The miracle of birth takes on new meaning for a class of animal science majors required to experience the process first-hand.

Animal Science 216, an introductory course to horse science, involves students in a project which cares for pregnant horses that are about to give birth.

This semester, there are 12 horses for the class to study and work with. Four to five students are assigned to monitor the progress of each horse.

“For many students, this is the first time they have ever seen a mare giving birth,” said Peggy Miller, associate professor of animal science. “Some get into it more than others because a few have been exposed to it before.”

Jennifer Burger, a sophomore in animal science, is geared up for her eyewitness account of live birth. Her mare is due near the end of March.

“We have to learn about general care for the horse and all about what will happen during a delivery,” Burger said. The students learn to use a colostrum test, a procedure to determine when the mare is ready to give birth.

“Mares can stop the birth process for an extended amount of time if they get irritated. The test is important so students don’t pressure the mares by being around too much,” said Sara Garr, manager of ISU’s horse barns.

When a mare is close to delivering, the students assigned to the mare are called to the barns. At least one student from the group is required to be at the barn with one of the barn managers during the delivery, even if it is in the middle of the night.

“The good thing is that a birth process is only about 30 minutes,” Burger said. But, things can happen fast in half an hour.

Complications are usually minimal, but one foal was born upside-down earlier this semester, Miller said.

“It’s good for the students to get exposed to this type of situation,” she said, “because it doesn’t happen too often.”

After birth, the foal’s navel is “dipped” to prevent bacteria from causing infection.

Students also watch the recovery of the mare, test the colostrum level again and take the foal’s blood in order to see if it has enough nutrients.

“It is important to get the foal used to humans by playing with their ears and legs, stroking them and letting them know we won’t hurt them,” Burger said. This “imprinting” also allows for easier training of the horse as it grows.

This project is only one portion of the class. Students also keep records of the mare and her foal, write a paper and learn about the general care of horses.

“I like it because we’re learning and doing everything together. I’m still learning so much, even though I’ve been around horses since I was four years old,” Burger said.