Rapid identification of ill foals and the timely institution of appropriate veterinary-directed therapy are key factors in restoring a sick foal to health. | Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt/The Horse

Protect your foal from these three important causes of young horse illness

Foals can stand within a mere 120 minutes of birth. They’re unsteady, ungraceful, and uncoordinated, getting their limbs in a tangle and tumbling every which way, yet they almost always achieve an upright stance. And while it might take a bit of trial and error, before long these spritely youngsters are purposefully poking about, eager to nurse and, soon, bounding confidently around stall and pasture. 

Equine veterinary research can follow a similar process—ups and downs, triumphant discoveries, and frustrating face-plants. 

Scientists focusing on this age group tell us that three of the more important and prevalent conditions involve these youngsters’ respiratory health, digestive performance, and overall immune system vigor. They interrupt healthy development, stopping progress before it barely begins, can be expensive to treat, and they can even be deadly