This is an archived Horseadvice.com Discussion. The parent article and menus are available on the navigation menu below:
HorseAdvice.com » Equine Reproduction » Pregnancy, Foaling, & Neonatal Care » Care of the Newborn Foal and Mare »
  Discussion on MARE IN FOAL NO GRAIN?
Author Message
New Member:
equick

Posted on Monday, Jul 26, 2010 - 3:15 am:

Hello and sorry for this question if already covered somewhere. I just need to ask because am worried about the mares. I have two mares and no experience with pregnancy and foaling so a bit stressed out. They are supposed to foal in about 4-5 weeks according to last ultrasound. I was told by the stable owner that they CANNOT get any oats (he normally feeds whole oats or a mixture of crushed oats with bran). I am now feeding them 1 kg of Speedi-Beet (micronized beet pulp), 300 grams of extruded flax (worry about the Ca:P ratio but should be ok with the beet pulp - the flax is extruded with 25% bran and has 25% oil) and vit/min supplement for mares in foal. At this point, I need to increase more and would like to add the grain and maybe up the flax more? But will the oats hurt them? Are they right??? Cannot find this info online and am worried and confused. Also, they do not look like they will foal so soon so am worried that I need more protein and the foals are too small? The mares are on pasture during day (not much there anymore though), grass hay (nice quality but still last year's at this point) and they seem to look ok - could maybe gain a bit of weight. My first experience so please help me. People here in the Czech Republic have all different opinions and it is hard, I just want all of them to be ok. I am sorry if I sound uneducated about this, I keep being told that they do not need more than hay and vitamins now but me being me, I tend to worry. Thank you so much for helping!
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Monday, Jul 26, 2010 - 7:38 am:

Welcome Barbara,
There is no problem with feeding oats to pregnant mares as long as they part of a well balanced diet. In general grains should receive protein and mineral (especially calcium) supplementation when fed to late term pregnant mares. You will find a detailed discussion of this at HorseAdvice.com » Equine Reproduction » Pregnancy, Foaling, & Neonatal Care » Pregnant Mare Care and Nutrition.

Neither can you judge the foals size by the appearance of the mare.
New Member:
equick

Posted on Monday, Jul 26, 2010 - 7:58 am:

Thank you so much DrO for your help. I read the article and am hoping it is making sense now more. Just a quick check with you, if you do not mind - Since Speedi-Beet is high in calcium, would that balance out the oats and flax? If I feed something like: 1 kg Speedi (has 20% more energy than regular beet pulp) with 500g of the extruded flax and lets say 1 kg of oats per day would that sound ok? They get unlimited grass hay during the day in pasture and enough over night when in stall (sometimes they do not finish it all). They have the himalayan salt lick, which they love. They also get the PREMIN MARE vit/min supplement specifically for mares in foal with added yea-sacc, and herbs to protect liver, also has high quality amino acids lysin etc in it). They get 25-30 grams of that now and it will be doubled when foal is born. Does this sound ok to you or should I correct something? Sorry to bother, just trying to get some piece of mind, am like an insane "mom" at the moment.....thank you so very much for your help!
Member:
mrose

Posted on Monday, Jul 26, 2010 - 11:03 am:

Welcome, Barbora. Is it possible to get something like Mare and Foal by Purina over there? Such feeds are balanced for pregnant and lactating mares and easily solve the "what to add to their feed" question. Given with hay or pasture, they are all that a mare would need.
New Member:
equick

Posted on Monday, Jul 26, 2010 - 11:20 am:

Hi Sara, thank you for your welcome and post. You cannot get Purina or any other US horse brand feed over here really. Some supplements are available here from US, but not feeds. I am also trying to feed them more "natural" and "wholegrain" if that makes sense since many of the feeds on the market here have a lot of fillers, additives, even mold issues. Many horses here have diseases that nobody can really "identified" and it just makes me wonder where they come from...Thank you for your help!
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Monday, Jul 26, 2010 - 8:54 pm:

Hello Barbora,
Without knowing for each and every food stuff:
  • the weight of daily consumption of the food stuff
  • the percentage of the nutrient of interest in the food stuff
I cannot know if the horses dietary balance is within the recommended ranges of nutrition for your mare. Not knowing her stage of pregnancy is still another variable that changes what those recommendations would be.

On the other hand mares have been foaling healthy foals on less than good quality grass hay for tens of thousands of years. You need to be careful you are not doing more harm than good with your herbs "that have some liver effects". Why would your horse need liver supplements and what evidence that this substance you are feeding is beneficial?

Continue to study the articles starting with "Overview on Nutrition". Your questions suggest you have not got the basics down yet and so I don't have a easy place to start with your questions. Please don't look upon this as criticism but an attempt to get you off of what appear to be some oddities on your thoughts about equine nutrition nd back to the basics of equine nutrition which start with your horses forages.
DrO
Home Page | Top of Page | Join Us!
Horseadvice.com is a BBB Accredited Business. Click for the BBB Business Review of this Horse Training in Stokesdale NC