So, your brooding mare is expecting her foal.
You have been waiting anxiously for the new arrival for months and believe you are ready for the big day.
However, there are some important steps you should consider before your foal arrives that may not have crossed your mind.
Preparing for the Birth of a Foal As the days grow closer, here are just a couple of tips for preparing for the birth of a foal.

• Adjust The Horse Feed - One of the most important steps you can take when preparing for the birth of a foal is to adjust the horse feed you are giving your broodmare.
  At around six months, about 60% of foetal growth occurs.
  This rapid growth means your broodmare's energy needs will increase by almost 30% when compared to a normal horse's requirements.
  She will also need additional protein, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids to ensure proper foal development and a healthy immune system.
  

Once the foal has been born, the mare will produce about 3 gallons of milk each day.
This means her energy needs will almost double her normal needs.
She will need plenty of grains, hay, and possibly horse feed supplements to ensure she is getting all of the nutrients she and her nursing foal need.

• Prepare a Foaling Kit - There are several items you will need on the big day.
  Make sure you have a kit prepared well in advance with a halter, lead rope, tail wrap, buckets for warm water, sharp scissors, clean towels, a heat lamp, and a flashlight or lantern complete with a fresh set of batteries.
  

• Prepare the Foaling Stall - The foaling stall is where your mare will birth her foal, so it needs to be clean and disinfected.
  Make sure it is large enough for your mare to move around in and lie down, and provide straw bedding instead of shavings for her to lie down on.
  Be sure to move the mare to this area about two weeks before she is supposed to give birth.
  This will allow her to become comfortable with the area before she foals.
  

• Learn The Signs - If your mare has given birth before, you may already know some of the tell-tale signs she gives when she is preparing to birth, any problems she has had previously, and the average length of her gestation.
  However, if this your mare's first foal, you may need to do a little research so you can be prepared when the time comes.
  Some of the most common signs are the development of her udders, often called bagging, the development of a honey-coloured waxy substance on the mare's nipples, relaxation of her hind quarters, and restless and cranky behaviour.
  She may also kick at her abdomen when she is close to foaling and stamp her feet.
  

• Put Your Vet on Speed Dial - When the foaling time comes, you don't want to be running around like a chicken with its head cut off searching for your vet's phone number and miss the entire process.
  Make sure you put your vet on speed dial, or at least put the number in an easy to reach location close to the foaling stall.
  This way, when you can monitor the entire birth of the foal and watch for any signs of distress from the mother.
  

If you are anxiously awaiting your broodmare's foaling time, be sure you are truly ready.
Provide her with the proper horse feed during her gestation and make sure to thoroughly prepare for the big day.