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Horses, mules, donkeys, other equines and large quadrupeds . . . not suitable for the dog, or the cat, threads.

Horses, mules, donkeys, other equines and large quadrupeds (not suitable for the dog, or the cat, threads) . . . such as even elephants and camelids.

There are a number of ARRSE members with interests in equines, and I have intended to start this thread for some time.

The incentive to do this today, is the post below, copied from the inter-web, specifically concerning introducing a foster foal to a new mum.

Who knows, discussing this with your veterinary, the principles may be applicable to those with responsibilities for other species (cattle?), in similar circumstances.
 
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Published by: Jessica Britton, on Facebook, on 24 April 2017 (Four years ago).

BREEDERS PLEASE READ!

As many of you probably saw I posted offering a surrogate mare a few days ago, she belongs to our friend and fellow stud owner Tara Coppins (Taraco Stud) and she lost her foal on Friday morning from an extremely difficult foaling during which the placenta became detached. Sadly this morning I got another message from Tara to say she had lost a different mare 'Magic' to a colon torsion who had foaled four weeks ago.

We met Tara when we had tried (sadly unsuccessfully as is so often the case) to foster George onto her mare Magic. And said we would be over as soon as she needed us to help try foster the foal onto the mare.

In the mean time Jamie, reminded me that Shirley light from Brendon stud had had a lot of success with fostering, and I had been really helpful and kind when I had spoken to her when we lost George's mum, so following his suggestion I gave her a call to ask if she had any advice as both ourselves and Tara had tried fostering before but without success.

We will all be eternally grateful for what Shirley said, today we have learnt some extremely valuable information that I believe EVERY breeder should know, and so I will be sharing far and wide and please do re-share.

Armed with Shirley's information (so much has changed and advanced in six years) I rang Tara and said you're going to have to trust me it sounds mental but (to get her vet to speak to Shirley's vet re dose) but to give a triple dose of Estrumate (PG jab) and introduce the foal.

Giving such a large dose of Estrumate will make the uterus contract making the mare think she had just given birth! Surely it can not be that simple!! Fostering is a long and complicated process which is so often unsuccessful. But I trusted my source and Tara trusted me so we did it! Cue a message to Shirley, How far did you let the contractions get before you introduced foal? We have a lot of sweating but only one big contraction? And response was pretty much straight away!

So at approx 2.20 the mare was given the advised dose of Estrumate. At approx 3pm Tara held the mare I held the foal and pointed her toward the udder and Jamie stood next to me incase she needs to be grabbed out quick. The foal latched on immediately and the mare started to nicker!!
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we just couldn't believe what we were seeing!!

Over the course of the next few minutes the mare completely accepted the foal as though it were her own, whickering, licking, nuzzling, literally as though it were her newly born baby, none of us could believe what we were witnessing. You can see in the videos how wet the foal is, this is where the mare just wants to lick and nuzzle her.

It was quite simply one of the most extraordinary things I have ever seen, had somebody told me at 11am when I got Tara's message that by 4pm there would be a new mare and foal combo completely at ease with each other as though natural born foal and mother, I NEVER would have believed them.

Domperidone has also been given to increase milk production as this had started to wain where it had been several days since the loss of her own foal. Please note the mare started to tremble/shake terribly about half an hour after the drug was administered but stopped within twenty minutes.

Please do share this information, this has given a bereft mare a foal to mother, a foal a mother and the chance at a completely normal upbringing both mentally and from a gastro p.o.v., but also a breeder a normal life (possible in horse breeding... maybe not
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) but a breeder who does not need to feed a foal every 2hrs for the next 4-5 months and on a financial level saved approx £2-3k in foal milk.

It is the most amazing thing I have ever seen, we have all agreed that we could not have pictured such a simple solution to have such a life changing outcome! With a suitable mare this is a groundbreaking tool for breeders to take possibly the worst day of your life to one with hope and positivity in it!

PLEASE SHARE this information is vital to giving orphaned mares a normal upbringing.

Tara I hope this is the turning point in your incredibly undeserving terrible luck this year, you run an amazing stud with care and diligence that is second to none, I hope this is the start of better luck and positivity.
Please contact any of the below to discuss this or for anymore information if you wish and please tell your vets, Tara's learnt something new today and your could too which could lead more successful fosterings.

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We often supply goats milk for orphaned foals and used to give excess to the horses as a treat in the "old days" when we had nags. we used to take and freeze colostrum as well.
Its not uncommon for mares to foster with good results. I miss our Highlands .
 
If this really does work it will be great for breeders, no more searching for foster mares or skinning dead foals.
As regards cattle, I can only comment in terms of our own herd. Two years ago I lost a cow with a three month old calf at foot, which was then fed by any and all of the other cows. Whether this happens with horses in a herd situation I have no idea.
 
If this really does work it will be great for breeders, no more searching for foster mares or skinning dead foals.
As regards cattle, I can only comment in terms of our own herd. Two years ago I lost a cow with a three month old calf at foot, which was then fed by any and all of the other cows. Whether this happens with horses in a herd situation I have no idea.
According to Mrs Helm no it doesn't
 
Use plenty of Estrumate/Prellim, 2ml is standard dose, but that's a new un to me.

Other trick thats been know to work here back in the day, when we bred heavy horses...

Introduce the foster foal, swiftly followed by the nastiest dog you could find.
A strong eager juvenile sheepdog , or a stroppy sneaky gnarled old timer that would give the mare the evil eye, chained with access just inside the stable doorway often induced the mothering instinct. In big docile Shires it was sometimes enough to 'trip the switch' apparently.

Not always successful obviously, but then synthetic prostaglandin wasn't exactly a thing either.

Got a vet visit due, its a good un to run past the 'bright young things'
I'll report back.

Not wanting to be overly cynical, ( Moi?)
The other thing to consider is, like all bloody females, some will mother anything and everything, and others will try and kill even their own feckin offspring, a 'good mother' one year can turn into a fire breathing four legged* psychotic lunatic the next.

( edit; *two legged ones also!)
 
On a sad horse related note, some may remember Fred from Larkhill, he was given to the Heavy Horse Centre for a thoroughly pampered retirement (on the grounds of being a bit of a cheeky chappy as well as his size allegedly) sadly he passed away this year after several years being adored by the general public.

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My Grandfather "Charlie" Henwood in WW1, not sure of his Regiment, but think it would be a Hertfordshire one, possibly the Hertfordshire Yeomanry.

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