Foaling season is one of the most exciting—and nerve wracking—times in any horse owner’s year. Whether you’re welcoming your first foal or you’re an experienced breeder, preparation makes all the difference.

A well-planned foaling season supports healthier mares, stronger foals, and significantly fewer late night surprises. Here’s everything you need to know to get ready.

The 2 to 3 months leading up to your mare’s expected due date are the most important preparation period. This is the time to schedule a veterinary examination to confirm the pregnancy is progressing normally, assess body condition, and establish a clear foaling plan with your veterinarian.

Ideally, your mare should be in moderate to good condition—around a 5 to 6 on the Henneke Body Condition Score—which supports a smoother delivery and a faster recovery.

This period is also essential for reviewing and updating vaccinations. Many veterinarians recommend administering rhinopneumonitis (EHV-1/EHV-4) vaccines at 5, 7, and 9 months of gestation, followed by a pre-foaling booster covering influenza, tetanus, Eastern and Western encephalomyelitis, West Nile virus, and rabies approximately 4 to 6 weeks before the due date. These boosters help ensure the mare’s colostrum contains the protective antibodies the newborn foal will rely on in its first hours of life.

During the final trimester, the foal experiences its most rapid growth spurt, and the mare’s nutritional requirements increase significantly.

At this stage, transition her to a high quality, forage based diet supplemented with a feed specifically formulated for late gestation and lactating mares. These rations are carefully balanced with appropriate calcium to phosphorus ratios and include key nutrients such as vitamin E, selenium, and omega-3 fatty acids, all of which support healthy fetal development and immune function.

It’s important to avoid excessive amounts of energy dense grain, which can contribute to overly rapid fetal growth and complicate delivery. Instead, focus on high quality hay or pasture as the foundation of the diet, allowing a properly balanced concentrate to fill in nutritional gaps.

Don’t forget that fresh, clean water should always be available, since a lactating mare can consume up to 20 gallons per day

Mares don’t always follow a schedule, so setting up a safe, well-prepared environment in advance is one of the most important steps in supporting a smooth and successful delivery.

• Timing — Your foaling area or stall should be fully prepared at least 2 to 3 weeks before the expected due date.

• Large enough — A foaling stall should measure a minimum of 14×14 feet, with 16×16 feet or larger being ideal. Your mare needs sufficient space to lie down, roll, and rise comfortably without risking injury to herself or the foal.

• Clean and deeply bedded — Deep, dry straw is the traditional choice for foaling, since it is warm, highly absorbent, and less likely than fine shavings to be inhaled by a newborn foal. Don’t forget that the stall should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before fresh bedding is added.

• Well-lit but calm — Adequate lighting is important for monitoring your mare’s labor, but the environment should remain quiet and low stress. Keep in mind that mares are naturally private during foaling and may delay labor if they feel overly observed or disturbed.

• Safe and secure — Carefully inspect the stall or foaling area for any protruding nails, sharp edges, gaps in boards, or other potential hazards where a newborn foal could become trapped. Water buckets should also be removed from the floor or replaced with shallow rubber tubs to help prevent accidents.

Every mare owner should have a dedicated foaling kit assembled and ready well in advance of the due date. Preparation helps ensure you can respond quickly and calmly when needed. A well-stocked kit should include:

• Clean towels for drying the foal after birth
• Iodine solution (7%) or chlorhexidine for dipping the foal’s umbilical stump
• A clean bucket and mild soap for washing hands
• Examination gloves
• Flashlight or headlamp
• Enema kit (a Fleet enema designed for foals helps prevent meconium impaction)
• Foal blanket for cold weather
• Colostrum supplement in case the mare’s colostrum is insufficient
• Nasogastric feeding tube and syringe in case the foal is too weak to nurse
• Your vet’s emergency number — posted visibly, not just saved in your phone

Keep this kit in a clean container in or near the foaling stall. When the moment comes, you won’t have time to search the barn.

Mares typically show a clear progression of physical and behavioral signs in the weeks, days, and hours leading up to foaling. Recognizing these changes can help you stay prepared, prevent problems, and respond at the right time.

2 to 4 weeks out: 

• The udder begins to fill and “bag up”
• The muscles around the tailhead and hindquarters gradually soften as the pelvic ligaments loosen and relax in preparation for birth

1 to 3 days out: 

• The mare’s udder becomes fully distended
• “Waxing” may appear—which is a yellowish or amber secretion at the teat ends
• Waxing is one of the most reliable indicators that foaling is imminent—but keep in mind that not all mares will wax

Hours before foaling:

• The mare becomes restless, may paw the ground, look at her flank, lie down and stand up repeatedly, and sweat on her neck and flanks. These are early signs of first-stage labor. At this point, someone should be close by.

