How to Perform the Madigan Foal Squeeze Technique
Learn how to safely apply the Madigan squeeze technique using soft ropes to reset neurological behavior in newborn foals with Neonatal Maladjustment Syndrome.
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🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ Soft braided cotton rope (20-25 ft, 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick)
- ✓ Digital stopwatch or timer
- ✓ Stethoscope
- ✓ Soft halter and lead line
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ Deep straw bedding or padded mat
- ✓ Clean dry towels
- ✓ Warm foal blanket
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Ensure the mare is securely restrained or partitioned in a stall where she can see the foal without interfering.
- • Verify the rope does not slip onto the foal's throat or compress the umbilical remnant.
- • Continuously monitor heart and respiratory rate; abort procedure immediately if severe bradycardia or respiratory distress occurs.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (6 Steps)
Secure Mare and Prepare Padded Area
Move the mare into a secure partitioned area or have an experienced handler hold her at a safe distance where she maintains visual contact. Create a clean, deeply bedded straw area or lay down padded foam mats to cushion the foal during recumbency. Clear away any hard buckets, pitchforks, or obstacles from the stall floor.
- • Mare is calmly held or behind a solid partition facing the foal
- • Padded stall center is clear of clutter and heavily cushioned
- • Leaving the mare loose in the stall where she might strike out protectively
- • Performing the squeeze on bare concrete or thin bedding
Place the Chest Loop
Cast a loop over the foal's withers and bring the soft cotton rope around the chest just behind the elbow and shoulder blades. Form an overhand loop or half-hitch at the withers, ensuring the knot sits flat against the spine and does not pinch the skin. Keep the initial loop snug but not restrictive while positioning.
- • First loop is seated snugly behind the front legs around the girth line
- • Rope crosses over the spine without twists or pinching
- • Placing the first loop too far forward against the neck or windpipe
- • Using thin, abrasive nylon rope that burns sensitive foal skin
Apply Second and Third Body Loops
Pass the rope along the spine toward the tail, creating a second loop around the mid-thorax and a third loop around the flank cranial to the sheath or udder. Space the three loops evenly across the torso, ensuring they stay well clear of the umbilical stump. Hold the tag end of the rope extending backward over the foal's rump.
- • Three evenly spaced parallel rope loops encircle the foal's torso
- • All three loops clear the umbilical cord completely
- • Looping over the umbilical stump or prepuce
- • Uneven loop spacing causing concentrated pressure in one spot
Apply Pressure and Guide Lateral Recumbency
Apply firm, steady backward traction on the rope's free end to tighten all three loops simultaneously around the chest. Within 30 to 60 seconds, the foal should exhibit somnolence, droop its head, and sink gently onto its side. Guide the foal down softly onto the padded bedding while keeping continuous tension on the rope.
- • Foal lies peacefully on its side in lateral recumbency
- • Ropes are snug and evenly compressed along the ribcage and abdomen
- • Timer is started immediately upon recumbency
- • Jerking the rope abruptly instead of applying smooth, progressive pressure
- • Letting the foal drop heavily onto unpadded ground
Maintain Sustained Pressure for 20 Minutes
Hold firm, continuous tension on the rope system for exactly 20 minutes while the foal remains in a sleep-like state. A second handler must gently monitor respiratory rate and use a stethoscope every 5 minutes to verify normal heart rhythm. Keep the foal's neck straight and airway open with a towel tucked lightly under the head.
- • Foal resting quietly in lateral recumbency with regular slow breathing
- • Timer shows steady countdown toward 20 minutes
- • Towel cradles the head keeping nostrils unobstructed
- • Releasing rope tension early before reaching 20 minutes
- • Allowing the neck to kink sharply backward, restricting the airway
Release Tension and Facilitate Recovery
When the 20-minute timer finishes, slowly release rope tension and unthread all three loops off the foal's body. Step back slightly and allow the foal 2 to 5 minutes to naturally wake up, shake its head, and roll onto its sternum. Once upright, guide the foal toward the mare's udder to encourage natural nursing behavior.
- • All ropes completely removed from foal's body
- • Foal transitions from lying down to sitting sternally, then standing
- • Foal actively seeks udder and demonstrates a strong suckle reflex
- • Forcing the foal to stand immediately instead of letting it wake naturally
- • Leaving ropes looped loosely around legs as foal rises
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by Vetventures — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No Soft braided cotton rope (20-25 ft, 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick)? Wide flat cotton lunging strap or soft nylon tubular webbing (minimum 1-inch width)
- No Padded foam mat? Extra thick layer (at least 6-8 inches) of clean wheat or oat straw