The most important thing you can do to prepare for the birth as best as possible is to keep your mare in good health and condition. Giving birth is like top-level sports, so you want your mare to be optimally prepared. Growing the foal in the womb and nursing it afterward are also intensive processes.

Sufficient Exercise

Make sure your mare continues to get enough exercise, even in the final phase of pregnancy. Plenty of free movement with social contact is essential, but riding, lunging, or groundwork can often still be done for quite some time. Each mare and each pregnancy is different in terms of what they can handle. Some mares are happily competing six weeks before giving birth, while others indicate as early as five months beforehand that they no longer want to do certain activities.
In general, walking and light lunging can be continued for quite a while during pregnancy. Riding, and especially galloping, is not comfortable for every mare in the last three to four months of pregnancy. When galloping, the foal is more or less suspended from the mare's back, and as the foal grows, this becomes increasingly uncomfortable. By the end of her pregnancy, a mare carries around an extra hundred kilograms! At some point, she can no longer tilt her pelvis properly or engage her abdominal muscles enough to maintain a strong topline. That’s the moment when you should stop riding her.
However, keeping your mare moving is important. Good physical condition is essential for a smooth birth, and she should not be overweight. Her core muscles should also remain active, for example, by trotting lightly on the lunge with a low head carriage or stepping over ground poles occasionally. Keep a close eye on your mare and remember that horses, as prey animals, do not always show when something is uncomfortable or painful. You know your horse best, but be cautious and, when in doubt, choose a less intense activity for her. Keep in mind that every pregnancy is different—just because your mare could be ridden until two months before giving birth last year does not guarantee it will be the same this year.

Vaccinations and Deworming

At the very least, the mare should be vaccinated against influenza and tetanus. Tetanus is a fatal disease that claims the lives of several foals each year. Influenza can also make them seriously ill. If the mare is vaccinated correctly, she will pass antibodies to her foal through the placenta. Many owners also vaccinate against rhinopneumonitis, a virus that can cause colds as well as miscarriage.
It is also important to keep up with your mare’s deworming, preferably through fecal testing. Many experts no longer consider standard deworming a few weeks before birth necessary, though it was common practice in the past. About three months before the due date, consult your vet about vaccinations and deworming for your mare.

Suitable Stall

Mares are often moved to a larger stall before giving birth, giving mother and foal more space. It’s best to make this transition about six weeks in advance. This allows the mare to get used to the new environment and feel at home. Additionally, during this adjustment period, she will develop antibodies against the bacteria present in the stable, which she can then pass on to her foal through her colostrum.
The stall should be thoroughly cleaned with water and soap and, most importantly, allowed to dry completely before the mare moves in. Avoid using disinfectants unless absolutely necessary—foals tend to lick everything!
Install a camera or another monitoring system, such as a birth alarm. With a camera, you can observe your mare’s normal behavior in the weeks leading up to birth. How often does she lie down? (This increases as pregnancy progresses.) How restless or calm is she at night? Knowing what is normal will help you recognize any changes, which is useful because horse births happen quickly. If complications arise, you often need to act fast.
Foaling in a pasture is no problem at all and is often even the cleanest option. However, monitoring with a camera is much more difficult in a pasture. If your mare unexpectedly goes into labor while outside (during the day, for example), do not panic—simply keep other horses away and let nature take its course.

Gathering Supplies

Use the last few weeks before the due date to gather all the supplies you may need for the birth and keep them within reach. Most births go smoothly, and the mare can handle most of it on her own. However, if something goes wrong, you will have very little time and want to have essential items ready.

Prepare the following items:

• Clean bucket
• Clean towels
• Soap and disinfectant for your hands
• Iodine or another disinfectant for the umbilical cord
• Umbilical clamp
• Clean bottle with a teat suitable for foals
• Tail bandage
• Lubricant
• Fully charged phone with your vet’s emergency number

Sufficient Vitamins and Minerals

In the final stage of pregnancy and during the nursing period, your mare will need (a lot of) extra nutrition, especially minerals. You can read more about this in another article.