I want to pass along some simple things that I’ve learned over the years…..

We’ve talked about the need for a mother’s colostrum for her babies…..

…..this applies to goats…..and dogs…..and cats…..and horses…..and humans…..

When a baby horse is born (or a baby goat…..or puppy…..or whatever…..)

…..not only do you have to be aware of what is going in the front end…..

…..but you have to watch what comes out the back end too…..

Mammal babies (when they are inside their mom) get nutrition through their umbilical cord…..

…..after a baby’s born…..he/she has to switch and get all their nutritional needs from mom’s teats…..

At first…..babies ingest the all-important colostrum…..

…..this lasts for about twelve to twenty-four (depending on the species)…..

And then the colostrum changes into regular milk (custom-made for that baby)…..

(btw:  colostrum is so thick and sticky and dries into steel-belted armor that’s stronger than Gorilla glue or Epoxy glue combined…..)

…..a foal’s poo-observation is super-important too…..

When the baby’s first born…..they will pass meconium…..

***Scatological Explanation***

…..it can easily constipate the poor little nippers…..

…..so I always have a box of Fleet Enemas available for animal deliveries (or unwanted guests)…..

Once all the meconium has passed…..then the baby’s poo should turn to a French’s mustard yellow (that is absolutely indelible (and inedible)…..and will NEVER/EVER come out from under your cuticles or anything else it touches)…..(best saffron-colored-permanent-dye ever!)…..

It sticks on the baby’s butt…..on you…..in your hair…..(don’t ask)…..

…..but I’ve found that if I preventatively spray their tushes with any brand of non-stick cooking spray…..

…..then the poop just slides right off…..

…..and the permanently-dyed-mustard-yellow…..is kept to a minimum…..

………………..Easy…Peasy…………………

Somewhere after about ten to eighteen days…..

…..the mare will go into “Foal Heat”…..

***All You Ever Wanted To Know About Foal Heat***

…..and yes…..she is able to be re-bred at that time…..and probably would be…..in the wild…..

…..this is when her newborn develops diarrhea…..because of the mare’s changed hormone-levels…..(it always scares me…until I remember…it’s Foal Heat)…..

…..usually that sloppy-poop clears right up and the foal is “right as rain”…..(?)…..(I still don’t know how that expression got started?)…..

And then ultimately…..everything stays the same…..until the foal starts on regular food…..

…..and then the baby’s poop starts to look like regular/tiny road-apples…..

…..quite cute…actually…..

…..(but then we’ve already discussed & agreed….I don’t get out enough)…..