Day 2 Update for Surprise and Her Foal – Gender Revealed!

And Now for the Big Reveal…

If you guessed colt, you were right! 🐴 Surprise’s final foal is a handsome, healthy colt!

At nearly two days old, he is thriving, easygoing, and full of personality. The team at Horse Husband Stables is thrilled with how well he’s doing and looking forward to watching him grow!

A Quiet Night & Morning Check-In

The Horse Husband Stables team received an early morning call from the remote overnight foal watch service at 5:30 AM, reporting that Surprise looked slightly uncomfortable.

Upon checking in, everything appeared normal, and it was determined that she simply needed her next round of anti-inflammatories—which quickly helped her settle.

During the morning check, the team also found that the colt had a very dirty backside with pasty diarrhea. After consulting with their veterinarian, they determined this was most likely caused by the enema given the night before to help clear out the last of his meconium.

Understanding Newborn Foal Diarrhea

Digestive changes in newborn foals can happen for several reasons, and early monitoring is critical:

💩 Mild Loose Stool After an Enema – A common response within the first 48 hours after passing meconium.
💩 "Foal Heat" Diarrhea (Days 5-14) – A temporary change in stool consistency when the mare enters her first heat cycle postpartum. Typically not a concern unless excessive.
💩 Severe Watery Diarrhea – A red flag for infection (such as rotavirus or sepsis) and requires immediate veterinary attention.

To support his gut health after this morning’s episode, the Horse Husband Stables team, under veterinary guidance, started him on a foal probiotic regimen twice daily, along with sucralfate twice a day.

Bloodwork Results: Monitoring for Trends

To ensure the colt continues to progress normally, a second blood panel was pulled today for comparison against yesterday’s results. This is a key step in early foal care, as monitoring for changes over time is just as important as the initial numbers.

✔️ His white blood cell count remains stable and within normal range, which is crucial since it’s one of the earliest indicators of infection.
✔️ No concerning trends or fluctuations—everything is holding steady, reinforcing that he’s off to a healthy start.

Keeping a close eye on white blood cell trends allows early detection of any potential infection or systemic changes before clinical signs appear, so seeing normal results two days in a row is an excellent sign.

Outdoor Time & Continued Monitoring

Surprise and her foal had two turnout sessions today—three hours in the morning and another hour in the cool evening.

The colt continues to show off beautifully balanced movement for his age and is already leading with confidence.

Evening Check & Additional Enema

At night check, the team noticed mild straining while urinating or defecating. To be proactive, they administered a bucket enema (500 mL of warm soapy water) as a precaution.

What We’ll Be Watching for in the Next 24 Hours

The first 48 to 72 hours are critical for a newborn foal, so the Horse Husband Stables team will continue close monitoring overnight with these key areas of focus:

🔹 Consistent nursing & hydration – Ensuring he continues to nurse regularly and stays hydrated.
🔹 Digestive health – Watching for any further straining, abnormal stool consistency, or signs of discomfort.
🔹 Energy levels & mobility – Monitoring that he remains bright, active, and moving well.
🔹 Surprise’s recovery – Keeping an eye on her swelling and ensuring she remains comfortable post-foaling.

So far, everything is looking great, and this colt is off to a strong start! Stay tuned for more updates as he continues to grow and develop.