Normal Equine Labor, Delivery and Newborn Foal Vital Signs

Only personnel dealing directly with the foaling should be in the foaling area to allow minimal disruption to the mare. Inexpensive video cams can be set up to watch for foaling.

Gestation Length

• 320-360 days (mean 341 days).
• 1% of mares go 1 year or longer.
• Gestation length is a poor indicator of an individual's readiness for birth due to wide variation in normal gestation times.
• Sex of the fetus and the time of year of breeding are not statistically significant factors in gestational length.

Stages of Labor

Stage 1

Initial uterine contractions. Mare may lie down and get up, sweat and appear uncomfortable. The foal is getting into normal birth position at this time; lasts a variable length of time. Allow some privacy to the mare as there are no indications for any intervention at this stage.

Stage 2

Rupture of chorioallantois membranes signals onset of stage 2.

• Active expulsion of the fetus.
• Mare usually delivers while in lateral recumbency.
• Delivery occurs within 20 minutes.
  • Abdominal contractions occur during this stage of labor.
  • Forelegs presented with one leg in front of the other covered by whitish amniotic membrane.
  • If a red membrane is seen have premature placental separation and need immediate delivery
• Foal's muzzle is evident when the forelegs have cleared the vulva by 5-7 inches
• Shoulders then move through the birth canal followed by straining and the delivery of the entire fetus.
• Foal's leg movement ruptures the amniotic membrane
• Umbilical cord ruptures within a few minutes. The amount of blood, if any, which is pumped from the placenta into the foal's circulation, is controversial.
• If 10 minutes of Stage 2 strenuous labor produces no signs of the forelimbs or head at the vulva - the mare should be examined in a clean fashion for fetal position.
  • If forelimbs and nose are present, allow another 10 minutes of labor.
  • If strenuous activity fails to advance the foal - intervention is indicated - walk mare and obtain veterinary assistance.

Stage 3

Expulsion of the placenta occurs within 3 hours of parturition.

Immediate Post Foaling Evaluation - Normal Foals

Evaluation of Neonatal Distress*

A total score of 7-8 indicates a normal foal, 4-6 indicates moderate depression and 0-3 indicates marked depression. Repeat evaluation in 4 minutes.

Other Parameters of Normal Post Birth Foals^1,2

• Time to suck 
  Reflex stimulated by placing a finger in the mouth - developing within 2-20 minutes.
• Sternal recumbency
  1-2 minutes.
• Time to stand 
  Average 60 minutes. Longer than 2 hours is considered abnormal.
• Time to nurse from mare
  2 hours average. Longer than 3-4 hours is considered abnormal.
• Temperature
  99-101.5.F (37.2-38.6◦C) A.M. non-stressed value.
• Heart rate 
  1-5 minutes post foaling > 60 bpm; 6-60 minutes: 80-130 bpm; Day 1-5: 80-120 bpm.
• Respiration rate 
  First 30 minutes post foaling: 60-80/min
  1-12 hr: 30-40/minute.

*Reproduced with permission from Martens R.J. Compend Cont Educ for Pract Vet 4(1):S23-S34, 1982.