare’s uterus during pregnancy.

Within the first hour of life, the foal finds its feet and can stand or walk relatively quickly like a horse-like prey animal. This causes the eponychium to be stripped from the foal’s hooves when it finds a leg and starts running. About a day after birth, the “fairy fingers” are completely shed and the new foal begins trotting and sprinting like the pros of old. Delays in these milestones also mean visits from your veterinarian.

Soon, this new life sucks colostrum into the mother’s teats, which it needs to start building its immune system. Human helpers also handle the foals, helping new horses understand that these two-legged creatures are allies rather than enemies. As a mother-baby bond, caregivers ensure that the foal urinates and passes its first bowel movement, the meconium, within 8 to 12 hours after birth. .

joy of the season

From now until weaning, about four to six months, the mare and foal are inseparable, and the mother teaches the baby what it takes to be a horse. Along the way, these moments are captured in photos and videos, making them an early memory of this special foal’s life.

As you scroll through your social media feeds and smile at photos of your new foal lying in the straw, think about the process that led to your favorite mare being here with her baby. She had a human nearby when paired with the stallion chosen for her. Marvel at how long months have turned into short hours as this baby becomes a part of the sport we love. It is centered on nails.