A helping hand

Sadly, some foals are orphaned and need a first step up in life. Samantha Feighery RVN, lead clinical nurse at Rossdales Equine Hospital, outlines fostering and hand-rearing procedures

THE tragic loss of a mare is the most common reason for hand-rearing or fostering a foal. This can happen immediately post foaling or from other unrelated injuries or disease. However, it is not the only reason. It is not uncommon for a maiden mare to reject her foal, and she may even attack the foal when it tries to nurse. Or, if a mare is suffering or recovering from debilitating illness or disease, her milk production can be much reduced. Hand-rearing an orphan foal is a big undertaking and extremely time-consuming. There is a risk that the foal will become excessively bonded to humans, resulting in behavioural issues. In the long-term it may be more beneficial to foster the foal to a nurse mare, as in addition to meeting…

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Horse & Hound (Digital) - 1 Issue, 6-Mar-2025

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