Horse and Pony Foaling in Montesano — Online Webcam
Little Hooves Farm in Montesano: Where New Life Begins
In Grays Harbor County, Washington, among green pastures and the temperate climate of the Pacific coast, lies the small Little Hooves Farm. Montesano is the county seat with a population of 4,138 people according to the 2020 census, a quiet rural community about 16 kilometers from the Pacific coast. It is here, far from city noise, that ideal conditions have been created for breeding horses and ponies. Stall 2 is one of the facilities where mares give birth, and now this process can be observed via webcam online at any time of day.
The camera was installed in Montesano specifically for those who want to see the foaling process without having to be physically present at the stable. The broadcast operates around the clock, allowing viewers to observe the behavior of mares in the stall, their preparation for birth, and, if lucky — the moment a foal enters the world.
What is Foaling: From Conception to Birth
Foaling is the process of a mare giving birth, which concludes a long period of pregnancy. The average duration of gestation is about 340 days — approximately 11 months, although a range of 320 to 370 days is considered normal. This means that two mares bred on the same day may foal weeks apart.
The foaling season in horses falls predominantly during the spring and summer months — from May to September. This seasonality is driven by biological mechanisms: the reproductive cycle in mares is tied to day length. In spring, when days grow longer, the mare's body receives a signal to prepare for birth under the most favorable conditions — warm weather and abundant fresh forage.
Preparing the Stall for Foaling
A foaling facility is not just a pen with hay. Strict requirements are placed on foaling stalls. For this purpose, special stalls of up to 16 m² are allocated, which are generously lined with fresh bedding — a thick layer of straw. This provides a soft surface for the newborn foal and prevents injuries.
Two weeks before the expected birth, the facility is thoroughly disinfected with a 3% formalin solution. This is critically important for creating a safe environment — newborn foals have not yet developed immunity, and any pathogenic microflora can pose a threat. The mare is moved to the stall 7–10 days before foaling — during this time she gets used to the new place, which reduces stress during birth.
Before being moved, the mare is washed, cleaned, and unshod — shoes are removed to prevent accidental injury to the foal. In the stall, she is kept untied at a temperature of not below 6–10°C. In private household plots, the floor is additionally covered with clean tarpaulin or burlap over the straw — this facilitates cleaning and hygiene maintenance.
How Foaling Proceeds: Stages of Birth
The foaling process itself usually lasts from 10 to 30 minutes. Mares most often foal during nighttime hours — in the quiet period from 22:00 to 5:00, when the stable is quiet and nothing distracts the animal. This is why the webcam in Montesano is so valuable — it allows observation of the process even at night, when the likelihood of birth is highest.
A few days before foaling, an attentive breeder notices characteristic signs: the mare's udder increases in size, becomes firm in consistency, and colostrum begins to be secreted from the nipples. The mare becomes restless, frequently lying down and getting up, looking at her belly. This is a signal that birth will begin in the coming hours.
After the foal is born, it is freed from the amniotic membrane, the umbilical cord is cut at a distance of 5–6 cm from the belly, and smeared with iodine tincture. The newborn's mouth, nostrils, and ears are cleared of mucus. An important point — the so-called "umbilical cord break": a few minutes after birth, it breaks on its own, and bleeding from the vessels is minimal. In the case of twins, the second fetus may be born 10–20 minutes after the first.
Caring for a Newborn Foal
The first minutes and hours of a foal's life are critically important. A newborn foal cannot effectively regulate its body temperature, so warmth and dryness are provided — it is dried with a clean cloth and an infrared lamp is used at a distance of about one meter to avoid overheating. All conditions for this have been created in Stall 2 at Little Hooves Farm.
The first two days after foaling, the mare is highly sensitive to adverse effects — she must be carefully protected from drafts and hypothermia, and rubbing is beneficial. The mare's feeding is reduced at the first signs of approaching birth: concentrated feeds are completely eliminated or given as liquid porridge. This reduces the risk of complications during birth.
Horses and Ponies: Differences in Foaling
Little Hooves Farm houses both regular horses and ponies, and the foaling process has its own characteristics for each. The height of ponies usually does not exceed 150 centimeters, some individuals barely reach 1.2 meters. In Russia, horses up to 120 cm in height are classified as ponies.
The second stage of labor in pony mares lasts less time than in regular horses. If in regular mares the active phase takes about 20–30 minutes, in ponies this period is shorter. This is due to the smaller size of the fetus and the more compact body structure of the mother. Nevertheless, monitoring the process is necessary in both cases — which is why the webcam in Stall 2 is so important for the farm.
Seasonality and Features of Little Hooves Farm
Little Hooves Farm in Montesano operates in the mild Pacific climate of Washington state. This means that foaling here can occur not only during the traditional spring months but also at other times — depending on the breeding schedule and individual characteristics of each mare. The year-round broadcast from Stall 2 allows viewers to see different scenarios: from calm waiting to rapid births.
Stall 2 is not the only facility on the farm, but it is the one equipped for online broadcasting. This allows viewers from around the world to observe the life of the farm in real time without disturbing the animals or staff. The camera is positioned to capture the maximum area of the stall while not causing discomfort to the mares.
What You Can See on the Camera
The webcam in Montesano shows Stall 2 of Little Hooves Farm — a spacious facility with fresh straw bedding where mares are kept during the foaling period. In the frame, you can observe the behavior of horses and ponies: how they rest, eat, and interact with each other. During the birth period, the camera captures the very process of a foal being born, the first minutes of its life, and the mare's care for the newborn.
The broadcast is in real time — you see exactly what is happening in the stall right now. Night filming allows observation of mares during the period of highest likelihood of birth. The camera operates around the clock, and at any moment in Stall 2, a miracle can happen — the birth of a new foal.
