Paulina Oleinik, a member of the Penn State Equine Research Team (PSERT) is currently investigating how the length of parturition affects foal post-parturition behavior, specifically how fast it stands and nurses. She was inspired by the"Madigan Squeeze" method used to treat Neonatal Maladjustment Syndrome in foals. This method was created by Dr. John Madigan DVM of UC Davis Veterinary School and involves using a rope to squeeze a foal until it falls asleep. Once it wakes up, the foal acts normal and can nurse correctly. You can learn more about the Madigan Squeeze here: https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/newborn-horses-give-clues-autism.
PSERT members involved in this project currently assist Paulina by watching previous footage from the 2018 foaling season and observe behaviors of both the mare and foals for 2 hours prior to parturition. The students take note of when the water broke and when the foal was delivered, and then fill out ethograms to keep track of certain behaviors over periods of 5 minutes.
