Pregnancy and childbirth in a mare is a serious and disturbing period. Females reach puberty by the age of two, and start giving birth only at 3-4 years.
Signs of pregnancy
It is possible to visually determine pregnancy in a horse from the sixth month. Up to this point, it can be determined by a veterinarian by taking tests from an animal. Signs of pregnancy:
- the horse spends a lot of time lying down;
- eats a lot;
- actively defends its territory;
- often found alone;
- walks separately from other individuals.
How is the pregnancy going?
In most cases, it proceeds without complications and ends with the birth of a foal. It is important to keep in mind that in the later stages, the mare needs better nutrition. In the last three months, food should be 40% more nutritious than at the beginning of pregnancy. It is necessary to feed often, because it is already difficult for a horse to eat a lot.
Timing
A mare's pregnancy lasts 11-12 months. The duration depends on the season of the year, feeding and size of the fetus. During the first months, the embryo develops, in the remaining months it grows and develops rapidly.
Preparation of the premises
To make a baby horsewas born safely, it is necessary to prepare a place for childbirth. The room should be closed, dry, warm, dimly lit and without foreign animals, then the mare will be comfortable. Walls and floors must be disinfected with a solution of iodine or potassium permanganate. It is recommended to lay a fresh, dry straw bedding on the floor.
What is the name of a baby horse?
In most cases, mares give birth in early summer, when it is warm and there is plenty of food. As a rule, problems at the birth of the young generation appear rarely, and often the help of a person is not needed. The birth process usually lasts about half an hour. The hatchling emerges facing forward.
A foal - a baby horse - after an hour and a half is able to stand on its own feet. At first, he stays close to his mother. He quickly learns to walk, and at first it looks very awkward, since the limbs have not completely straightened out. The cub has soft fur, fluffy mane and tail. From the first days of life, the foal must be protected from drafts. Caring for a cub, taming it to a person must begin from birth. The more attentive you treat him, the more obedient he will be when he grows up.
The limbs straighten completely after five weeks, and the baby horse stands perfectly on its feet. Starting from the sixth week, the foal can eat grass, but continues to feed on milk for another six months. It protects the foal from various infections, as it contains many nutrients.
After six monthsthe baby horse grows up and in proportions of the body becomes like a small horse. Muscles become strong and hooves become keratinized.
The age of horses is usually counted from the first of May of the year when they were born. The only exceptions are English Thoroughbreds, they count from the first of January of the next year after birth.
Food
After birth, a baby horse feeds on mother's milk. After 15 days, the foal needs plant foods, mainly oats or barley.
This requires making a small feeder. First, you need to fill up 150 g of feed, and then gradually increase to 2 kg per day. While the foal is eating, the mare must be tied up so that she does not eat the baby's food, or put the feeder in a place inaccessible to her.
Helping a person
Most horses are ready for work only after three years of life. Horses can work up to twenty years. Then they have the same problems as other animals:
- teeth wear down;
- digestive system damaged;
- blood circulation worsens;
- vision weakens.
Therefore, it is much easier and easier to monitor the condition of animals at home. In the wild, the animal dies because it is unable to chew food.
