Shared by Angelique Rockwell.
As foaling season
heats up and the chances of loss increases, I have been
asked to make a post about my experience that could help
in those cases of a lost mare or foal.
Last year
my mare had the job of raising an orphan filly. She did
not have a lost foal per say though had early aborted a
foal the late fall before. She had milk as many of broodmares
have even open. So when a friend ended up with a
orphan foal on her farm, I decided to try and see if we
could match them up. The filly was brought to our farm
and began on bucket feedings and we monitored several
nursing sessions. My mare
allowed begrudgingly this to happen while we were
there but was not really bonding to her. However, we
learned about a wonderful and miraculous hormone
protocol that would bridge the gap! It sounded too easy,
but it worked.
I hope it will save a mare, foal
and owners heart, and give some much needed rest to
those in this situation, who are bottle or bucket
feeding every 2 hours.
First, if mare has no
milk she needs the drug Domperidome, might take a couple
rounds. This doesn't create bonding but increases
lactation.
Next, is the bonding protocol. All is
needed is one and a half cc of Estrumate or Lutalyce.
This will make the mare sweat and cramp. Have the
foal out of site during this, but close by.
Allow this for about 30 minutes. Take a towel and rub
down the sweat from the mare then take it to foal and
rub it down. Then with supervision, introduce the foal
to the mare. Let her smell baby's bottom, not nose to
nose till after nursing. It's like magic!
The
mare will think she labored and that the foal is hers!
During the introduction administer 1 cc of oxytocin to
the mare. This is the LOVE connection. They go through
much the same introductions that any new baby and mom
do. I watched to make sure all was safe for 45 minutes
and several laying down, and getting up and nursing
sessions to make sure it all took. The mare will be
sweaty and uncomfortable for a while after this just as
they are after giving birth. I gave a 10 cc dose of
Banamine to my mare (IV) as I do after placenta is
expelled in any actual birth. It really was like
watching magic and only took about 45 minutes for the
whole protocol to a bonded pair.
I really hope
this helps someone or some mommas and baby's. I did
supplement formula for several weeks just because I
wanted to make sure baby got all she needed. This mare
usually weans her own foals around 5 months. This pair
is so bonded she is still allowing her to nurse!
ALWAYS ASK YOUR VET HIS OR HER OPINION BEFORE DOING
THIS~!
Thank you Angelique Rockwell for this
information~! |
