When we talk about feeding an orphaned foal, we don't just mean those who have lost their mother. The mare may be present but too little milk is being produced. This can be difficult to determine by milking the mare if she is producing some milk. However the foal's behavior when underfed is very characteristic. Not only is there concern about nutrition but also has the foal acquired adequate immunity from the colostrum.

There is now effective treatment for mares not producing adequate amounts of milk. In cases where the mare is lost foster non lactating foster mares can be induced to lactate. Experiments showed that mares with induced lactation are able to adopt and nurse a foal to weaning age that are of similar size and weight to normally raised foals.

There is the general opinion that you cannot produce healthy horses on a bottle. But personal experience has shown with hard work these foals turn out normal in every way. We have bottle raised numerous foals that went on to perform at the top of their chosen field. This article describes techniques for improving milk production, creating foster mares, or raising orphan foals on a bottle.

Usually a mare's bag will start to fill two weeks before birth and by parturition will be very full and perhaps leaking milk. Good quality colostrum (a mare's first milk) can vary considerably in color and consistency, from a clear, thick, yellow, fluid to white milk similar to cows milk. The bag should be distended to the point of being very firm and the nipples full. Before nursing the bag should be roughly symmetrical. A normal first 24 hours should go like this:

Foals stand within 30 minutes of birth and are nursing within two hours. Before the first good suckle of the nipple the foal will attempt to nurse different parts of the mare and may even try objects around him. This can be frustrating to watch and you will want to help. However most attempts to help are counterproductive and it is best to leave the mare and foal alone. He should be nursing by 2 hours postpartum.

Once nursing the foal will cycle: nurse, rest, explore. The order and amount of time the foal spends doing each of these activities varies but trends are important to watch: If a foal is getting adequate milk, his time spent nursing is less than five minutes a cycle and frequently less than a minute. Then he will rest deeply for as long as 30 minutes or begin to explore. Within the first few hours he becomes very bright and aware of his surroundings. He may be a little clumsy but will be getting around amazingly well. As his strength grows he may even buck and kick up his heels a little. For detailed information see Newborn Foal Care.

Conditions that may predict problems with the foal, colostrum, or milk would be:

• A history of poor nutrition or management of the mare
• Underweight mare
• Grazing fescue pastures
• Premature birth (less than 325 days)
• A lot of milk leaking out before birth
• Past problems with newborns of this farm.