Foal Rejection - Characteristics and Therapy of Inadequate Maternal Behaviour in Mares

The bond between the mare and her newborn foal is usually a strong one. However, some factors can lead to aberrations of maternal behaviour. Failure to protect and nurse the foal is defined as foal rejection. With a long period of gestation and increasingly high value of foals, foal rejection causes severe losses to breeders. Horse owners and breeders should have knowledge of risk factors, types, prevention rules and treatment of inadequate maternal behaviour. In the case of foal rejection it is important to use fostering techniques in raising such foals.