Skip to content
Search Library
thumbnail

Your foal’s four feet safely hit the ground, and he’s nursing well. Your mare is working hard, producing up to 3% of her body weight in milk each day, which is equivalent to approximately 30 lb (14 kg) of milk for an average 1000-lb (450-kg) horse.

Lactation places higher energy demands on the mare than any other stage of her life,” said Joe Pagan, Ph.D., president of Kentucky Equine Research in Versailles, Ky.

Clearly, feeding the mare appropriately is essential to provide adequate energy and nutrients for both her and her foal. To complicate matters, your mare was successfully rebred 8 days after parturition on her foal heat.

Among all domestic animals, horses have the shortest period between parturition and rebreeding. This means mares are often lactating and gestating simultaneously. How do you know your mare is getting everything she needs for herself, her newborn foal, and her growing fetus?

Pregnant and lactating mares fall into a different nutritional category than maiden mares; barren or early-pregnant, nonlactating mares; and mares in their last trimester of pregnancy.

“Each of these classes of mares needs the same nutrients in the diet, but at different levels of intake,” remarked Pagan.

When feeding the lactating, pregnant mare consider the following:

  • An increase in energy and protein requirements to support pregnancy do not substantially increase until the last trimester when 75% of foal growth occurs.
  • The energy requirements for pregnant, lactating mares varies by breed (e.g., nutrient needs vary tremendously between Thoroughbreds and Warmbloods). Specifically, Warmblood mares require less energy and protein but more minerals than light-horse mares with the same body weight.
  • Adequate protein in the diet is essential, considering that milk is 20-25% protein (on a dry matter basis).
  • Simply adding high-starch concentrates to a lactating mare’s diet may not be desirable. This change can increase milk production, but the milk contains less protein and fat. In comparison, feeding a high-fiber, high-fat concentrate appears more beneficial.
  • Ensure appropriate levels of vitamins and minerals are offered, paying particular attention to calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, iodine, and selenium. Be careful not to oversupplement as dietary excesses of various minerals can be harmful; for example, excess iodine, not just deficiency, can cause goiter in foals.

Overall, maintaining the mare in good condition is imperative. Loss of condition is detrimental to reproductive performance, and overweight mares can have decreased milk production and produce foals with musculoskeletal abnormalities such as angular limb deformities.

For detailed information on feeding lactating mares throughout gestation, please refer to the article, “Nutritional Management of Mares–The Foundation of a Strong Skeleton,” in Advances in Equine Nutrition III.

X

Subscribe to Equinews and get the latest equine nutrition and health news delivered to your inbox. Sign up for free now!