When to Call the Vet During Foaling

Most foalings go fine. The mare goes into labor, the foal comes out, everyone's healthy. But some foalings don't go smoothly, and knowing when to call the vet is literally a life-or-death issue. Call too soon and you've wasted money on emergency vet calls. Call too late and you've lost the mare or foal to a preventable problem. The key is knowing what's normal and what's dangerous.

Normal foaling is messy and intense but relatively quick. The mare is in hard labor, the foal comes out in minutes to maybe an hour or so, the mare and foal are both okay. Abnormal foaling has specific warning signs—nothing's progressing, something looks wrong with what's coming out, the mare is in severe distress, the foal isn't breathing when it comes out. These situations need vet help and you need it fast.

Time matters in foaling emergencies. A foal that's malpositioned can't come out on its own and dies if it doesn't get extracted quickly. A mare that's hemorrhaging doesn't have hours—she needs help immediately. A foal that isn't breathing needs intervention right now. When something's wrong during foaling, every minute counts.

Your job is observation and knowing when to call. You're not a vet. You can't fix foaling problems. But you can recognize when something's wrong and get professional help immediately. That's your role.

Normal foaling looks like this: the mare shows behavioral signs of labor—restlessness, sweating, maybe some pain-related behaviors. Stage One labor happens, which can last hours or even a day or more as the mare's body prepares. The mare is uncomfortable but not in extreme distress. Then things accelerate. You see fluid running from the mare's vulva or visible from the outside. The amnion—the white/clear sac—might protrude from the vulva. Once you see this, Stage Two is happening and the foal is coming soon.

During active Stage Two labor, the mare has strong contractions. You see the foal's front legs coming out, then the head and neck, then shoulders and body, then hind legs. This whole process usually takes fifteen to thirty minutes once you see the foal's feet. The mare is straining, working hard, but the foal is making steady progress. This is normal.

Once the foal is fully out and the umbilical cord breaks or is tied off, the foal should be gasping for air, coughing, trying to clear fluid from its nostrils. This is good. The foal is breathing. The mare and foal are connected by the remaining umbilical cord, and the placenta hasn't come out yet. Let them rest and process what just happened for a few minutes. Then the mare will have more contractions and pass the placenta. Placenta should come out within a few hours.

This normal process doesn't need vet intervention. Your job is observation, maybe drying off the foal if conditions are cold, keeping things quiet so mare and foal can bond.

Abnormal foaling has specific warning signs. If the mare is in heavy labor and nothing's progressing after thirty minutes of hard straining, something's wrong. Call the vet. If you see something coming from the mare that doesn't look right—like a leg in a weird position or red tissue instead of the normal white sac—something's wrong. Call the vet. If the mare is in extreme distress—thrashing, down and up repeatedly, showing signs of severe pain—call the vet. If the foal is coming but it's feet-first in the wrong position, something's wrong. Call the vet.

After the foal is born, if the foal isn't breathing, this is an emergency. Clear the nostrils and stimulate the foal vigorously. If it doesn't start breathing immediately, call the vet because the foal is dying. If the placenta doesn't come out within four hours, call the vet because retained placenta is a medical emergency. If the mare is bleeding heavily from the vaginal area, call the vet immediately. If the foal is born and you see obvious deformity or something's clearly wrong, call the vet.

Before foaling even starts, have your vet's emergency number. Know how to reach them at night, on weekends, on holidays. Know what the protocol is for emergencies at your facility. Know the backup vet if your primary isn't available. Write this down so you have it in front of you when labor starts. Don't try to remember numbers in a stressful moment.

Have an emergency plan. If your mare foals at three in the morning and something's wrong, you need to know immediately whether you're calling your vet or going to an emergency facility. Some mares are at barns with round-the-clock staff and facilities. Some are at home and you're the only one there. Whatever your situation, know in advance what you'd do if something goes wrong.

Understand the signs of normal labor before foaling happens. Read about it. Talk to people who've foaled mares. Watch for these signs so when they happen, you recognize them. Knowing what's normal means you recognize when something's abnormal.

During foaling, stay present but stay calm. Your mare picks up on your stress. A calm handler helps keep a calm mare. You're observing, noting what's happening, watching for problems. You're not panicking. You're not interfering.

Know how long things should take. Foaling should move from initial labor signs to foal on the ground in a reasonable time frame. If the mare is in heavy labor—straining hard—for more than an hour without progress, that's abnormal. If you've been watching for hours and nothing's happening, that's abnormal. Call the vet for clarification if you're unsure whether things are on track.

