From: Lorelei
Dear Jessica, Thanks for putting out such an informative newsletter to all of us equine enthusiasts! I have a questions for you regarding pregnant mares and what they should eat. I already checked your archives to see if this topic was already covered. I know there are probably about a million different products designed specifically for pregnant mares, but want I want to know is, what do they really need? What kind of supplements/vitamins do they really need? Many horse breeders in my part of the country treat pregnant mares the same as other horses, possible only feeding them more. My mare is due to foal in May and I want to make sure that the baby and the mare are healthy.
Lorelei
I'm sure that you've already talked to your vet about your mare's nutrition, along with her de-worming and exercise program, but now that your mare is nearing her final few months of gestation, it would be a good idea for you to call the vet again and double-check to be sure that your program is on track.
Some of the things you may want to discuss:
What's in your pastures? If any of your grazing includes endophyte-contaminated fescue, you'll definitely want to move your mare to a different pasture during her last three months of gestation. Endophyte can cause very serious problems for a mare in foal, and careful management before your mare foals is much better than crisis management later on!
What's in your medicine cabinet? Your mare should be on a regular schedule for vaccinations and deworming anyway, but during her pregnancy, your vet will change this schedule and may want you to use different products. You'll also want to be sure that your mare gets appropriate vaccinations about a month and a half before her predicted foaling date, so that her own level of antibodies will be high. Your vet has probably already given the mare at least one Rhinopneumonitis vaccination - pregnant mares are usually given this when they are five, seven, and nine months pregnant. Ask about other vaccinations and booster shots - depending on what conditions are like in your area, your vet may want to give your mare other injections a month and a half before foaling.
More about feed - your vet has probably already told you that you can safely begin to increase your mare's grain once she is halfway through her pregnancy. If the protein level of her feed was at 10% or less when she was bred, you should be increasing it now, so that the level will be at 12% by the time she foals. Adding grain to her diet, or changing the type or mixture of grains in her diet, will probably be the easiest way to make this change. Your vet may recommend a particular feed mix or commercial feed - ask! Some feed mixes are formulated specifically for mares in foal, and these can be helpful when you are trying to maintain safe calcium/phosphorous levels. Pregnant mares need to get enough Vitamin A, and this too may be part of a supplement that your vet suggests. But don't run out and buy a supplement without consulting your vet. Since your mare will be foaling in May - good decision, by the way! - she may get enough Vitamin A from her grazing. Your vet can look at your pastures and advise you.
The best condition for your mare during gestation is "looking good" - shiny, active, but not actually fat. Some first-time breeders get worried if their mares don't appear to be hugely pregnant - they worry that the foal will be too small. They're wrong. A starving mare - hips and ribs sticking out - may well have a smaller, weaker foal, and may not be able to produce enough milk, but there's an enormous difference between a thin, starving mare and a mare in good condition. Find a balance - your mare shouldn't be too thin or too fat. If your mare gains a little weight, that's fine, but a fatter mare will not produce a larger foal. In fact, an obese mare may have difficulty foaling. It's notFoal size at birth depends partly on genetics, and partly on the size of the mare's uterus - this is why a mare's first foal is often her smallest AT BIRTH.
In daylight, you can look over the pasture fence and see whether your mare seems to be in good condition, but the old "rule of thumb" is still your best way to check her at any time of day or night: run your thumb back from her shoulder to her hip, about halfway down her ribcage. If you can feel her ribs, even though you can't SEE them, she's likely to be in good condition. If you can't feel her ribs, she's too fat - if you can SEE her ribs, she's too thin. If you're in any doubt about how to do this, have your vet show you.
Ask about your mare's exercise program - keep her reasonably active and fit, so that she'll be in good shape to deliver and look after her foal. Walking in her field with other broodmares is ideal; your vet may have some other suggestions. If you let your vet know that you are very interested in everything to do with your mare's pregnancy and delivery, you'll get a lot of information.
In the meantime, and for those occasions when your vet isn't around to consult, I recommend that you buy two books, both by a veterinarian named M. Phyllis Lose. "Blessed are the Broodmares" and "Blessed are the Foals" should be on the bookshelves of anyone who is even thinking about breeding a mare.
Good luck, enjoy your reading, and let me know when your healthy foal arrives. ;-)
Jessica
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