Jessica Jahiel's HORSE-SENSE Newsletter Archives

Pregnant mare behaviour; feeding clover hay

From: Joey

Hello Jessica,

First, I'd like to thank you for your comprehensive answer on the fescue. My husband and I learned a lot from it. We're both feeling a lot better about her delivery, now. I'm confident that we did the right thing by seeking the opinion of another vet. Our first vet was sure she observed her "winking" so she assumed she was in heat. I'm curious about that, too. Would it be a natural thing for a mare to show those signs even though she's bred? My husband (Gary) is also curious about your feelings on feeding clover hay. I think our source is running out of timothy.

Thanks again, Joey

Hi Joey! Thanks for the kind words, I'm glad that information was useful to you. "Winking" (and showing other signs of being in season) is not especially unusual in a pregnant mare. Those signs are quite common during the first few months of pregnancy. Some mares cycle all the way through their pregnancy! Others show signs only between days 90 and 150 of their pregnancy -- that's because this is the time when estrogen levels are at their highest.

As for the hay: If timothy hay is no longer available to you, what about an alfalfa-grass mix? Or, if your mare does well on it and your veterinarian agrees, what about alfalfa itself? Clover hay can be dangerous; sweet clover spoils easily, and doesn't show mold that might warn you to throw it away. The danger is that the particular toxicity of spoiled clover hay is such that if you feed it over several weeks, your horse's blood will become very slow to clot. This vitamin K deficiency, called "sweetclover poisoning" is NOT a good thing -- any injury can bring on uncontrolled bleeding and/or enormous bruises, depending on whether the skin is broken. Since horses can always manage to cut themselves on something or other, allowing them to develop a clotting problem is very dangerous. And it obviously would be a VERY bad idea for a broodmare! Sweet clover can make good forage -- pasture grazing -- but I wouldn't recommend feeding it as hay.

Talk to your veterinarian -- you'll get good advice about feeding your mare during her pregnancy, and you may even be able to get information about good sources for high-quality legume hay in your area. If you can get a good-quality legume hay for your mare, it will help meet her nutritional needs during pregnancy and lactation. Grass hay, even very good grass hay, won't do this. And while you're with the vet, ask about the calcium-phosphorous ratio and how to ensure that your mare gets ENOUGH of each without creating an imbalance. The hay you feed will have a major effect on these minerals.

-Jessica

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