The mare may become:

• Restless
• Paw at the ground
• Frequently look at her flank
• Lie down and get up repeatedly
• Show sweating along the neck and shoulders

When you observe your mare displaying these behaviors, she is likely entering early labor, and close monitoring is recommended at this stage.

PRO TIP: Monitoring your mare’s milk calcium levels using simple pool test strips is a practical tool used by many breeders. When calcium levels rise above approximately 200 ppm, you can usually expect your mare to foal within 24 hours. These strips are inexpensive and can save you many sleepless nights.

Normal equine labor is typically fast and follows a fairly predictable sequence. Understanding this timeline helps you recognize when something is wrong and may not be progressing as it should

Stage #1 (30 minutes to 4 hours): 

• The mare becomes restless and uncomfortable as the foal rotates and adjusts into the correct position for birth.
• This stage ends when the mare’s water breaks.

Stage #2 (20 to 40 minutes): 

. If you see red velvet tissue at the vulva rather than the white amniotic sac, this is a red bag delivery — an emergency. Tear it open immediately and call your vet.

• Active delivery begins.
• Once the water breaks and active straining starts, the foal should usually be delivered within about 30 minutes.
• The first thing you should see is the front hooves (soles pointing downward), followed by the nose.
• If you instead see a red, velvety membrane at the vulva rather than the white amniotic sac, this is known as a “red bag” delivery and is an emergency—tear it open immediately and contact your veterinarian asap!

Stage #3 (1 to 3 hours)

The placenta is passed. If the mare has not passed the placenta within three hours of foaling, call your vet. Retained placenta is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition.

• The placenta is expelled.
• If the mare has not passed the placenta within 3 hours of foaling, veterinary attention is required and you need to call your vet—a retained placenta can lead to serious complications and is a potentially life threatening condition.

Call your vet immediately if:

• Strong, active labor lasts more than 20 to 30 minutes without progress
• You see a red bag presentation
• The foal appears to be in an abnormal position
• The mare shows signs of colic during or after delivery
• The placenta is not passed within 3 hours

The first few hours of a foal’s life are among the most critical. To make sure a foal is on the right track, a simple guideline many breeders follow is the “1-2-3 rule”:

• 1 hour after birth: the foal should be standing
• 2 after birth: the foal should be nursing
• 3 after birth: the placenta should be passed

Once the foal is up and nursing, the umbilical stump should be carefully disinfected using iodine or dilute chlorhexidine to help prevent infection through this vulnerable entry point. Many caretakers also administer a foal-safe enema to assist with passing meconium (the first manure), which can otherwise lead to painful impaction if retained.

The placenta should be collected in a clean container and saved for veterinary inspection within a few hours to make sure it has been fully expelled. Don’t skip this step—retained placenta fragments can lead to a serious, life threatening infection in the mare.

Your equine vet should perform a newborn exam—ideally within 12 to 24 hours after birth—to assess the foal’s health, check for congenital abnormalities, and test IgG levels to confirm adequate passive transfer of immunity from the colostrum. This is another important step you don’t want to skip—a foal with failure of passive transfer is at high risk for serious infection and will need intervention.

Foaling cameras have become an affordable and highly useful tool for horse breeders who can’t sleep in the barn overnight. Many modern systems connect directly to smartphones, which allows you to monitor your mare in real time from anywhere.

Some setups also include motion alerts or wearable sensors that notify you when the mare lies down in a position that’s consistent with early labor.

While technology is never a substitute for experience or a strong working relationship with your veterinarian, these tools can provide a valuable added layer of security. In critical moments, faster awareness and response can make a meaningful difference for both your mare and foal.

Preparing for foaling season is as much about mindset as it is about supplies and scheduling. Knowing your mare, understanding her normal behavior, and building a strong relationship with an equine veterinarian before an emergency arises all make a significant difference.

Thoughtful preparation is one of the most valuable tools a breeder can have. While the vast majority of mares foal without complications, when issues do occur they can progress quickly. The owners who are best prepared are the ones who planned ahead—long before the first signs of labor appeared.

Stay calm, stay attentive, and take in the experience. Few moments in the equine world are as remarkable as watching a healthy foal stand and take its first steps.