Motor development of stable born healthy foals during the first 24 hours.
Authors: Pirinen Nina, Mykkänen Anna, Junnila Jouni Jt, McGowan Catherine, Hyytiäinen Heli K
Journal: Journal of equine veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary Researchers continuously video-recorded 14 healthy foals from birth through 24 hours of age and systematically catalogued the timing of major motor milestones using behavioural analysis software, establishing baseline data for normal neonatal development. Key findings revealed substantial individual variation in milestone achievement: whilst most foals stood successfully within an hour (mean 56.4 minutes), the range extended to 1 hour 43 minutes, and foals required an average of 62 attempts before achieving their first successful stand. Progressive motor skills emerged in a predictable sequence—sternal recumbency (5.4 minutes) progressing through walking (1 hour 2 minutes), running (2 hours 56 minutes), and backward locomotion (4 hours 13 minutes)—with more complex voluntary behaviours like autogrooming not appearing until approximately 7.5 hours post-partum. For equine professionals conducting neonatal assessments, this dataset provides quantitative benchmarks against which to identify foals with delayed or abnormal motor development requiring early intervention, though the wide ranges observed highlight the importance of contextualising individual variation within normal physiological parameters rather than applying rigid timelines.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Establish baseline timings for normal early motor milestones to identify foals with delayed development requiring veterinary intervention
- •Expect high variability in development rates between individual foals; some normal foals take up to 1 h 43 min to stand whereas others achieve it in 28 min
- •Monitor foals for excessive standing attempts (>103) or failure to achieve nursing within 2.5 hours as potential warning signs of developmental problems
Key Findings
- •Healthy foals achieve sternal position within 5.4 minutes (range 0-34.5 min) and first successful standing within 56.4 minutes (range 27.7 min - 1 h 43.3 min) after birth
- •Foals attempted to stand an average of 61.9 times (range 14-103 attempts) before achieving first successful standing
- •Walking occurs at mean 1 h 1.9 min, nursing at 1 h 49.1 min, running at 2 h 55.6 min, and autogrooming at 7 h 30.3 min after birth
- •During the first 24 hours, lying down comprised the highest proportion of time budget, followed by standing and walking