Feeding a broodmare

[mady]

My mare was due last Thursday, I'm not worried that she is slightly overdue as who would want to part with a foal in this weather.

My concern is that I cannot fill her she can eat a massive net in an hour and half. She is being fed hifi, cond mix & baileys stud Balancer. Should I up her hard feed?

She is starting to look ribby although hardly suprising her belly is massive!

I don't like leaving her without but she is eating me out of house and home

[Deleted]

My mare is due any time although I'm starting to think she's just fat. She is eating a bale and a half of hay a day and on two feeds of stud mix and balancer with carrots. She looks ribby but only because her belly is so huge and has dropped. She has litterally cost me a fortune in hay in the 5 weeks I've had her. Don't want to up her feed yet till she foals as she doesn't need any more than she's having. She's a pig is horse clothing. Maybe have a word with vet see what feed they suggest. Mine is fine on one cup of balancer and 2 of stud mix twice a day.

[mady]

Well it doesn't sound like I'm the only one then :-)

She is 16.2 so u can imagine what she can consume

[elmere]

I would cut the mix out, high starch/sugar feeds have been proven to be the cause of problems in later life when consumed in these early developmental stages. Its best not to have weight on the mare for foaling anyway but I would look into adding more fibre and oil to the diet once on the ground. Hoping the grass will start to come through soon.

[sarahp]

I don't feed mixes to anything either on that account, but big horses not as susceptible as natives. I'm a fibre and oil feeder.

You and me both re the grass elmere, I don't foal anything before the third week in April and they have usually been out on grass for a month by then, no chance of that this year! Luckily they are due a bit later than that this year.

[jakkibag]

Ive one almost the same, she is 330 days and Im very anxious that she doesnt go while we have such massive snow drifts
Ive cut her feed down to a half scoop of speedibeet and the same of grass nuts and half mug of linseed, and upped her hay to totally ad lib, as she has got really bad edema, and the reduction of feed and upping of hay seems to have helped, I dread to think how much hay she is consuming, a big round is lasting about a 12 days! (eek and she is only 14hh Lol lol)

[mady]

We wouldn't have covered her so early but the thought of another bad summer and grazing coming to a halt early we chose to do it this way as she is big and a big foal in stable at same time wasn't worth thinking about.

[Deleted]

So you wouldn't feed stud mix or just any mixes in general. My mare was lacking in condition as had been living out over winter. She looks well off it now and no where near overweight. What is the science behind it? Thanks

Modified to say she has no turnout as such we have no grass or field at minute it's a quagmire. she can go out in the field for a run about and roll but has to eat hay in the corner.

I hadnt thought of feeding the foal if im honest but the mare will need extra with us not having much grass.

[mady]

I've always used D&H mare n youngstock mix and never had any problems with the youngsters but its the 1st time we have bred off this one.
We're the same no turnout till May

[Deleted]

So flipping confusing, i had my horses dam on stud balancer then mix with no problems, then when he was weaned he was on lo cal balancer till winter was over then just grass and hay. They are not native like my new one. She has litterally been on a hill unrugged since april and was a bit dull. so just introduced her slowly to balancer, then as shes in her last few weeks ive added in the mix. she is on ad lib hay also. Shes looking lovely, shiney and bright. Just worried as googled and a lot of people wouldnt feed stud mix. Vet told me to now wether that was easiest thing to say i dont know?

[mady]

Mine aren't native they're pba's but this one is a large riding horse never had problems with mix and using stud balancer.

She looks rough but healthy hardly suprising in this weather without a even a sheet.

Now 5 days overdue think she may pop haha

[elmere]

This explains it fully... www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/livestk/01818.html

All horses are at risk but yes natives more so, high starch diets have been proven to cause insulin resistance, laminitis and colic. I also read an article in a magazine years ago that focused mainly on foetus development in the mares womb and in the younger years of the horses life - I wish i still had it then I could recap.

What has made you choose a mix over a high oil supplement/feed loulabelle?

Sorry just noticed your vet recommended it to you - I would speak to an equine nutrisionist as they specialise in that area, some vets can be very old fashioned when it comes to feeding.

[sarahp]

Thanks for the link elmere, printing it out to read at leisure! I'm not up in the current research as much as I used to be, but I thought that nowadays there was far less importance laid on fructans? Only skimmed this article very briefly so far.

You wouldn't necessarily notice an immediate problem with high sugar and starch feeding, but it could turn up later in the animal or its offspring in the form of insulin resistance, EMS and recurrent laminitis. Once you've battled with one with this as I have (bought in with it) you will want to avoid any other animal possibly getting it!

[elmere]

Well I havnt read into it in depth sarahp, you will know far more than me.
Yes that's the problem, it won't show immediately but can cause problems in later life so why take the risk? :/ Genetics will obviously come into play and some will be more susceptable than others but its best not increase the chances at any rate.

Are you feeding anything extra in the abscence of spring grass sarahp?

[Deleted]

Ill have a good read now, I will keep her on the balancer for now with the hay as its relatively little calories but is just boosting her with just being on hay. Can you reccomend a good nutritionist. Unfortunately with not having a huge amount of decent grass and her being in the last stages of pregnancy I don't want her lacking in anything as where she has been grazed previously I can't see it being nutritious enough. She has got a good shine on her in the last 5 weeks and her hair has started growing back. Sorry Mady to hijack but I'm sure it's good info for you to

[elmere]

I think everyone is having the same problem regarding grass I have just got a bag of Alfa A Original for my mare, maybe you could get the oil coated one for extra condition loulabelle?

[mady]

It's no problem loulabelle. I have never had any problems with mix even going bk 30yrs breeding section A's but I will defiantly bear it in mind now as these ones we breed now are to keep for my daughter so will definitely watch what we feed. The others are on top spec cubes its only her on mix.
Thanks Elmere and Sarahp for your help.