What is the best feed for pregnant mares?

Purina® Omolene® #200, Strategy® GX or Ultium® Growth horse feed would be good choices, or Purina® Enrich Plus® Ration Balancing horse feed may be an option for mares that are easy keepers. During the tenth month of gestation the greatest amount of mineral retention occurs in the unborn foal.

What can you not feed a pregnant mare?

One type of hay or pasture to avoid is fescue, which is often infected with an endophyte that causes problems in pregnant mares, including prolonged gestation, difficult delivery, and lack of milk. Make sure all bedding is free of fescue, too.

Is bran bad for horses?

Bran mashes will not protect your horse’s digestive health. In fact, rice bran or wheat bran confer few, if any, health benefits for horses and carry some risks. Bran is believed to have a laxative effect in people, but to get the same effect in a horse, you’d have to feed huge amounts of it-more than he could eat.

What are the benefits of feeding bran to horses?

Using bran mash as a weekly ‘cleanser’ is a common practice among horse owners and stables. It is believed to add bulk to the stool, help with hydration, assist digestion, and is a good source of fiber.

Is glucosamine safe for pregnant mares?

When fed according to manufacturers’ recommendations, it is not harmful to horses. So feeding it to pregnant or lactating mares is not harmful, but there is probably no reason to feed it to those types of horses. They probably have no nutritional need.

What do you feed a mare after foaling?

Give some good quality hay or chaff in small quantities more frequently, rather than one huge feed as soon as she has foaled. As her appetite returns you can then increase the amount of feed.

What to feed a mare after foaling?

How much bran should I give my horse?

Feeding substantial amounts of wheat bran daily can lead to mineral imbalances. Nutritionists recommend no more than 1 lb per day and emphasize that it is very important to feed adequate calcium when adding wheat bran to the diet.

Does bran fatten a horse?

Rice bran is another source of fat that most horses love, and it’s also rich in vitamin E as well as fiber. If you’re feeding a natural rice bran, you might want to add a calcium supplement or another calcium-rich food, such as alfalfa.

Is boswellia safe for pregnant mares?

Boswellia serrata: Safe use in pregnant mares hasn’t been established, so it should be of concern for breeding mares. It may be a GI irritant.

Can pregnant mares have MSM?

MSM is not recommended for pregnant mares. Due to the active nature of MSM, it should be used with care. Any horse that has a clotting disorder or a history of urinary tract stones should not be given an MSM supplement.

What can I feed my mare to produce more milk?

Mares need energy and high-quality protein for milk production (14% crude protein grain mix). Generally an increase in grain volume will supply more energy. 2. Low lactating mares consuming fescue pasture or hay may benefit from a veterinary-prescribed paste marketed as Equi-tox to increase milk production.

What should I Feed my pregnant mare after weaning?

After weaning the foal, the mare again can be managed as a pregnant mare in early gestation. During this time her nutritional requirements are similar to a mature, idle horse. Free choice high quality roughage, water and a vitamin/mineral supplement pellet will usually provide enough nutrients if the mare was in good body condition at weaning.

What can I Feed my mare Poulin for energy?

One option to increase the energy content of the mare’s diet without increasing the grain is to feed a fat supplement. Fat supplements such as vegetable oil or stabilized rice bran are much more energy dense than cereal grains.

What should my pregnant mares body condition be?

A pregnant mare should be kept in moderate to moderately fleshy body condition throughout pregnancy. Body condition above a score of 6 only adds unnecessary weight to the mare’s limbs, and this could be difficult for a mare that has soundness issues, including arthritic changes from past performance careers.

Why is it important to feed a mare?

Important nutrients are secreted by the mare to supply her foal with energy, protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals for optimal development and growth. Energy and protein intake can affect the milk production and composition (amino acid and fatty acid profile). Restricted energy or protein intake is known to reduce milk production.