Arabian mare maternal behaviour

Reproductive Behaviour

Sexual behaviour– Precopulatory behaviour (courtship)– Copulatory behaviour (act of copulation)– Post-copulatory behaviour (refractory period)

Maternal behaviour Maternal care consist of a wide range of activities

directed towards the young by the mother

Classification of Maternal behaviour

According to No. of litter/ birth– 1- Monotoccus Animals– 2- Polytoccus Animals

According to Type of youngs– 1- Altracial youngs– 2- Precocial youngs

Classification of maternal behaviour

According to the contact between them Follower animals ( Horse – Cattle- sheep ) Hider animals ( Goat – Deers )

According to the time of birth Pre-parturient behaviour Parturient behaviour Post-parturient behaviour

Foal following her mother

Introduction

What is Maternal behaviour ? How does maternal behaviour in mare

work? What do we know about the bonding

process between the mare and her foal? How does the mare and foal recognize

each other, remember each other ? What are abnormal maternal behaviour?

Concept of Maternal Behaviour

Maternal care consist of activities directed towards the young by the mother.

Maternal care represents the mother's willingness to sacrifice her time, energy and resources towards the rearing and protection of her offsping

The care that the mother gives to her young is important for physiological and psycho-logical development of the young and the survival of the young

Parameters of Maternal Behaviour

Mare-Foal bond (bonding) Suckling behaviour ( Rearing ) Guarding behaviour (protection)

Types of Arabian Mares according to Maternal degree

1- Promiscuous Mothers– Accept and Nurse alien foals easily

2- Normal Mothers– Accept and nurse only their own foals

3- Partial Rejected Mothers– Accept their own foals but not nurse them

4- Complete rejected Mothers– Neither allow nor nurse but sometimes sow aggression

towards their foals

Preparturient maternal behaviour

Mares isolate themselves from the herd mates

1 month prior: mammary gland begins to enlarge and ventral edema

2 days prior: udder distended, secretion changes to colostrum

24 hours prior: waxing of teats 4 hours prior: drips milk

Relaxation of pelvic ligament

Enlargement of udder

Distension of udder and ventral oedema

Waxy teats

Milk drip

Parturient behaviour

First stage of labor( Preparatory Stage)– Duration about 1 hour but can be over 6 hours – This stage ends with rupture of the chorioallantois (breaking

water).

Second Stage of labor (Delivery stage )– Average duration approximately 20 min. Range 10-60 mins

Third stage of labor ( Afterbirth stage)– Average duration 30 mins - 3 hours. If delayed over 6 hours

considered retained and needs urgent intervention

1st Stage ( Preparatory Stage)

Mare tries to isolate herself - leaves herd Restless - walks, lies down and gets up frequently pawing the ground, pacing uneasily looking round at the flanks Curling of the upper lip in the Flehmen patchy or profuse sweating Stretches to urinate, frequent defecation Appearance then rupture of the chorio-allantois

(breaking water).

Looking at Flank

Patchy sweating

White Amnion appears

Breaking of water sac

Second Stage

Expulsion of Foetus

Lie down and roll on side

Appearance of legs and head

Followed by legs and head Expelled

Hind legs still in vagina

Third StageThird Stage

Expulsion of placentaExpulsion of placenta

Shedding of placenta

Post-parturient Behaviour

A- Mother Behaviour

Mare- Foal Bond

1 -Licking of foal

2 -Bond formation (Recognition)

Bond formation

B- Foal Behaviour

1 -Coordinating recumbence (attempts to stand)

2 -Ambulation (attempts to walk)

3 -Ambulation behaviour

4 -Elevation (upright equilibrium and steady stand )

5 -Environmental exploration

6- Udder Searching Behaviourand recognition of mother

7 -suckling behaviour

Nursing and pushing

Peaceful suckling

High maternal Mare

Two foals nurse a mother(Promiscuous mother)

Mutual grooming during sucklingMother with high maternity

Shy foal stand out of sight behind mother

Shedding foal on mother

Abnormal Maternal Behaviour

Nursing problems Over-protectivenessLack of interest/ambivalence Fear of the foalFoal stealingFoal rejection

Foal Rejection

DefinitionCausesTreatmentProtective measures

Forms of Maternal Foal Rejection

REJECTION OF SUCKLING

MATERNAL AGGRESSION TOWARD FOAL

IATROGENIC FOAL REJECTION

REJECTION OF SUCKLING

Definition– passively walking away from the foal or kicking at the

foal Contributing Factors

– Udder pain, lack of experience, a previous painful experience, any or all of the

Recommended Treatment Preventative Measures

– wash, handle and gently squeeze teats and udder within the last month of gestation

MATERNAL AGGRESSION TOWARD FOAL

Definition The dam's aggression can be in the form of kicking

but is usually that of biting, which is primarily directed to the neck and withers.

Contributing Factors The ultimate causation of this behaviour is

unknown. factors include the general causes stated above as well as the presence of other horses, other mares in visible range, and the presence of too many people. Removal of the expelled placenta has also had implications in rejection and aggression

Recommended Treatment avoid any unnecessary human or equine

contact, and leave the placenta and fetal membranes in the stall.

Preventative Measures Within the first 2 hours after foaling the

placenta and fetal membranes should be left in the stall. For at least the first 24 hours and up to a couple of weeks, you should try to avoid visual contact with other horses and avoid having too many unfamiliar people in the stall.

IATROGENIC FOAL REJECTION

Definition This type of rejection is the result of a change in the foal's odor which is

usually caused by extensive clinical treatment, as in the case of ruptured bladder treatment

Contributing Factors the main factor here is the interference during the critical bonding period

and the change of the foal's odor. Recommended Treatment mask the altered smell of the foal by applying mentholated ointment to

both the mare's nostrils and the foal's head and perianal area Preventative Measures There are no preventative measures for this type of rejection as

emergency clinical procedures are impossible to avoid, if the foal is to survive.

Foal rejection