What you'll need

It is best to prepare your foaling kit about 30 days before the foal is due - babies do not always stick to schedules.

• clean plastic bucket
• clean tail bandage for the mare
• thermometer
• petroleum jelly or other lubricant
• halter and lead rope
• clean first aid scissors
• a watch
• flashlight or permanent lights if in a stable 
• sterile plastic gloves
• several clean towels
• iodine solution for disinfecting the foal's navel
• a foal rug (or foal sized dog rug) 
• clean water supply (pre-boiled and cooled bottled water or unopened bottled water)

Prepare the Location

While people have different opinions on WHERE your mare should foal, indoor or outdoor - in an open paddock or her own smaller area... one thing remains the same, before foaling you must ensure the area is safe:

Indoors:

• Ensure the stable is big enough for your mare to foal safely
• Make sure the doors on your stable open outwards, so that if your mare foals with her back against the stable door you can still get to her if she needs help
• Check the stable thoroughly for any nails, splinters or sharp edges that may be exposed
• Ensure there are no gaps between the walls and floor OR the door and floor - that a mare or foal could catch a leg in, use some plywood or rubber to fill any gaps (remember a mini foals legs is much finer then a bigger foal)
• Ensure you have reliable, safe, but not too BRIGHT lighting in the stable.
• Sweep out the stable and scrub the floors and walls with disinfectant.
• Use a clean (mould and dust free) straw bedding. If you prefer sawdust or another fine bedding change it once the foal is older and less likely to pick up an infection from the bedding or accidentally ingest shavings.
• Use water buckets that are off the ground - we don't want a new born foal drowning.

Outdoors:

• Ensure all fencing is suitable for a new born foal and has no gaps or sharp edges.  Remember how unsteady a new born is and that most arrive in the night - you don't want to use wire fencing that he could get caught in
• The area must be big enough for the mare to foal safely and should be fairly flat, certainly not a steep incline.
• The area will preferably be rested from grazing (6 months ideally, but this is not always possible), it should be well covered with short green grass.
• The mare should be given ample time to settle in to her new area before she is due to foal, a month will also help her build up immunity to any new bugs in the area, which she will then pass on to the foal with her colostrum 
• Set up some lighting - ideally a soft spotlight but if you have to maybe the car lights set back far enough to not upset the mare
• Ensure there are no low water supplies (buckets, dams etc) that a foal can drown in

Just in case:

You should also be prepared in case of an emergency...

• Keep the float and a car that can tow it near by - or a near by friend with a float on call
• Have a mobile or cordless phone - fully charged and tested to ensure it works at that location
• Have a list of all phone numbers you might need - a vet, a back up vet - including after hours phone numbers, any friends you have with foaling experience etc
• Keep in contact with other breeders who may have spare colostrum if needed (a little thing like a disruption to the power supply can destroy any supplies you may have in your own freezer).

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