When this baby foal was born, everyone expected him to get up soon, but sadly that didn’t happen.
Thankfully, Todd, the foal’s caretaker, instantly realized something was wrong and wasted no time in reacting.
Horses and other large mammals with hooves can walk soon after being born. That was expected from Trouper, a stunning foal when he was born. However, the weak foal kept lying on the ground, struggling to get up but without success.
The mare nervously walked around her baby, encouraging him to get up and nurse, but her help wasn’t enough.
Fortunately, Todd from Family Orchards Farm quickly realized something was wrong. He tried to help the foal get up, but every time he attempted to stand, he would quickly crush on the ground. Todd shared in an interview:
“I knew something was up because babies get up quickly and they’re attempting to nurse and they’re on their feet.
Realizing Trouper needed professional attention, Todd immediately contacted the vet for help. Upon thorough examination, the vet discovered that the foal didn’t get squeezed properly as he came out of the birth canal.
Luckily, the vet knew what to do. He put him through a squeezing procedure, also called the Madigan Foal Squeeze Technique.
This technique was named after Dr. John Madigan who developed the concept of using a rope squeeze to address the neonatal crisis in foals. According to the EquiManagement:
“The squeeze technique requires 20 minutes of a steady gentle pull to achieve a smooth brain wave while the foal is recumbent. It provides predictable somnolence with the foal experiencing non-REM sleep and slow wave brain activity. Heart rate, respiratory rate and body temperature all drop. The foal’s pain threshold increases, endorphins release, and so does ACTH despite no evidence of stress. There is no change in venous blood gasses, and the method is extremely safe.”
That’s exactly what Trouper’s vet performed on him and helped him stand on all fours. Soon after the procedure, the foal began getting up and balancing. Once the foal began nursing, everyone realized their plan worked.
Todd couldn’t contain his excitement, sharing:
“It’s so rewarding to see them being a mother and a foal for the first time.”
Thanks to Todd’s quick reaction and the vet’s vast knowledge, Trouper the young foal became playful just like any other, happily running with his caring mother.