From the moment of birth, the normal foal's activity is highly predictable. It will begin rhythmic breathing within 30 seconds and become sternal within 5 minutes. The sucking reflex will be present within 20 minutes, and in approximately one hour, the foal will stand. By 1 1/2 hours post-partum, the foal will have begun suckling from the mare. From this time onward, suckling will occur at regular 30-50 minute intervals. Meconium excretion and micturition are seen within 15 hours post-partum. Given such a defined and familiar routine, the knowledgeable horse owner easily recognized a breakdown in this behavioral pattern during the neonatal period, which is defined here as the first four days of the foal's life. Changes in behavior are seen as nonspecific signs in neonatal disease. It is the practitioner's roler to interpret the clinical signs, provide a diagnosis, formulate a treatment regimen, and offer a prognosis for the foal.