Foal Care from Birth to 30 Days: A Practitioner's Perspective (21-Nov-2003)

1. Introduction This paper is a basic review of the care of the foal from birth to 30 days of age. It is based on my experience in caring for foals in central Kentucky for the past 18 yr. It is not meant to be an in-depth paper on each abnormality but is meant to be a general review of the most common problems seen in our practice and the manner in which they are routinely handled. Most of the topics can be reviewed in more depth in neonatal texts [1-3]. These opinions are based on the author's years of experience in central Kentucky, where he has been responsible for the routine care of 300-500 newborn foals each year since 1985. Most of these foals stay on the farms, where they are weaned and raised as yearlings to be sold.