Raising Healthy, Happy Horses

In her new book, “Equine Neonatal Medicine: A Case-Based Approach,” Tufts veterinary expert Dr. Mary Rose Paradis says that it’s important to keep a close eye on newborn horses to ensure that they remain in good health.

No. Grafton, Mass. [08.08.06] Foals, which are born without the protective antibodies they need to fight off infection, face a variety of health risks during their early lives, Tufts veterinary expert Dr. Mary Rose Paradis – author of a new book about diagnosing and treating disease in newborn foals – recently told the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. It’s crucial, she added, for owners to keep a close eye on their newborn horses to catch any problems that may exist.

“If your baby is not happy and bouncy, it’s probably the first sign that something’s wrong,” Paradis, an associate professor of large animal medicine at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts, told the newspaper.

According to Paradis, if newborn foals appear extremely calm, look weak or seem ill, their owners should consult a veterinarian immediately. “You can’t wait,” she told the Telegram & Gazette. “It’s always an emergency [when a newborn horse is unhealthy],” she added.

Foals are at an increased risk for developing health problems because they are born without antibodies, Paradis explained to the newspaper. She added that horses typically give birth in stalls, “which are not sterile environments.”

 “Even if it’s the cleanest stall in the world, it’s not a maternity ward,” Paradis told the newspaper.

Newborn foals acquire the antibodies they need to survive through their mother’s first milk, colostrum. “This makes it essential that the foal nurse soon after birth,” the Telegram & Gazette reported.

It is also essential for horse owners to know how to properly care for newborn foals. In New England, Paradis says, many owners lack experience in this area.

“Unlike certain regions, such as Kentucky, Florida and California, where people often own five or six horses on several acres of land, New Englanders frequently board their horses, and often own only one,” the newspaper reported.

Paradis’ new book, “Equine Neonatal Medicine: A Case-Based Approach,” which is targeted for veterinary students and professionals, includes case studies detailing the potential health problems foals could face and their treatment. According to the newspaper, she hopes that owners benefit from the book, too.

“Our clientele is less experienced in the area of foaling [because breeding is not as prevalent in New England,]” Paradis told the Telegram and Gazette, describing the New England horse owners. If they don’t have enough information or experience to detect health problems in their newborn horses, horse owners are engaging in “risky business,” she explained.