Pregnant Mare Nutrition
Horses, with their big size and delicate digestive systems, often present a challenge during pregnancy. Maintaining healthy weight in a mare and foal without incurring the dangers of colic or other conditions may mean changing an established feeding program. Knowing the basics of pregnant horse management can ensure a healthy delivery for both.
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Significance
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Pregnant mares require extra nutrition to maintain a healthy weight during gestation. Healthy mares are more likely to deliver healthy foals and have enough milk to feed them.
Essential Nutrients
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All horses, including pregnant mares, require six essential nutrients to maintain proper health and fitness: water, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals and vitamins.
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Time Frame
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Gestation in mares typically lasts around 11 months. Good roughage and pasture will suffice to around eight to nine months. After that, caloric intake in a pregnant mare needs to increase 25 to 40 percent. Any more calories than that increases the chances for the mare to founder.
Effects
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The fetus experiences the greatest amount of growth during the last three months of pregnancy. Since the foal is receiving all of its nutrition from the mare, digestible energy (calories from proteins, fats and carbs) should increase during this time period and continue through the end of lactation.
Warning
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Have a veterinarian monitor a pregnant mare, especially an older mare or a mare with a first-time pregnancy. Any nutritional deficiencies should be addressed by the vet, who can suggest needed supplements.
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