Abstract
The research was aimed at assessing whether postpartum complications (retained placenta) in mares affect the quality of their maternal behavior. The behavior of 15 multiparous mares aged 5 to 16 years during the first 12 hours after birth was analyzed. A retained placenta occurred in 7 mares. On the basis of the collected data, the average time budget and the percentage of time spent by mares of both groups in licking and sniffing the foal in the successive hours were calculated. Differences between the groups were assessed with the Mann-Whitney U test. Mares with symptoms of postpartum complications rested significantly longer in a standing position and devoted less time to eating and drinking, as well as licking and sniffing the foal, which is considered an indicator of maternal behavior.
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