Care of mare after death of a colt

Question
Hi, This morning our neighbor had to have his 2 1/2 month old colt euthanized due to a serious infection which did not respond to treatment. My heart breaks for the mare, she  is obviously upset and keeps returning to the stall where she and her baby spent time. Can you give any advice on comfort measures and physical care requirements at this time?

Thank you

Louise

Answer
hey!

Thanks for your question and I hope I can be of some help. Physically, there's really not much you can do until it starts to affect her health. In which case I would call the vet. You can however look up some herbal remedies that have been known to help ease a loss or that can boost the immune system. I'm sorry to tell you I can't name any off the top of my head right now. As for emotional comfort, if she is still lactating you could try to find an orfaned foal but I think it's a little late. You could also get her a pet. Goats are always good companions for horses and well as a donkey. Other horses don't work as well as something like a goat or donkey because it's smaller and something I guess they can take care of. It's also a good idea to spend a lot of time with her. It also might be a good idea to put her back with other horses if she is ready. There's not a lot you can do other than try to keep her happy. You might notice a decrease in appetite in which case keep a close watch on her health. If it starts to detierate I would talk to your vet.

I hope that was at least a little help.

* meg *