David Beach

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Agriculture 24

Near the end of the birth the mare takes an
odd little rest. But any impulse to
help should be resisted as the ‘rest’ is
actually maternal instinct, a pause to
allow the foal some final sustenance
via the umbilical cord. Though since the
reason the foal is about to need all
strength and stamina is that when the mare
does eventually stand up, breaking the
cord, before the foal can transition to
mother’s milk it has to complete the
gruelling steeplechase of getting to its
own feet, even more instinct might have
been shown by the mare lying down again.

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