Bellevue Veterinary Clinic's home page
  • Call our surgery01373 836186

If you are looking to book a cat vaccination, please be aware that there is an ongoing shortage of some cat vaccines affecting all UK Veterinary practices. Find out more here.

Preparation for Foaling

Preparing your mare for foaling

Having a foal is an exciting time and most mares give birth peacefully without any outside help; however, if things do start to go wrong it is an emergency and can be fatal for the mare and foal. 

In order to give mare and foal the best chances it is important to be prepared, to know what is normal and what to do in an emergency.

Normal gestation period varies from 320-360 days. The foal matures in the last 2-3 days of gestation and there is no 100% reliable method of determining if this has occurred. Artificial induction before foetal maturation takes place, considerably decreases the foal’s survival chance and is only carried out in very specific circumstances.

In order to ensure foaling goes as smoothly as possible and you are prepared for emergencies:

  • Have the vet’s phone number to hand
  • Ring the vet when you think your mare is close to foaling- this allows us to be prepared in case of an emergency
  • Have transport available in case your mare or foal needs to be moved to a hospital in an emergency
Return to Library