I have made efforts to arrange foaling time for while I am able to be on leave, but my mare, quite famously, decided her gestation period should be 360 days (only she didn’t warn me)! This meant my leave is usually used up before she looks like foaling down.

I have found a wonderful solution to this problem in a product called Foal Watch.

Foal Watch operates by a simple system of testing the mare’s milk. Chemical indicators show when the mare will foal within 48 hours and become more accurate within 24 hours.

Having used the system I would always use it again, even if I was on leave for the foaling time.

In order to use the kit, you first need to collect a small (5-10ml) of mare milk then operate a simple, multi-step process to test this small amount of milk.

My mare was somewhat put out by the first two collections; but providing food and going gently meant she became used to the process quite quickly and collection took less than a minute towards her foaling date.

When the mare is not to foal soon, the test shows a pink or orange result. As foaling becomes imminent, the colour of the tests change to blue. The less milk required to make the blue appear, the closer foaling will be.

By using the test, I was able to warn the staff at CEH that my mare was going to foal within the next 24 hours. It also meant that I had a vet immediately on site when required. This saved the life of both my mare and foal as the foal did not present correctly. Without supervision it is most likely we’d have lost both mare and foal.

Testing in this way also meant I could confidently go away from the property and sleep at night, without regular “foal checks”. I was also able to give my boss prior warning that I’d need a day off work.

I highly recommend this system, particularly for new breeders and smaller studs that have similar supervision issues as myself. It is also great for mares who have a tendency (as mine does) to “overcook” their progeny.

As I used the tests I collected the outcomes and recorded dates and times of collection. The results can be viewed at Canberra Equine Hospital and may help others to understand the use of Foal Watch.

Kate O’Connor (Dip. Teach EFA/NCAS L1)

A big thankyou to Kate for her contribution. At Canberra Equine Hospital, we highly recommend the use of the Foal Watch Test Kit.

Should you have any questions regarding the kit, please feel free to call one of our vets at the hospital on 6241 8888. We are more than happy to discuss the system with you!

Being prepared and actively involved in the planning of your mare’s foaling is the best way of preventing any life threatening problems.