Horses in labor are hard to watch, but they are born quickly. If you don’t know how to prepare, surprise a foal may leave you flustered, or worse, injured. There are a few things that can be done to help the process flow better and remain safe. When you see signs a horse is in labor, here is what to do.
As a horse owner and lover, you have faced the uncertainty of knowing whether or not your horse is about to give birth. As it’s hard to know for certain before the foal has entered the world and withstanding hours of labor, many people are unsure of what signs to look for. Here I’ll take you through the major indications that your mare is in labor so you can be prepared when you need to assist her.
The signs that a horse is in labor are often subtle, but they can be recognized if you know what to look for.
Horses have regular cycles, and the first sign of one coming is the mare’s behavior. She will often act restless, pacing back and forth, or eating more than usual. She may also start to urinate more frequently.
Another sign is that her belly will become swollen. This swelling is caused by an increase in blood supply to the muscles needed for delivery.
You may also notice colic, which occurs when a foal kicks too much while coming out of the birth canal and presses on the intestines of a mare. This can cause pain in her abdomen as well as other symptoms such as diarrhea and flatulence (gas).
Finally, you may see discharge from the vulva of your mare during labor; this discharge is called lochia mater (loosely translated “womb water”). It contains blood mixed with mucus and cellular debris from the endometrium (inner lining) of your mare’s uterus.
Signs of Labor
There are some obvious signs that a horse is in labor, including:
-Restlessness
-Swelling of the belly and other parts of the body
-Painful contractions
-Frequent urination
-Sweating around the muzzle and eyes
However, there are also some subtle signs to watch out for as well. The horse may:
-Be reluctant to eat or drink
-Have an increased appetite during early pregnancy (it’s important not to let them overeat)
-Shake or tremble when resting
Signs A Horse Is In Labor
If you are breeding your first foal, the birthing process can be a nerve-wracking time! How do you tell if a horse is having contractions? What are the other signs that a mare is foaling?
Let’s find out everything you need to know about the foaling process in horses!
What Are The Foaling Signs In Maiden Mares?
If your mare is due to foal, it is important to know how to spot the signs that birth could be imminent. Many problems can occur when a mare gives birth, and we need to be able to intervene quickly if anything goes wrong.
If you know the date that your mare was covered or inseminated, you should be able to predict roughly when she will give birth. However, there is a lot of room for error, so you need to be able to identify when the mare is getting ready for foaling. The pregnancy of a mare can last from 315 to 387 days, with the average gestation period lasting 341 days.
This can be even trickier if you have a maiden mare. A maiden mare is one that has never had a foal before. For her first foal, she may have a few ‘false starts’, and the signs of foaling might be more subtle.
Before a mare starts having contractions, there are some other signs that indicate she is getting ready to give birth:
- Udder Development
Two to six weeks before a mare gives birth, her udders will start to swell. This means that the mammary tissue is preparing to make milk for the Foal. Up to a week before she foals, you might see an occasional drip of milk from the teats.
When the mare is very close to foaling, she will develop a waxy secretion on her teats. This is called ‘waxing up’, and when this happens she will normally give birth within 24 hours.
- Swollen Vulva
Another sign that the mare is close to giving birth is swelling of the genitals. Her vulva will appear swollen. You may also notice that the shape of her hindquarters change, as the muscles start to stretch and relax.
- Behavioral Changes
The behavioral changes that were seen before a mare gives birth can be very subtle and are easy to miss! If the mare lives with other horses she may separate herself from the herd, in the same way as she would in the wild. She may also be irritable and more restless than normal.
Do Horses Have Contractions?
When giving birth, contractions are sporadic and involuntary tightening of the uterine muscles. When horses give birth they do have contractions, as this is what helps to push the foal out through the birth canal.
Contractions are normally quite gentle and subtle to start with and get more intense as the birth gets closer. They will also be closer together.
How Do You Tell If A Horse Is Having Contractions?
Contractions can be very uncomfortable for the mare, and it can be easy to tell if a horse is having contractions. The mare will pace restlessly and may repeatedly lie down and stand up. She may also start to sweat, and you might observe her looking at her flanks.
If the contractions are very strong, you might see the sides of the abdomen moving with each muscle spasm. The mare may also breathe heavily and start to grunt with the effort of pushing the foal through the birth canal.
How Long Can A Mare Have Contractions?
A mare has very mild and subtle contractions for some time during the first stage of labor. These will not be very intense and you may not even notice that they are happening to start with. However, you will notice that the mare is very restless, and the contractions will become stronger as this stage of parturition progresses.
The second stage of labor starts when the mare’s waters have broken. You will see fluid expelled from the vulva, and the contractions will rapidly get stronger.
This stage ends with the birth of the foal and will take from 30 to 60 minutes. Maiden mares will normally take longer than experienced dams.
After the foal has been born, the mare will continue to have contractions for some time. This is necessary to expel the placenta from the uterus.