Birth of live triplets in a mare.

This research study recounts the rare event of an 11-year-old mare giving birth to live triplet foals that needed intensive care. Of the three foals, only one survived and was considered normal, despite its small size, at one-year-old.

Details of the Mare and the Birth

• The research focuses on an 11-year-old American Buckskin mare that became part of an uncommon event where she gave birth to live triplets, much unlike the usual one or two foals that are born to horses.
• The birth occurred at approximately 300 days of gestation, which is slightly on the short side as the usual gestation period for horses is about 320 to 370 days. The mention of the mare giving birth unattended hints at the unpredictability of the birth.

Condition of the Triplets

• All of the triplets were small and dysmature, which implies that they were underdeveloped for their age, a condition commonly seen in cases of multiple births in horses.
• These baby horses needed intensive care following their birth. This requirement is typical for dysmature foals, as their underdeveloped state often makes them more vulnerable to health problems such as respiratory distress and inability to suckle, leading to nutritional deficiencies.

Survival of the Triplets

• Unfortunately, of the three foals, the smallest one died four days after admission. The loss might have been due to various reasons, but considering the foal was dysmature and smaller than its siblings, the death could be attributed to complications associated with its premature state.
• The second foal had to be euthanized 24 days after admission due to poor healing of a third metatarsal fracture. This indicates that the foal possibly sustained an injury leading to a broken metatarsal bone in its hoof, and the healing process was unsuccessful, prompting the decision for euthanasia.
• The sole remaining foal managed to survive until discharge. At the age of one year, it was considered small when compared to other foals of the same age but otherwise normal. This points out that the foal didn’t show any significant health anomalies apart from its smaller size, which could be attributed to it being a part of multiple births and its dysmature condition at birth.