Miniature Horse Information Pages

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This works really slick for those times when you may need to milk a mare to feed a foal. You take a large syringe (60 cc) and take the plunger out. Cut off the end that has the tip on it so the plunger will fit into that end (just reverse of the end it originally went into). Put the plunger into the end you cut off. Pull the plunger back about 1/2 inch to start the suction. Put the open end tightly against the teat and slowly pump the plunger back and forth. When you get about an inch or two of milk, pour it into a container and start over again. This works easy and fast (much better than doing it by hand). When I showed it to my vet the last time she was here and our colt wouldn't nurse, she was going to extract the milk by hand and tube the baby. Well I talked her into trying this and she was amazed !!! I really works well. Hope this little hint works for you, as it does save time and is so easy to make. (posted on L'il Beginnings Miniature Horse Forum by ???)

Testing RH factor in new born foals - "I would say that you have about a 50/50 chance of survival. That has been about the results of the ones that we have had with the same problem. I try to do a simple test, which you might want to do in the future....take a drop of blood from the foal (I get it when the umbilical chord breaks) and mix with a drop of colostrum from the mare. If it mixes and stays mixed, everything is okay. If it separates and appears to curdle, which it will do very quickly, do NOT LET THE FOAL NURSE but get the vet there IMMEDIATELY to give the foal IGG, or an artificial colostrum or colostrum from another mare. Then keep the foal with the mare, but muzzled for 48 hours and bottle feed with another milk source. Milk the mare so that she won't stop making milk. After the colostrum is gone the foal can start nursing without danger. It is only the antibodies in the colostrum that fights the foals immune system." (re-printed from L'il Beginnings Miniature Horse Forum)

Colt Not Eating Grain - Ok, I probably shouldn't worry, but my colt didn't eat his grain tonight. He ate his hay, but only had a couple of bites of the grain. I gradually built him up to half-sweet feed and half of the oats he was on before we got him. This is the first night he didn't eat it. Could he be sick??? He is 5 months old, if you need that info. (re-printed from L'il Beginnings Miniature Horse Forum)

• I know how you feel about your colt going off his grain. Just recently I had a filly and colt (both around 5 months old) go off their grain. I found out they had teeth coming in and chewing the grain was a bit ouchy. I don't know how or why they still ate their hay, but give it a few days, even a week and see if he starts eating his grain again. As long as he's eating hay and drinking he should be fine. Good luck.
• My young filly went off her grain a (sweet feed mixed with Mare & Foal) also about a month ago. Found out she was crazy over just the Mare & Foal food, I gave her straight Mare & Foal with gradually adding back the sweet feed mixture in it.

First time foaling concerns (mare & owner) - Hi all, I am a newcomer to the world of minis. I have 3 and I started with a stallion about 2 1/2 years ago. My mare is due in about 3 weeks, it is her first time and mine too. Does anyone have any suggestions? I have done a great deal of research and my vet is on standby, but my minis are the only ones that he treats and I am extremely concerned. Any tidbits of info will help!! (re-printed from L'il Beginnings Miniature Horse Forum)

• This is our first one, too, due in 6-8 weeks. Read Theresa Jones' book The Complete Foaling Manual. Her website is on http://www.horseforum.com/tjones and she's great! Best wishes!
• There are 2 books that I believe every horse person should have in their library and they are: Blessed Are The Broodmares and Blessed are the Foals, both are written by Phyllis Lose V.M.D. They are both under $30.00. --- I know of some other excellent books but they are pretty technical and have large amounts of medical terminology. These books are very informative but written in laymans terms with lots of photos and definitions. They also have the checklist for a foaling kit. Main things I find useful in my foaling kit is: Big towels, guaze or cotton cloth for cleaning udder, vulva etc, tail wrap, scissors, piece of cord to tie the afterbirth up at hock level so mare does'nt step on it, Hemostats 2 (rarely needed but handy in case you do!), bulb syringe (to clear nasal secretions and airway), KY Jelly and exam gloves, Iodine to treat umbilical stump (pour it in a dixie cup and thoroughly soak the stump all the way up to the belly), bucket to with water in it to place afterbirth in so you can check it for any missing parts.

Milk Test Strips - In a study conducted by Dr. Cindy Corson in Michigan she discovered that you can get the same results by using a test strip for hard water. The name of the product is EM Quant(R) Total Hardness Test. This test strip is sold by: Nurnburg Science - 6310 SW Virginia Ave - Portland Oregon 97201 - 1 800-826-3470
To use mix 1 part mares milk to 6 parts distilled water ~~~ Place the strip in the liquid for 1 second ~~~ Shake off excess liquid from the strip ~~~ Read results in 1 minute. ~~~ There are 4 pink pads on the strip ~~~ 2 pads turn green non significant ~~~ 3 pads turn green the mare needs to be watched probably within 48 hours ~~~ 4 pads turn green the mare will foal within 24 hours. I have used these strips for the last 3 years (25-30 Mares) and have found them to be very accurate. I had 1 mare who went 32 hours after all 4 turned green but have never had a mare foal within 24 hours without all 4 pads turning green. Like everything nothing is 100% but it is the best thing I have found and for the difference in price of the commercial pregnancy test strips. (printed from L'il Beginnings Miniature Horse Forum)

Joint Ill - From Miniature Horse Forum - When a foal is born, if the umbilical cord becomes contaminated, then the infection goes straight into the bloodstream. Remember when a foal is born, the umbilical cord is still functioning as an artery and vein system to supply oxygenated blood to the foal while it is inside the womb. At the time of birth, the cord will break and the exposed area on the cord, for a few minutes, can get dirty with environmental germs and debris. That goes straight directly into the foal's bloodstream. The foal's immature immune system does not know what to do with this invasion so the immune system shunts the infection to a safe place away from the heart, brain and so forth....the safest alternative is the joints, and the farther away from the body, the better.
ANY time there is a lameness issue in a foal less than 2 weeks old , JOINT ILL (or navel ill or septicemia, same thing) should be the FIRST suspicion!
This is why we treat the navels with iodine. And keep the stalls clean.
There is also a theory that the immature soles of the foal's feet can transmit infection to the bloodstream as well so some people will dip the feet. My vet does not strongly believe this is true, but some vets do, so better safe than sorry!
And I have also been told that a foal can actually be developing navel ill before it is born. This would have to cross the placenta and be transmitted by the dam. I suppose anything is possible.
How does it present itself?
May or may not show a swollen tender joint, with heat in the joint.
Fever
Depression
Elevated White Blood cell count on a CBC blood test
Lameness!!!!
My filly had a NEGATIVE xray, and NO obvious swollen joint, NO heat, but mild tenderness in her knee area. She had a 102 temp, not too bad.
She was depressed, limping, and had a 12,000 white blood cell count--that is elevated. Needs to be less than 8.
Also the vet said that sometimes the foal will have an abnormally LOW white blood cell count but it is septicemia all the same and you will treat it just the same.
That is all I know, due to my recent run in with the dreaded JOINT ILL>

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