Foaling can be a high-stress situation with a lot of variables that may go wrong, from dystocias to ill foals. Though most mares have an innate mothering mentality, some mares reject their offspring and the exact reason is unclear, making it difficult to prevent.
Drs. Dalia Berlin, Amir Steinman and Tal Raz conducted a study using eight Arabian mares who behaved normally after foaling and 15 Arabian mares who typically “rejected” their foals. Rejection includes refusing to let the foal nurse, indifference toward the foal and even attacking the foal. The Arabian was chosen specifically for the study as rejection behavior in mares has been well documented in the breed.
Each mare had blood drawn at the first and third day after foaling; the blood was tested for progesterone, prolactin and estradiol, which are reproductive hormones. The most significant difference between the two groups was the estradiol-to-progesterone ratio the first day after foaling was significantly lower in mares that rejected their foals than in mares with normal maternal behavior.
The exact role the hormones play in maternal behavior is unclear, but the ratio of hormones in mare that rejected their foals increased in the three days post foaling, suggesting that the hormones may normalize and the rejection behavior may diminish.
The study team notes that the creation of hormonal treatments for rejecting mares is premature as the optimal concentration for each hormone is yet unknown.
Read more at EQUUS.
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