⚠️ Not veterinary advice. This guide is for education on minor issues only. If you are unsure, or your animal is in pain, call your veterinarian. In an emergency, call immediately.
Newborn foal problems in horses
Should I call the vet?
Typical signs: Use the 1-2-3 rule: standing within 1 h, nursing within 2 h, and passing meconium (first manure) within 3 h.
Call your vet now if you see
- Not standing by 1 h or nursing by 2 h
- Weak, dull, not nursing, or milk coming from the nose
- Straining to pass manure, tail flagging or rolling (meconium impaction)
- Diarrhea, fever or swollen joints
- Navel wet, swollen or dripping urine
- Mare has little milk, leaked milk before foaling, or rejects the foal
What you can do
- Write down the times: born, stood, nursed, meconium passed.
- Dip the navel with the disinfectant your vet recommends.
- Watch the foal nurse; a mare's udder that stays full suggests it isn't.
- Keep mare and foal in a clean, dry, draft-free stall.
- Ask your vet about a newborn exam and IgG (antibody) test in the first day.
When to call the vet
Immediately for call-now signs; plan a newborn check within the first day.
Normal adult vital signs (at rest)
Horse
| Vital | Normal | Concerning |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 99.0–101.5 °F | Over 102 °F or under 98 °F |
| Heart rate | 28–44 /min | Over 60 at rest |
| Respiration | 10–24 /min | Over 30 or labored |
| Gums / CRT | Moist pink, refill < 2 s | Pale, white, dark red, purple, tacky |
| Gut sounds | Gurgles both sides | Silent |
| Hydration | Skin pinch back in 1–2 s | Tents > 2–3 s |
Young animals differ. Learn each animal's healthy baseline and record it.
Sources
More from Should I Call the Vet?
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Other horse topics
- Minor cuts & scrapes
- Hoof abscess
- Mild colic warning signs
- Thrush
- Rain rot / rain scald
- Eye irritation
- Laminitis (founder) warning signs
- Choke (esophageal obstruction)
- Mild cough / nasal discharge
- Scratches / mud fever
- Lameness / limping
- Puncture wound / nail in the foot
- Nosebleed
- Fever (high temperature)
- Diarrhea (adult horse)
- Not eating (off feed)
- Not drinking / dehydration
- Tying-up (muscle cramping)
- Leg swelling / stocking up
- Hives (raised bumps)
- Weight loss / poor condition
- Dental problems / quidding
- Foaling problems (dystocia)
- Retained placenta (after foaling)
- Stumbling / neurological signs
- Snake bite
- Toxic plant eaten
- Cast horse (stuck lying down)
- Lost shoe / hoof crack
- Tail rubbing
- Vaccine reaction
- Lice / mange / skin irritation
- Heat stress
Keep every record in one place
Herd Papers keeps vaccines, Coggins, vet and farrier visits, weight and body condition for each animal, and reminds you before things come due.
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