Nursing mare care

[mini horse mania]

Has anyone had problems keeping your nursing mares up to par? My mare jewel foaled march 8....a huge filly,and im having a hard time with her weight.she looks ok around the hips,and her belly is plump.i dewormed her march 12 with ivermectin,and again today with exodus.her backbine is sort of sticking up,but other than that I have no problems with her.her filly is pulling on her hard,and is tick fat..lol..she gets mare and foal,coastal hay free choice,and a mineral block.is there something im missing here?

 

[chandab]

How big is the mare? And, how much is she getting of the mare/foal feed?

Yes, foals can pull down a mare. If its mostly her backbone that is getting noticeable, she might need more protein in her diet; so something like alfalfa pellets or cubes would likely help (depending on how much of the mare/foal feed she is getting, she might just need a bit more of that).

 

[mini horse mania]

She is 37 inches and getting 2 pounds of mare and foal.it has alfalfa pellets added also.i will snap a pic right quick

 

[chandab]

She is 37 inches and getting 2 pounds of mare and foal.it has alfalfa pellets added also.i will snap a pic right quick

The alflalfa pellets are in the mare/foal feed, or are you adding them separate? And, is that 2# the total mix of mare/foal plus alflafla, or just the mare/foal (if so, then how much alfalfa)? I know, lots of questions, but more info helps, and the pic should help even more.

[i mostly have 36-38" mares, and in good, non-pregnant weight, they are around 350#. Who knows how big they'll get pregnant, guess I should weigh them, next nice day we have.] How much does the mare/foal feed tag say to feed?

 

[mini horse mania]

She is 37 inches and getting 2 pounds of mare and foal.i add about 1/2 pound of pellets once day.

 

[mini horse mania]

Is your feed a grain or pellet?.i tried increasing over the last 2 weeks,but she scoured on me so I backed off.she is very sensitive stomached.here she is before foaling.she was huge! Her filly was 24 in.at birth.

 

[Miniv]

We feed a 14 percent senior pelleted feed and add alfalfa pellets to it. Plus lots of grass hay.

I don't weigh our grain by pounds, just the hay. But they get a large coffee can full of the combination grain/alf pellets twice a day, and more if needed.

Often the new mothers need more for the first couple of weeks at least. After that, the foals are sharing with their mothers, plus nursing.

Every horse's needs are different.....

 

[Charlotte]

I like to read the different feeding programs and results so thanks everyone and thank you to Mini Horse Mania for starting this.

Most of my broodmares are in the 28-31" range. I have been very happy with this feeding program and I find even for much larger mares it works just as well by increasing the amounts. The girls get an alfalfa balancer per directions for the product, then 1 pound of alfalfa pellets morning and evening and 1/2 to 1 pound of baled alfalfa plus pasture or prairie hay. To put weight on a mare I just increase the alfalfa pellets. This is pretty simple and seems to meet the nutritional needs of the mares and their foals and maintain a good vitamin/mineral ratio. By not adding any other supplements I avoid the problems that can be caused by getting the mineral ratio out of balance.

 

[minie812]

Free choice on the prarie hay and I feed pelleted 2x day with extra alfalfa pellets. I have one mare that always needs extra so she gets soaked beet pulp also.

 

[mini horse mania]

I am going to up the alfalfa pellets for her..this foal took a lot out of her.i have never had one appear to be at a good body weight and have a protruding backbone...i always assumed they had to be poor for that to happen. I am going to follow up in 18 days on the wormer to make sure that is not the problem as well.thank you everyone for the advice!!!

 

[chandab]

I am going to up the alfalfa pellets for her..this foal took a lot out of her.i have never had one appear to be at a good body weight and have a protruding backbone...i always assumed they had to be poor for that to happen. I am going to follow up in 18 days on the wormer to make sure that is not the problem as well.thank you everyone for the advice!!!

According to the nutritionist I've spoken to in the past...

If they are thin along their backbone and hips, they need more protein in their diet; if they are thin in the ribs they need more calories.

So, apparently, they can get enough calories (keep their ribs filled in), but not enough protein to keep their backbone filled in; and raising a baby could certainly fit that senerio with not enough protein to meet the needs of milk production. And, more alfalfa would certainly fill the bill for adding protein.

 

[Katiean]

My mare just foaled last Saturday. When we brought her in for foaling 5 days prior, she had no muscle tone and her shoulder was rather flat. To me she just looked under weight and in poor condition. She was on grass hay. When we got her in we started feeding her 2 cups dry (and added water) beet pulp per feeding along with her hay. I know it (beet pulp) really doesn't have much food value. It does however put weight on a mare. After she foaled, we started her on 2 cups a feeding of a 12% compleat textured feed. She has a ton of milk. She is putting on weight and baby is growing fine.