Foal Care and Feeding

when its own immune system has not begun to function adequately. Given the fact that the majority of the horses immune system is located in the intestine special attention should be given to promoting gut health and development in the foal. This task is multifaceted since it includes control of environmental pathogens and herd health considerations in addition to nutritional support of gut health in the form
Conformational faultsEven when we doing everything right we will still have foals born with conformation faults such as angular limb deformities contracted tendons club feet lax tendons and others. Most of the time these issues can be considered relatively minor and allowed to correct themselves on their own with time and proper care. However this is where it is important to utilize a team approach with experienced veterinarians farriers and horsemen in deciding what steps if any should be taken to help correct certain conformational faults. Also keep in mind that correcting conformational faults can be a bit of a trial and error process meaning if the first approach to correcting a particular issue is not proving effective then an alternative approach can sometimes prove to be more successful. While a detailed discussion on the various steps to be taken to correct various conformational faults is beyond the scope of this article the take home message here is to learn when structural faults are likely to correct on their own and when a certain amount of intervention is required to help correct structural faults that are likely to affect performance later in life. Additionally if corrective action is needed do not wait too long before implementing such actions as there is often a window of opportunity to correct get outside the window and youve lost the opportunity.
Nutrient IntakeEnsuring that the young foal and weanling receive adequate nutrition is critical to long term structural soundness and health. As stated previously it is vitally important that the pregnant broodmare be fed and managed correctly so the foal is born with enough nutrient stores to support growth and health during the first few weeks of life. There is a lot a variation between foals in relation to their age when they begin to take a serious interest in consuming feed and forage. Some foals will begin consuming feed on a regular basis the first week of life while others will be much older before they notice that