Know what the foal should look like and act like. A healthy newborn foal is gasping for air, coughing, eyes open, trying to move its legs. It's not particularly coordinated and doesn't need to be. If the foal seems unresponsive, if it's not breathing, if something looks wrong, that's a concern.

Have towels ready. Have iodine for the foal's navel if there's a standard protocol at your facility. Have blankets if it's cold. Have your phone charged and accessible. Have a flashlight if you're foaling at night. Have anything you might need so you're not scrambling.

After the foal is born, observe both mare and foal. The mare should eat and drink. The foal should try to stand and nurse within an hour or two. If the foal can't stand, can't find the udder, can't nurse, that's concerning. If the mare doesn't pass the placenta, that's a problem. Watch for signs that something's off and call your vet if needed.

Dystocia is the big one. The foal is malpositioned and stuck. One foreleg is back, or the head is turned, or something else is wrong and the foal won't come out on its own. When you see only one foreleg coming, when you see something other than the normal front-legs-first presentation, something's wrong. Call the vet immediately. A malpositioned foal will die if it doesn't come out quickly. The vet needs to extract it, and this requires professional care.

Red Bag delivery is an emergency. Instead of the white/clear sac coming out first, you see a red, velvety sac. This means the placenta is coming out first instead of after the foal. The foal is no longer getting oxygen from the placenta once it's delivered externally. The foal is suffocating. You have minutes to get that foal out. Cut the red bag immediately to get the foal's head out so it can breathe, or call the vet for emergency extraction. This is a true emergency.

The foal won't breathe. You see the foal born but not gasping for air, not coughing, not responding. Clear the nostrils. Rub the foal vigorously to stimulate breathing. If it still isn't breathing, the foal is dying. Get emergency help immediately. This is a true emergency.

The mare hemorrhages. Blood pouring from the vulva after foaling isn't normal. A little blood in the discharge is normal. Heavy bleeding is not. Call the vet immediately. The mare is losing blood and could die.

Umbilical cord ruptures prematurely and bleeds heavily. If the cord ruptures and is spurting blood, you need to tie it off or clamp it immediately to stop the bleeding. Call the vet for guidance if you're not sure what to do.

The placenta doesn't come out. The mare should pass it within a few hours of foaling. If hours are going by and the placenta is still hanging out or hasn't come out at all, call the vet. Retained placenta is serious and can lead to founder, infection, and death.

The mare goes into shock. She's sweating heavily, her heart rate is very high, her breathing is rapid and shallow, she seems disoriented. These are signs of severe trouble. Call the vet immediately.

The foal is born and clearly has a problem. It's not moving, its legs are severely deformed, something looks obviously wrong. Call your vet to assess what's happening and what options exist.

The mare has severe colic after foaling. She's in obvious pain, rolling, not eating. This can happen but it's concerning and might indicate a serious problem. Call the vet for evaluation.

Your vet is on standby during foaling. You call if you think something's wrong or if you're unsure whether something is normal. Don't feel like you have to be a hundred percent certain that something's wrong before calling. Better to call the vet and have them say "that's normal" than to wait too long on a serious problem.

Some people hire a vet to be present during foaling. This is more expensive but means professional help is right there if needed. If you can afford it, presence is ideal because the vet doesn't have travel time. The vet is there immediately if something goes wrong.

If your vet isn't present and you call during foaling, the vet will give you instructions while they're coming. They might have you do certain things while waiting for them to arrive. Follow their instructions. They're trying to help from a distance and from experience.

Emergency equine hospitals can handle foaling emergencies if your regular vet isn't available or if the situation needs more advanced care than your vet can provide at your facility. Know where the nearest emergency facility is. Know how to get there and how to transport a mare if needed.

Call the vet if you're unsure. This is the most important rule. When in doubt, call. Your vet would rather be called about something that turns out fine than have you wait on something serious.

Know the signs of normal foaling so you recognize when something's abnormal. Foaling should progress. If it stalls, something's wrong.

Remember that time matters during foaling emergencies. Minutes can mean the difference between life and death. Call the vet fast if something's clearly wrong.

Stay calm during foaling. Your stress affects the mare. A calm handler helps a calmer experience for everyone.

Have your vet's number ready and a backup plan if your regular vet isn't available. Don't wait until foaling starts to figure this out.

After foaling, monitor both mare and foal closely. Problems can develop in the first hours and days. Watch for anything that seems off and call your vet if needed.

Remember that foaling is unpredictable but most foalings are fine. Have your plan ready, know when to call for help, and hope for smooth delivery. Most of the time, that's what you get.