Foaling Season Delivers Special Kind of Majesty
Buying a Thoroughbred racehorse for the first time is a journey filled with special moments to remember. One of those first moments is going to the stables, and going to the stables unlocks a new relationship with nature.
For instance, January to spring is the start of foaling season, when brand-new spindly-legged creatures smell their first smells and take their first hesitant steps. Their mothers suggest the majesty that awaits the newborns in time, but those early hours and days are filled with a mixture of frailty and curiosity. It’s a glorious time to be around the stables—a time when the air is filled with promise.
But spare a few moments for the mare. Someday, her foal will be a Thoroughbred race horse for sale. But in the beginning, the little one is the result of months of patience. The arrival is a moment for the mother and her foal to bond.
A mare will stand 15 to 20 minutes after giving birth, and she usually displays maternal behavior immediately after the labor. She nuzzles the newborn and licks it clean. She also encourages it to stand on its own four feet and directs it to nurse.
It’s not always a smooth process. If a mare gets skittish during nursing, a human may need to step in and offer reassurance.
It takes about a week for the little one to recognize its mama, but the two soon know each other’s vocalizations:
nicker—a low-pitched guttural sound
snort—a fluttering sound through the nostrils
squeal—a varying sound made with a closed mouth
blow—a simple exhale through the nose
groan—a grunting sound
sigh—a sound of relief
Those early moments between mare and foal are truly special. It took a long time to reach the big day. In the future, the foal may be a Thoroughbred race horse for sale, but in the beginning, it was the proverbial glean in a stallion’s eye.
Foaling a Future Thoroughbred Race Horse for Sale
It’s normal for Thoroughbred mares to carry their future racehorses for 320 to 380 days. In general, 330 days, or 11 months, is the most-cited gestation length. A veterinarian can perform an ultrasound to gauge placental thickness. Vets can also palpitate for fetal movement.
As doctors tell pregnant women, the mother never misses the birth. As the hour approaches, the mare will signal that the moment is near with a lot of restlessness. She’ll lie down and get back up again.
Broodmares ready to give birth develop a variety of physical signs:
Tailhead relaxation—the muscle tone in the tops of the hips can diminish. This can be difficult to identify in overweight, heavily muscled, or maiden mares.
Vulva relaxation and elongation—some older mares might have pronounced vulvar relaxation before foaling, and others can show small changes or none at all.
Mammary gland enlargement—most mares' mammary glands will start to fill with colostrum milk about 30 days before the due date, and the most notable changes will be in the last two weeks. It might take longer for maiden mares.
Other signs include milky secretions. Veterinarians and breeders can test the mammary gland secretions for electrolytes. Calcium and potassium usually increase while sodium decreases as the big day approaches. Other tests are available that use pH levels to determine if foaling is imminent.
Nature doesn’t pay attention to human-made clocks, but mares tend to deliver between 6 pm and 6 am. Because mares are prey animals, they usually foal at night. They’re often let outside during the day but returned to the stables by 3 pm, so it’s easier to keep watch on them.
Most deliveries go smoothly. An experienced foaling attendant can correct simple issues, but some problems might require a visit from a veterinarian or a referral to a clinic. A lot of hopes are pinned upon the future Thoroughbred race horse for sale as soon as it appears, but it’s not out of the woods yet.
Usually, getting a foal to nurse is a matter of nature taking its course. Sometimes, an attendant needs to help, so mother and offspring can connect for the first time. By consuming the colostrum, foals receive important antibodies that are vital for the development of their immune systems.
However, problems can arise, including
a difficult birth (dystocia)
a lack of milk production
an unmotherly mare that rejects her foal
A surrogate mare may need to step in and take care of the foal. A nursemare doesn’t need to have been pregnant in order to produce milk. Lactation can be stimulated by hormone injections.
As it is when human beings give birth, foaling is a beautiful process and a potentially scary one. Before a foal has the chance to grow into a Thoroughbred race horse for sale, a lot of attention needs to be paid in the early days. It’s always a good idea to have experienced professionals ready to provide the right care if something goes wrong.
Foaling Routines at Mill Ridge Farm
Foaling horses is in Mill Ridge Farm’s DNA. It’s a family business that traces back multiple generations, but just since 2000, Mill Ridge Farm has bred, raised, and/or sold 36 Grade 1 winners. They include
two Horse of the Year Winners, HAVRE DE GRACE and POINT GIVEN
one Kentucky Derby Winner, GIACOMO
eight Breeder’s Cup Winners, OSCAR PERFORMANCE, RIA ANTONIA, LIFE IS SWEET, ROUND POND, SCHILLER, SWEET CATOMINE, JOHAR, and SPAIN
The experienced staff at Mill Ridge understands that every foal has the potential to grow into a champion Thoroughbred race horse for sale, so they take the foaling season seriously. Mill Ridge has a routine, but they also know that all mares are different, so the team is flexible as it cares for mares and their foals.
If you’re new to foaling season, don’t worry, because you probably won’t ever get over the beauty of it all. Our staff members have years of experience, and the process never gets old.
Generally, the day after foals are born and they’re given a clean bill of the health from the veterinarian, they are moved out of the foaling barn and to a new barn. The foals stay in the stalls for a day with their mothers.
As soon as they’re physically able and the weather is right, mothers and their foals go outside for a few hours to stretch their legs. This is good exercise for developing foals learning to move.
During the first week or two, the mother and foal are usually alone when they’re in the paddock. This encourages the pair to bond.
After that, they will pair up with another mare and foal. The foals will be around the same age. By getting together, they begin to learn how to socialize. It can take a few days for the foals to get used to each other, but social time is crucial for their development.
It goes like that for five or six months before the little ones are weaned, and they get together with their fellow weanlings on those famous Kentucky bluegrass hills to begin the process of becoming champions.
Have you ever fed a carrot to a Thoroughbred broodmare or foal? Here’s your chance! We schedule group tours and private showings through Visit Horse Country. We’d love to see you at Mill Ridge Farm!