Claiborne Farm
Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 8:05 am
I had to share this because it's quite funny. I guess all of the Facebook animal abuse/veterinarians were accusing Claiborne of being cruel to their newborn foals, so they released this yesterday on their Facebook page:
Many fans have inquired about our foaling process and a foal's ability to handle inclement weather. Our resident veterinarian answers all of your questions below!
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Baby, It’s Not Too Cold Outside
Charlie Scoggin, DVM, MS, DACT
Resident Veterinarian
Claiborne Farm
If you’re like me, you prefer to watch snow fall from the warm confines of the indoors. However, horses are very different than us, which is probably a good thing since most of us are not near as fast or agile as a horse. At Claiborne Farm, we make an effort to foal mares in outdoor grass paddocks. Benefits to this approach include the following: mares have more room to position themselves to deliver their foal; the traction is better for the mares (which especially important in mares that frequently alternate between lying down and standing during active labor); the attendants have more space to offer assistance; and it is a cleaner and more natural environment. To further the last point, bodily fluids and other waste products are dispersed in a larger area in a paddock. Conversely, in a stall, these fluids become more concentrated, which can increase the risk of a foal contracting an infectious disease. We recognize that foaling mares is not without its disadvantages, such as the sudden onset of inclement weather, decreased lighting, and a lack of electricity. Consequently, mares are only foaled outdoors when weather permits and when the birthing process is proceeding normally. Fortunately, all of these issues can be mitigated by having experienced individuals attending the foaling and using good old fashioned commonsense.
In addition to foaling mares outside, we also believe it is extremely important to provide foals and their dams adequate exercise. Normal, healthy foals need exercise to allow for proper development of their bones, joints, and muscles. Indeed, studies have shown that foals receiving adequate turnout are at a reduced risk of developmental orthopedic disease, such as OCDs. Turnout also fosters proper bonding between the mare and foal, which is essential during the highly formative neonatal period. Furthermore, the mare benefits from turnout. Not only can she graze and move around to promote healthy digestive function, but it also helps her to quickly lose the “baby weight.” Finally, most horses—including foals—have evolved, from both a physiologic and anatomic standpoint, to withstand adverse environmental conditions. Their skin is the equivalent of a nice down Gore-Tex® parka, while the dams’ colostrum and milk is like a nice cup of warm cocoa (and much more nutritious!). So, even though certain weather conditions may seem unfavorable to us humans, our beloved equids are much more “at home” outside.
My response is simply...it's Claiborne farm. They know what they are doing.
Many fans have inquired about our foaling process and a foal's ability to handle inclement weather. Our resident veterinarian answers all of your questions below!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Baby, It’s Not Too Cold Outside
Charlie Scoggin, DVM, MS, DACT
Resident Veterinarian
Claiborne Farm
If you’re like me, you prefer to watch snow fall from the warm confines of the indoors. However, horses are very different than us, which is probably a good thing since most of us are not near as fast or agile as a horse. At Claiborne Farm, we make an effort to foal mares in outdoor grass paddocks. Benefits to this approach include the following: mares have more room to position themselves to deliver their foal; the traction is better for the mares (which especially important in mares that frequently alternate between lying down and standing during active labor); the attendants have more space to offer assistance; and it is a cleaner and more natural environment. To further the last point, bodily fluids and other waste products are dispersed in a larger area in a paddock. Conversely, in a stall, these fluids become more concentrated, which can increase the risk of a foal contracting an infectious disease. We recognize that foaling mares is not without its disadvantages, such as the sudden onset of inclement weather, decreased lighting, and a lack of electricity. Consequently, mares are only foaled outdoors when weather permits and when the birthing process is proceeding normally. Fortunately, all of these issues can be mitigated by having experienced individuals attending the foaling and using good old fashioned commonsense.
In addition to foaling mares outside, we also believe it is extremely important to provide foals and their dams adequate exercise. Normal, healthy foals need exercise to allow for proper development of their bones, joints, and muscles. Indeed, studies have shown that foals receiving adequate turnout are at a reduced risk of developmental orthopedic disease, such as OCDs. Turnout also fosters proper bonding between the mare and foal, which is essential during the highly formative neonatal period. Furthermore, the mare benefits from turnout. Not only can she graze and move around to promote healthy digestive function, but it also helps her to quickly lose the “baby weight.” Finally, most horses—including foals—have evolved, from both a physiologic and anatomic standpoint, to withstand adverse environmental conditions. Their skin is the equivalent of a nice down Gore-Tex® parka, while the dams’ colostrum and milk is like a nice cup of warm cocoa (and much more nutritious!). So, even though certain weather conditions may seem unfavorable to us humans, our beloved equids are much more “at home” outside.
My response is simply...it's Claiborne farm. They know what they are doing.
