The Equine Placenta
The placenta has a vital function of being the crossroads between the mare and foals’ blood circulatory system. Without a well-functioning placenta, a foal would not survive.
But watch out… the placenta can also be deadly!
Once foaled, the placenta should be passed within 2 hours. If not, we say the mare has a ‘retained placenta’.
This is very dangerous as the placenta acts as a focus of bacterial growth which can cause a serious body infection in the mare with deadly consequences.
Do you have a mare foaling at home?
1) Ensure that if the placenta hasn’t passed by 2 hours post foaling, call your vet immediately.
2) Inspect the placenta to ensure it has come out completely: The most common place for some to be left behind in the mare is the tip of the non-pregnant horn. Check it carefully or save it for your vet to inspect for you!
3) Check for signs of infection in the placenta (irregularities of the surface or colour change). This could indicate the foal may have an infection and early veterinary intervention could be needed.