EquineHealth_PostPartum.qxp_Florida Horse_template 2/23/21 11:17 AM Page 35
By HEATHER SMITH THOMAS
ost pregnancies in mares are normal and everything goes smoothly at foaling time. There are a few situations, however, when a mare has a serious problem following the birth of her foal. You need to be aware of it so assistance can be given, to try to save the mare, or to make sure her reproductive tract can heal and recover so she might be able to have future foals. Dr. Ahmed Tibary, DMV, Dip. ACT Professor of Theriogenology, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Washington State University, says breeders need to be aware of things that can go wrong after the mare delivers the foal. The third stage of labor is when the mare sheds her placenta. “As a rule, we like to see that happen within three hours or less. Most mares, if there are no complications with foaling, will deliver the placenta within the first hour, and often very soon after they get up,” says Tibary.
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Equine Care
“Some people like to give a mare oxytocin after foaling to help stimulate faster shedding of the placenta, but I caution people against giving the mare oxytocin immediately or even within an hour of foaling, even if they are concerned about a retained placenta. Give her
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