Foaling Watch Update: March 30, 2025

🔹 Quick Status Overview 🔹

🐴 Elusive Surprise & Thirteen (Colt) – Day 17 – Scary afternoon with a sudden colic episode! Thirteen required an emergency veterinary visit, ultrasound, and IV fluids, but he's thankfully feeling much better now. Bloodwork returned normal, and the team is closely monitoring him overnight.

🐴 Lady Dyanaformer & Ditto (Filly) – Day 10 – Ditto spent her first full day outside without leg wraps and is doing extremely well! She does have mild diarrhea, likely related to foal heat and new outdoor explorations, and will have her veterinary recheck and bloodwork tomorrow.

🐴 My Audubon – Day 332 – Comfortable and quiet overnight, spending more time lying down since switching to straw bedding. Audi’s team continues daily checks of her udder development for signs of waxing (milk droplets signaling imminent foaling), though past owners report she doesn't typically wax much. Severe weather overnight in Central Kentucky has the team extra vigilant.

🌩 Audi: Comfortable Overnight, Severe Weather Watch Tonight

Audi spent more time lying down overnight for the second night in a row since the team switched her bedding to straw on Friday—likely because the soft straw bedding makes her stall extra comfy. No major changes yet, but the Horse Husband Stables team continues daily monitoring of Audi’s udder for "waxing."

📌 What is waxing?
Waxing refers to the appearance of dried colostrum (first milk) on a mare’s teats shortly before foaling. It typically occurs within 24–72 hours of labor and is often used as a reliable indicator that foaling is near. However, each mare is unique—Audi’s previous owners have reported she tends not to wax visibly ahead of foaling, giving little advance notice. Thankfully, they also noted that her labors have historically been straightforward and uneventful.

Due to forecasts predicting severe storms and potential tornadoes tonight in Central Kentucky, the team is on high alert and prepared for extra precautions overnight.

🩹 Ditto: First Day Without Wraps & Veterinary Check Tomorrow

Ditto thoroughly enjoyed her fourth day outside—and her first day without supportive leg wraps—a huge milestone demonstrating just how far she's progressed in a short time. She remains bright, energetic, and playful. However, she is currently experiencing mild diarrhea, most likely related to "foal heat diarrhea," a common condition that occurs when mares enter their first heat cycle after foaling, combined with her increased exploration outdoors.

📌 What is foal heat diarrhea?
Foal heat diarrhea is a common and mild condition that many foals experience between 5 and 15 days old, coinciding with the mare’s first heat cycle ("foal heat") after giving birth. It's caused by hormonal changes in the mare, subtle shifts in milk composition, and the foal's maturing digestive system. It's generally harmless, self-resolving, and doesn't usually require medical intervention.

Because Ditto recently recovered from a bacterial infection, she already has a scheduled veterinary recheck and follow-up bloodwork tomorrow to ensure her health continues moving in the right direction.

🚨 Thirteen: Started Great, Scary Colic Episode, Feeling Better Now

Thirteen’s day started off on a cheerful note: he even made some new friends, happily greeting the goats and sheep on his way out to the paddock this morning.

But by evening, the day took a scary turn. Although he seemed energetic and playful most of the day, Thirteen suddenly became lethargic and showed signs of colic (abdominal pain) when brought inside—lying down immediately, rolling onto his back, and looking repeatedly at his sides. Recognizing these classic colic symptoms in foals, the Horse Husband Stables team quickly called the veterinarian, who arrived within 20 minutes.

An immediate exam revealed that while his heart rate was low (around 60 bpm) and gut sounds were overly active, his temperature and respiratory rate remained normal. An ultrasound showed a few concerning fluid pockets in his abdomen, possibly linked to the diarrhea he's had for several days.

He was a very good boy about getting his IV catheter placed (needles clearly don’t faze him), but he was not a fan of the abdominal ultrasound—apparently having his belly touched is where Thirteen draws the line!

Out of caution, the veterinarian placed an IV catheter, and Thirteen received IV fluids enriched with vitamins to support hydration and overall wellness. Blood was drawn and quickly transported to a local lab (one of the perks of being in Kentucky—even on a Sunday evening rapid lab testing is accessible).

Halfway through the second liter of fluids, Thirteen dramatically perked up, bucking and jumping—he even playfully kicked one staff member in the knee and body-slammed another in a burst of energy! After consultation with the veterinarian, the team decided to hold off on additional fluids, observing him closely overnight instead.

Thankfully, his bloodwork results returned entirely normal, including his Serum Amyloid A (SAA) level.

📌 What is SAA?
Serum Amyloid A (SAA) is a protein marker measured in blood tests to detect inflammation or infection in horses. Elevated levels indicate active inflammation or infection, while normal levels suggest the absence of significant issues.

The team will continue vigilant monitoring overnight. If Thirteen shows renewed colic symptoms, refuses to nurse, or his diarrhea worsens significantly, he and Surprise will head to the veterinary hospital immediately.

We'll continue to keep you updated tomorrow. Thank you for following along as The Foal Circle documents this exciting and eventful foaling season at Horse Husband Stables!