• Increase the quantity of feed and fodder of pregnant mares during late gestation. Average gestation period in horse mare and donkey mare is 335 and 365 days, respectively.
• Vaccinate mares against tetanus, abortion (EHV-1), rabies and influenza during gestation to control the diseases. Vaccinate the pregnant mares for tetanus one month before foaling. Don’t give any medicine to mares against parasitic infestation during the last month of gestation.
• Keep the pregnant mare housed in stable during winter.   Also plant sufficient number of shady trees near stables to protect them from heat stress in summer.
• Keep the pregnant mare in a well ventilated stable as she approaches near foaling. Foaling in mares generally takes place during night, so there should be arrangement of light in foaling box. Foaling should be under the guidance of experienced and trained person.  Wash the vagina, udder and teats of the mare properly after foaling. 
• Never use pregnant mares for riding and other heavy work during 5-6 weeks before foaling.
• Ensure the availability of following things with you at the time of foaling:
  • Mobile number of veterinarian
  • A watch, note book and pen/pencil to note down the foaling time
  • A clean towel to clean the newly born foal
  • A new blade and disinfectant viz., betadine  lotion to dip and clean the umbilical cord
  • A bucket of lukewarm water and soap
  • Ensure the expulsion of placenta within 3 hours of foaling or inform the veterinarian
  • New surgical gloves to work with clean hands
• Remove the fetal membrane from the head of foal as soon as possible

• Remove mucus from nostrils and mouth of the newly born foal to facilitate normal breathing.
• Generally, umbilical cord breaks itself. Apply betadine lotion at the site. If umbilical cord is intact then cut it from 3-4 inches away from the body by new blade. Tie it with clean thread and apply betadine lotion to prevent infection.
• Feed colostrums to newly born foal soon after the foaling. Take the foal near the mare’s teat and put some drops of colostrum in foal’s mouth so that he/she may develop the taste of colostrum and finally start taking milk/ colostrum from the teat. Provide the grains to foals for feeding after 6-7 months.
• After consuming colostrum, foals generally defecate or pass meconium. If it does not pass meconium, do enema with lukewarm water and liquid paraffin. Meconium also passes after feeding liquid paraffin.
• Save the new born foal from chilled air and bad weather and keep them at warm place. Keep the foals in clean & well ventilated place and cover the floor  with bedding material. 
• Tie head collar to foal for 3-4 hours daily from 2-3 days onwards. Grooming and cleaning of hooves are essential for good health.
• Record the date of birth, sex, body weight, body markings and details of the parents of foal in a register serial wise.
• Separate foals from their mothers between 4-6 months of age.

• Horse owner must be well acquainted with the nature and habit of the horse as this is necessary for safety point of view.
• Keep the sick horse separate away from the healthy stock.
• Always follow the vaccination and deworming schedule to prevent the horses from various diseases. 
• Always keep the newly purchased horses in quarantine for a period of 30-45 days before mixing with the existing stock.
• Avoid the barbed wire or thorny bushes boundary of grazing pasture or stables. Never wrap a lead rope around your hand. Never tie a horse with a rope around his neck. If he pulls back he could strangle himself.
• Tie the rings at shoulder height to the horses.
• Try to groom the horses daily both before and after being ridden. Daily grooming gives a chance to detect and monitor any injuries or other health problems such as cuts, skin infections, allergic reactions, thrush, etc. Grooming also helps in increasing the blood circulation and keeping the hair clean.
• Regular exercise is must to keep the horses healthy. Warm up exercise is must to improve performance, and to reduce the risk of injury.
• After exercise let the horse dry and a thorough grooming should performed. After some rest provide grain and water in small quantity.
• Take care of hooves, as proper hoof care prevents from various diseases and infections. Thrush develops in horses which remain standing in mud and urine. Thrush is a major cause of lameness thus keep the stables clean.
• Horses should be shoed from time to time. Try to trim the hooves after every six weeks.

• Protect horses during extreme summers, winters and rains thus stable should at a safe place with well ventilation.
• Keep the bulb and light arrangements in stables at a proper height and away from the reach of horses.
• If the floor of stable is pucca, it should be not be slippery. The slope of floor should be in such a manner that water should not stagnate at any place and cleaning may be performed regularly. In case of katchcha floor, the upper layer of the soil must be removed once or twice in year.
• Use dust free dry grass and rice straw as bedding material. Horse feels comfortable if bedding is provided. It absorbs urine and makes dung removal easy. Remember wet and dirty bedding should be removed immediately.
• Arrange neat and clean water and grains in stables and troughs should be cleaned from time to time.
• Horse is a social animal thus never make stables at lonely place. Avoid using peg, nail or any pointed thing in it. Corner of the stable should be round to save the horse from any injury.

Stable Size (in feet)Note: Keep the height of the stable 7-8 feet.