Monthly Newsletter  august 2007
First Steps Toward A Healthy Life
NUTRITION: To a foal, everything is new. How you handle him, feed him and care for him will lay the foundation for the rest of his life. Your healthy newborn foal should consume 15%-25% of his body weight in milk daily and gain an average of 1-2 lbs./day. Excessive weight gain, unusual rapid growth spurts or a diet unbalanced in calories, protein, calcium, phosphorus and trace minerals may place your foal at increased risk for metabolic bone disease. As your foal grows, he will need a gradual transition from an "all milk" diet to solid feed. Typically, creep feed should be introduced slowly after the first month at rates of 0.75-1.0 lb. of creep feed per 100 lbs. of foal body weight. The type of creep offered will depend on the amount and quality of hay and/or pasture in the diet. Consult with your veterinarian to develop a balanced nutrition program for your foal.
VACCINATIONS: When your foal is born, he inherits immediate disease protection through his vaccinated dam's colostrum. But eventually those maternal antibodies decline, and your foal needs the added protection that only comes through proper immunization. Timing of the first vaccinations is critical. The maternally derived colostral antibodies that provide the foal with temporary protection are the same antibodies that prevent the foal from mounting an acceptable immune response to vaccines that are administered too early.
Work with your veterinarian to develop a customized vaccination schedule that takes into account your region of the country, endemic diseases on your farm and your foal's risk of disease exposure. Preventing disease through a strategic vaccination program is safer, easier and more economical than treating the sick foal.
DEWORMING: Young foals are generally more susceptible to parasites than adult horses. Exposure begins early. One parasite, Strongyloides westeri, can be transferred in the mare's milk. Other parasite eggs can be shed in the dam's manure. Therefore deworming your mare shortly after foaling with a product effective against Strongyloides sp and a wide range of other parasites is recommended as the first step in protecting your foal from an overwhelming load of parasites.
To ensure your foal stays healthy, the best procedure is to develop a regular parasite control program that never allows a large population of ascarids to become established. (The most significant parasites are ascarids, also known as roundworms. Ascarids prey on the naive immune systems of horses less than 18 months old and can cause depression, respiratory disease, stunted growth, diarrhea, constipation and potentially fatal colic.)
Get Rotation Right the First Year
DOWNLOADING USEFUL TOOLS: Keeping track of your vaccinations and deworming is easier than ever thanks to a great record-keeping system that you can either create an account and save your information or download and print the forms. Go to www.foalcare.com and locate the forms under the Tools category.
YOUR SOURCE FOR EQUINE PROTECTION AND FARM AND RANCH INSURANCE
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