Introduction
Your mare is going to have a foal! Exciting times. Not long now and you will get to meet the beautiful foal that is growing in her belly. You obviously want to be as best prepared as you can be. But what are the things you will need to consider? What will you need to have to hand? And how will you be able to look after your foal afterwards?
This online guide gives you all the information you need to prepare for the arrival of your foal. Here we describe exactly what you will need to bear in mind. This booklet has been put together by specialists and hands-on experts in the areas of equine nutrition, behaviour and veterinary matters. Enjoy the read and our very best wishes to you and your own bred foal soon.
Pavo Team
Introducing: Our Experts
Nutritionist Pleun Broeren graduated from Wageningen University and Research with a Masters in Animal Sciences, specialising in animal nutrition. In recent years, she has specialised in horse nutrition. With her experience and knowledge, she knows exactly what your mare and foal need.
Veterinarian and breeder Peter Bleeker (retired now) is specialised in horse breeding. With his many years of experience of mare gestation, but also of attending foaling, he knows exactly what to look out for.
Wiebe Yde van de Lageweg and his family run VDL Stud in Bears, Friesland. His two brothers work with him and so does his dad, Wiepke van de Lageweg, who established the family business. VDL Stud is a large stud farm. The Van de Lageweg family also has many breeding mares, and every year new foals are bred. This makes Wiebe Yde a true hands-on expert in the areas of gestation, foaling and foal rearing.
Explanation icons
Nutrition
Veterinary
Behavior
There are three main topics covered in this guide. You can recognize these by the icons we use for this.