Establishing normal foaling characteristics in Standardbred mares in New Zealand

Abstract

s / Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 34 (2014) 218 218 parity of the mare; with increasing parity, foaling date became later each season. Fig. 2. The number of mares foaling during different weeks of the year and the associated daylength. The majority of foalings (78.9%) occurred between 2100 and 0800 hours (Figure 3). There was no effect of time of day of foaling on any parameter. Fig. 3. Number of mares foaling during each hour of the day. The duration of foaling (from mare down and straining or membranes visible) was less than 20 min for 90% of mares. The longer the duration of foaling, the longer it took for both the mare (p<0.009) and foal (p<0.001) to stand and for the foal to suckle (p<0.003). Duration of foaling was longer (p<0.001) in mares that were considered to be agitated (multiple attempts to rise and lie down during parturition aggression towards stud staff). Mare age and parity had no effect on duration of foaling. Most mares (89.7%) stood within 15 min of foaling; 6.8% of these mares foaled standing. Following parturition, 71.9% of foals stood within 60 min with 86.1% by 90 min, and 62.9% of foals suckled within 120 min. RFM were observed in 42% of mares; the incidence was similarly high across all 4 seasons studied (52.6%, 44.6%, 37.7% and 38.6% retained). The incidence of RFM was higher when the duration of foaling was longer (mean SEM duration retained 17.0 0.6 min, not retained 14.7 0.5 min; p<0.003), higher when mares stood more quickly after foaling (mean time to stand retained 8.0 0.5 min, not retained 9.6 0.4 min; p<0.006), higher with increased time until foal’s first suckle (mean time retained 135 6.8 min, not retained 116 5.5 min; p<0.035), higher with increasing mare age (mean age retained 11.3 0.2 years, not retained 10.6 0.2 years; p<0.021), higher when mares foaled later in the season (on average mares with RFM foaled 8.5 days later than mares that did not retain (not retained 106.9 1.2 days, retained 115.4 1.5 days; p<0.001). Incidence of RFM in mares wintered off the stud farm was 42.9% and on the stud farm was 41.6%. Mares with 3 or 4 seasons of data showed there was an effect of individual mare on gestation length (p<0.001), foaling date (p<0.001), time of foaling (p<0.026) and RFM (p<0.001) so that these characteristics were more likely to be repeated from season to season. There was no effect of mare on any other foaling parameter or attitude.