Foaling inside has been the go-to method across many equine industries around the world. For decades this practice has been the norm, while the natural act of foaling outside is often something farms work to avoid; often the weather doesn't make foaling outside practical, and as managers we try to do what's best for these new foals by aiding in delivery and getting them a good start in life. However, when a new strain of Rotavirus ravaged farms across central Kentucky in the spring of 2021, foaling outside became a tool that a few farms used with great success.
In early 2021, several farms found their hands full with foals experiencing extreme bouts of diarrhea. Foals became lethargic and suffered from dehydration due to the severe diarrhea. What made this new strain so dangerous was that the vaccine for Rotavirus A didn't protect against the new Rotavirus B strain,
which prior to March 2021 was undiscovered. This viral disease had the contagiousness of Rotavirus A, which made biosecurity protocols very difficult to implement at farms due to labor shortages and the ease of carrying viral particles from place to place. Due to this, standard foaling protocols, including disinfecting stalls, isolating horses, and even moving barns, were sometimes not enough to stop the virus. Thus, the virus spread quickly, and infected foals failed to respond to treatments other than intravenously administered fluids and electrolytes. Veterinary clinics became overwhelmed by the number of foals and lacked the space to safely quarantine them within their facilities. Farms found their workforce spread thin as they tried to manage the rising number of sick foals.
Gerry Duffy, the Stud Manager at Godolphin's Stonerside Farm in Paris, KY explained how dire the situation became at his farm.
“The foals were getting diarrhea within 36 hours of birth,” he explained.
As more foals fell ill, horses were quarantined and fluids were run into sick foals, but the numbers kept increasing. As with many farms, staff became weary and disheartened. After trying new barns, using PPE, and increasing biosecurity, the only thing left to try was foaling outside. The idea came from the advisement of veterinarians and from conversations with other farms that were having similar experiences.
“We found that going outside broke the chain,” Duffy said. “It all comes down to biosecurity. You don't get the concentration of bacteria and viruses outside like you do inside a stall.”
When Stonerside made the switch to foaling outside, the spread of the virus stopped almost overnight. If it was dry and the temperature was greater than 35 degrees, every foal would be born outside. Ultimately, about 70% of foals born at Stonerside in 2021 were foaled in this manner.
Ben Henley, Airdrie Farm's general manager, went on to highlight some of the unforeseen consequences of the change.
Henley said they saw a difference in foals regarding mental and physical health. “You're often keeping the foal inside for a few days for up to a week due to leg issues, including stuff like contracted tendons or relaxed tendons,” he said. “We found that having them out the whole time that those things kind of rectified themselves a bit quicker.
“Additionally, there was an improvement in mares. The mares were a lot more relaxed being out the entire time. There wasn't that anxious moment of letting the mares and foals go and
watching them run around.”
But perhaps the most notable improvement was that of their health and recovery. When they were allowed to move freely about a paddock after foaling, the mare's uterus cleaned out more quickly, resulting in less management of the mare and veterinary intervention.
Given Henley's background in working on studs in Australia and Europe, the transition to foaling outside was not foreign to him. Furthermore, it's something Airdrie was already accustomed to.
“We have foaled outside in the past on several occasions, whenever we had an outbreak and you needed that separation,”
he added.
Ultraviolet light may kill the virus, so foaling in a natural environment seemed to be the logical next step.
Infrastructure is critical for safe mare monitoring and foaling. Airdrie boldly invested in infrastructure to make the transition to outdoor foaling more permanent. Flood lights were installed to illuminate the outside space, paddocks were put up, and an even larger paddock was split to provide a space for foals less than a week old. Beyond UV light, the elements of nature helped break down and clean foaling sites. As an added precaution, paddocks are rested for several days to prevent viral and bacterial loading of the foaling paddocks.
Duffy commented on the cleanliness of nature, and said, “There's less clean up required. In about two days there's no trace of where the foaling occurred in the paddock. The foals also seem to stand better, they can get traction on the ground and they're not swimming or tripping up in the straw.”
Duffy stressed biosecurity, saying that paddocks are rested and sparingly used to ensure the sites are clean and the mares are foaling on fresh ground to prevent a buildup of bacteria and viruses. In addition, foals are checked by a veterinarian on day one; and the handling is kept to a minimum during the first seven days while the foals' immune systems are the most naive.
Foaling and rearing outside has already resulted in a few positive outcomes, including a lighter workload on staff, improved health in mares, and some farms have even noted better attitudes in their horses. I challenge you to open your mind to what may happen in years to come with these young horses and future foals born and raised outside. Research has suggested that concussive forces play a critical role in developing bone thickness and density, so it could be theorized that something similar may happen when foals are kept outside for longer periods of time. Going forward, more research will be required to assess bone density and thickness in foals and their different stages of life.
Foaling inside will likely remain part of the way farms do things. It allows us to closely monitor mares and foals, intervene quickly as necessary, but most importantly, provide adequate shelter for those mares foaling early in the year when the weather is typically inclement. The shift to foaling outside was a reaction in response to a critical situation that many farms in central Kentucky faced. For some, this was the only way they were able to stop and eliminate Rotavirus B at their farm. However, given the many benefits this change has brought about, it would appear the positive outcome and its consequences are the new norm for some farms in Kentucky. Perhaps one day, foaling outside may become the go-to method for equine industries-racing and non-racing-across the world.
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