Attend to the mare and foal during foaling
This subtopic equips learners with the practical skills and underpinning knowledge to safely manage a mare during parturition, ensuring both mare and foal welfare through a normal foaling. It covers recognition of imminent foaling, appropriate intervention only when necessary, post-foaling care, and strict adherence to health and safety protocols and environmental good practice. Mastery of this element is essential for any equine professional involved in breeding operations, as prompt, calm, and correct actions directly influence neonatal survival and long-term health.
Assessment criteria
Topic Overview
The BHSQ Level 3 Diploma in Work Based Horse Care and Management is a comprehensive vocational qualification designed for individuals working in the equine industry. It covers advanced horse care, stable management, and business operations, preparing students for supervisory roles in livery yards, riding schools, or competition yards. The diploma integrates practical skills with theoretical knowledge, ensuring graduates can manage horse health, nutrition, and welfare to industry standards.
This qualification is essential for those seeking career progression in equine management, as it builds on foundational knowledge from Level 2. Students explore topics such as equine behaviour, pasture management, and financial planning, all within a work-based context. The diploma emphasises safe working practices and compliance with UK legislation, including the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations.
By completing this diploma, students demonstrate competence in managing daily yard operations, supervising staff, and maintaining high welfare standards. It is recognised by employers across the equine sector and provides a pathway to higher-level qualifications, such as the BHS Stage 4 or foundation degrees in equine science. The work-based nature ensures learning is directly applicable to real-world scenarios, making it highly valued in the industry.
Key Concepts
Core ideas you must understand for this topic
- →Equine health and welfare: Understanding signs of illness, injury, and stress, and implementing preventive care plans, including vaccination schedules and dental checks.
- →Nutrition and feeding: Calculating rations based on workload, age, and condition, and managing forage and concentrate feeds to meet energy and protein requirements.
- →Stable management: Designing efficient yard layouts, maintaining biosecurity, and ensuring safe handling and turnout practices.
- →Business operations: Budgeting for feed, bedding, and veterinary costs, marketing services, and complying with health and safety legislation.
- →Equine behaviour and handling: Recognising stress signals, using positive reinforcement, and managing horses in groups to prevent aggression.
Learning Objectives
What you need to know and understand
- Be able to attend to the mare and foal during a normal foaling, Be able to promote health and safety, Understand how to attend to the mare and foal during foaling, Understand relevant health and safety legislation and environmental good practice
Assessment Criteria
Key criteria assessors look for in your portfolio
- Award credit for demonstrating accurate observation and recording of the three stages of labour, including timing from initial signs to placental expulsion.
- Award credit for showing competent, minimal intervention during an unassisted foaling, using sterile gloves and lubricant only if tactful assistance is required to reposition the foal.
- Award credit for implementing immediate post-foaling care such as clearing the foal's nostrils, allowing the cord to break naturally, and treating the umbilical stump with iodine solution within the first hour.
- Award credit for conducting a thorough assessment of the mare and foal post-partum, including checking for retained placenta, signs of colic, and confirming the foal's ability to stand and suckle.
- Award credit for applying relevant health and safety legislation (e.g., Manual Handling Operations Regulations, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) by using appropriate PPE, maintaining a clean foaling environment, and disposing of placental tissue and soiled bedding according to environmental good practice.
Assessment Guidance
Guidance for achieving higher grades
- 💡In practical assessments, narrate your actions calmly to the assessor, explaining why you are intervening or, equally importantly, why you are choosing not to intervene at each stage.
- 💡For written examinations or portfolios, create a detailed flowchart of the normal foaling process, including potential complications and corresponding actions, to demonstrate systematic understanding.
- 💡Explicitly reference the three stages of labour by their physiological names (Stage 1: preparatory, Stage 2: expulsion of the foal, Stage 3: expulsion of membranes) to show depth of knowledge.
- 💡Link every action to a specific piece of legislation or code of practice (e.g., welfare regulations, COSHH, fallen stock disposal) to satisfy the health and safety and environmental learning outcomes.
- 💡When answering questions on health plans, always reference specific legislation (e.g., Animal Welfare Act 2006) and include examples of routine checks like temperature, pulse, and respiration (TPR).
- 💡For business management questions, demonstrate understanding of profit margins by calculating costs for feed, bedding, and labour, and suggest realistic pricing for livery services.
- 💡Use correct terminology in practical assessments, such as 'stable vices' instead of 'bad habits', and explain how management changes (e.g., increased turnout) can reduce stereotypies.
Common Mistakes
Common errors to avoid in your coursework
- Failing to recognise subtle behavioural changes in the mare that indicate imminent foaling, leading to unattended births or delayed intervention when problems arise.
- Prematurely rupturing the placental membranes or cutting the umbilical cord too early, which can compromise the foal's blood supply and increase infection risk.
- Neglecting to wear personal protective equipment (e.g., gloves, apron) during foaling, thereby increasing zoonotic disease risk and breaching hygiene standards.
- Confusing normal post-foaling uterine discharge with haemorrhage or failing to monitor the mare for signs of shock or colic immediately after parturition.
- Inadequate recording of times and events, which hampers veterinary assessment and fails to meet legal record-keeping requirements for breeding enterprises.
- Misconception: 'All horses need the same amount of feed regardless of workload.' Correction: Feed requirements vary significantly; a horse in light work needs less energy than one in heavy competition. Overfeeding can lead to obesity and laminitis.
- Misconception: 'A clean stable means the horse is healthy.' Correction: While cleanliness is important, health monitoring requires checking vital signs, appetite, and behaviour daily. A clean bed does not guarantee the horse is free from illness.
- Misconception: 'You only need to check hooves when the farrier visits.' Correction: Hooves should be picked out daily and inspected for cracks, thrush, or loose shoes. Regular care prevents serious issues like abscesses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions students ask about this topic
Pass / Merit / Distinction Evidence Checklist
How your portfolio evidence is graded for BHS QUALIFICATIONS Attend to the mare and foal during foaling
Every vocational unit is marked against named criteria rather than an exam percentage. Your tutor's brief lists the exact codes for this unit — here is what each band is asking you to do.
Demonstrate baseline knowledge, accurate terminology, and core practical application.
Provide detailed analysis, structured explanations, and clear workplace reasoning.
Deliver thorough evaluation, original problem solving, and fully justified recommendations.
Before You Start
Prior knowledge that will help with this topic
- •BHSQ Level 2 Diploma in Horse Care or equivalent experience in a yard environment.
- •Basic knowledge of equine anatomy and common health conditions.
- •Understanding of health and safety regulations in an equine setting.
Coursework AI Review
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Key Terminology
Essential terms to know
- Be able to attend to the mare and foal during a normal foaling, Be able to promote health and safety, Understand how to attend to the mare and foal during foaling, Understand relevant health and safety legislation and environmental good practice
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