The welfare of newborn foals during the critical first days of life sets the foundation for long-term health and behavioral development.
Newborn foal welfare depends on a narrow window of critical events in the first hours of life. Unlike many other species, foals must rapidly achieve functional mobility and nurse successfully within a few hours or face life-threatening consequences. Failure of passive transfer - failure to absorb sufficient maternal antibodies from colostrum - leaves foals immunocompromised and vulnerable to septicemia, a rapid and painful cause of death. Attending the birth of foals, ensuring timely nursing, and having colostrum available to supplement if nursing is inadequate are essential welfare responsibilities. Dystocia - difficult birth - is a welfare emergency requiring rapid veterinary intervention to prevent death from oxygen deprivation and to minimize trauma to both mare and foal.