Foals can be born prematurely for a variety of reasons. The most common reasons for a premature delivery are infection of the placenta (placentitis) or long-standing placental insufficiency.
While horse owners worldwide want a simple answer to the question of whether foal imprinting works or not, it’s hard to give a simple answer to what really isn’t a simple question. This was the message of an imprinting research review presented
At first, everything seems fine: Your foal was born without incident and started nursing as he should. But two days later, the baby quit suckling and began acting strangely–wandering around and pressing his head against the stall wall. Your
Horse breeders have long known that problems can develop in the bones of young horses as they grow. The term developmental orthopedic disease (DOD) was coined in 1986 to encompass all orthopedic problems seen in the growing foal and has become
Feeding young, growing horses means providing more digestible energy and paying close attention to nutrients.
Surgically repairing or stabilizing fractured ribs in a newborn foal can reduce the risk of further complications such as puncturing a vital organ, say Robert Hunt, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS, and Fairfield Bain, DVM, MBA, Dipl. ACVIM, ACVP, ACVECC. Th
Someday veterinarians might be able to take a horse’s blood sample, analyze its makeup to predict his future bone and joint health, and simply prevent the problems that are likely to arise. In late 2005, 20 leading joint researchers that are likely
It’s been 14 years since the concept of foal imprinting hit the equestrian world’s collective consciousness. Since then, the notion has been marketed, written about, practiced, modified, and even studied in scientific research. In short, it’s
Developmental and traumatic joint injuries are a significant problem in Thoroughbred foals. These injuries, such as osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) and fetlock joint lesions, often require costly medical treatment or surgical repair.
Protecting tender immune systems against disease is the surest way to ensure the young horse doesn’t fall victim to either temporarily uncomfortable or life-ending infections.
Even though foals receive some immunity by drinking colostru
Many DNA sequence variations are fine; they just give rise to the broad spectrum of colors, sizes, and other characteristics we see in the horse population. Some variations, however, cause problems. These might range from a genetic predisposition
Questions involving the ifs and whens to shoe horses have been debated for years. There are those who will argue that a horse’s foot should not have metal attached via nails under any circumstances, while others will opt for shoeing certain horses
Our first foal is 10 days old and has already been spotted eating manure. We have accepted the fact that eating manure is normal foal behavior and are trying to ignore it. A quick question: When should he get over this behavior? via e-mail
Puberty is a transitional period for horses, from a time of reproductive immaturity to a time where sexual behavior is demonstrated and sperm is ready for release in the colt, and the filly starts to cycle. Unfortunately, very little information is
There are many ways to wean foals, so choose a method that will work best for your horses and farm.
A long umbilical cord increases the risks for abortions and stillbirths in horses. Complications include strangulation of the foal and excessive cord twisting, writes Karin Bosh in a recent edition of Equine Disease Quarterly, a newsletter
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