🐴 Adopting an Orphan Foal: Nutrition & Mare Bonding Strategies in 2025 🍼🤱

By Dr Duncan Houston BVSc

The sudden loss of a broodmare during or after foaling is a devastating event—but with quick action and a clear plan, it’s possible to raise a healthy, well-adjusted orphan foal. In 2025, veterinary techniques in nutrition, colostrum management, and lactation induction have made this process more successful than ever. 🧠🐎

🧬 Why Colostrum Is Essential

The most immediate concern is ensuring the foal receives colostrum, or first milk. Colostrum contains high concentrations of maternal antibodies critical for the foal’s immune system. 💉

Foals must receive adequate colostrum within 12–24 hours after birth:

• 🍼 Ideally from the dam or a stored frozen source
• 🧬 Can be supplemented with commercial colostrum replacers if needed

Every breeding farm should maintain a supply of frozen colostrum collected from other healthy mares. ❄️

🍼 Feeding an Orphan Foal

✅ 1. Milk Replacer or Goat’s Milk

• 🍼 Can be fed via bottle or bucket
• 🧬 Use equine-specific milk replacer or goat’s milk if needed
• 📆 Feedings every 1–2 hours for the first 3–5 days

While nutritionally complete, this method is extremely time-consuming and offers limited socialization. It should be considered a temporary or last-resort solution. ⚠️

✅ 2. Inducing Lactation in a Surrogate Mare

The ideal solution is to induce lactation in another mare and teach her to accept the orphan foal:

• 👩‍⚕️ Mare should be calm, in good health, and have raised a foal before
• 💊 Treated with hormone injections to simulate pregnancy and trigger milk production
• 🍼 Begin hand-milking by day 4 after hormone therapy begins

📋 Suggested Hormone Protocol (Vet-Supervised)

• 🧬 Estrogen + progesterone combinations for 7–10 days
• 💉 Domperidone or sulpiride to stimulate prolactin

This protocol should only be implemented under veterinary supervision. 💉

🤱 Safely Introducing the Foal

According to Dr. Peter Daels, successful bonding requires:

• 📦 A closed, quiet stall away from other horses
• 🔒 Initially separating mare and foal with a safe barrier
• 💊 Using tranquilizers if needed to reduce aggression or anxiety

Mares typically begin allowing the foal to nurse within 1–2 days. Patience, gentle handling, and time are key. 🧠

🧠 Socialization and Development

Foals raised without a mare risk behavioral issues later in life. To minimize this:

• 🐴 Provide companionship from another quiet mare or gelding
• 📦 Avoid excessive human imprinting
• 🧬 Ensure natural foal behaviors are supported (e.g., mutual grooming, movement)

Proper social development improves future handling and herd dynamics. 🌱

📲 Ask A Vet for Orphan Foal Planning

If you’re raising an orphan foal or planning for foaling season, visit AskAVet.com or use the Ask A Vet App to create an emergency colostrum and surrogate protocol. 📱🐴

Dr Duncan Houston and the team can help assess lactation candidates, guide hormone treatments, and recommend milk feeding schedules. 💬🧠

🏁 Final Thoughts

Raising an orphan foal is labor-intensive—but with early colostrum, proper feeding, and careful bonding, you can give a motherless foal the best start possible. In 2025, science and compassion go hand in hand. 🍼❤️

Need orphan care support? Visit AskAVet.com for round-the-clock foal help 🐴🧬