Jessica Jahiel's HORSE-SENSE Newsletter Archives

Fescue and Pregnant Mares

From: Joey

Hi, Jessica...

My husband and I have had our horses for about 5 years, although he's much more affluent than I am where they're concerned. Our Quarter Mare is in foal and due the first week in June. He's been worried that she may have had too much fescue in her diet because the first veterinarian we had her to (in October) said she wasn't in foal, that she was in heat. We didn't worry too much about her pasture because of that. She continued to gain weight and we just knew she was pregnant, so we took her to a different veterinarian, who confirmed that. We've taken her completely off anything with fescue in it, but were we too late for any health problems to arise? We changed hay and pasture last month and we're feeding her Omilene 300 along with good timothy hay.

What are the reasons for not feeding fescue and what problems could arise now? She's 7 years old and this is her second foal. The first one delivered with no trouble at all. I hope we didn't goof-up!!

Thanks for your patience, Joey

Hi Joey! You may have gotten your mare out of that pasture just in time -- good for you. Taking her to a second vet was GOOD THINKING. Here's the fescue story: Although horses tend not to eat fescue unless it's all there is in the field (it has low palatability for horses), fescue can make adequate pasture for older geldings and mares that are NOT in foal. However, it isn't considered safe for young, growing horses, and it isn't safe for mares during the last trimester of pregnancy unless you are absolutely certain that the fescue is endophyte free. (The endophyte in question is called Acremonium coenophialum, and it's especially prevalent in warm, damp climates.) These horses are susceptible to "fescue toxicosis". This means that IF a broodmare consumes infested fescue (some pastures are endophyte- free, but it's better not to take the risk) during these last 3 months of pregnancy, the results may be unpleasant: abortion, prolonged gestation (a VERY late foal), a placenta that becomes so thick that foaling is a difficult process, a weak or dead foal, and -- even if the foal is born alive and stays that way -- decreased milk production, or no milk production at all.

If your fescue pasture was endophyte-free, or if it was infested but you got the mare out of there in time, you shouldn't have fescue-related problems. But there are some precautions you can take -- and some of them are good to take before ANY foaling.

1) Talk to your veterinarian about the situation -- you'll need his advice and support in any case, but it's especially important if you may have a problem with your mare at foaling time. If there are problems, you don't want to have to explain them to the vet at the last second, when the mare is foaling! Talk to him ASAP, so that you can begin to make plans.

2) Check with your county extension agent -- you can have your pasture fescue checked for endophytes. If there are none, that should set your minds at ease. If the fescue IS endophyte-infested but you removed your mare when she was eight months along (or under eight months along), your minds should still be at ease -- check with your vet to confirm this. If it's infested but the mare is safe, do keep in mind that you will NOT want to put the foal out there either, for at least one full year!

3) If -- worst-case scenario -- the fescue is infested and the mare wasn't removed until she was already into her last trimester, you and your vet will have to be prepared for a possible difficult foaling, weak foal, and lack of milk, or lack of sufficient milk. If you have frozen colostrum on hand, and access to either a nurse mare or a good mare's milk substitute such as Foal-Lac (preferably a nurse mare! foals required feeding around the clock...), and if your veterinarian and/or your backup veterinarian will be ready to arrive quickly when the mare foals, you'll be about as prepared as you can be.

With luck, you won't need ANY of these preparations -- but if you do, you'll be glad you were ready.

- Jessica

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