We have 2 mares in 3rd trimester of pregnancy that were brought to us because they had been seriously neglected. Both have been on fescue until this week. Vet estimated delivery around first of July. Is there any sort of supplement, herbal or otherwise, that may give them a better chance of having healthy foals and plenty of milk? Our finances are limited, and we want to do our best to help them, but have no horse experience whatsoever.
If the mares are skinny now, dont' over feed them to get their weight up until after they foal. Try to give them as much grass/hay as possible and a choice feed, not block mineral mix. If you get the pregnant mares weight up too fast, you feed the foal and make the foal too large for the mare. My vet when I bought a rescue mare in foal had me give her buckeye free choice mineral mix and lots of good grass hay. It worked for me and post foaling we were able to get her up with the grain/supplements. Shredded beet pulp works great.
Thanks for the tips. One of the mares is VERY skinny, but the other one looks fine. Did you give them any mare and foal feed before they foaled? Our vet has recommended this to supplement the hay.
We brought in a very very very skinny mare in foal, (due in 6 weeks from the time we recieved her. ) She was so skinny one could count her ribs from 200 feet away.
Our vet had us feed her free feed, both very high quality hay and also grains up to 20 lbs daily. He said that she would probably deliver as soon as she started putting on weight, and that he wanted her to deliver earlier, rather than later. I was concerned about feeding the foal too much in utero, and he assured me she woudl drop as it began gaining weight too quickly, since her condition was so poor. She had a foal two weeks later, (a month before she was due).} He was healthy except slow to suck, and as a three year old placed 10th at "Celebration" (the world show for Tennessee Walking Horses.
Stephanie, How are your mares doing? Did they ever foal? I have recently aquired two rescue mares also. One is in foal for next year and one the vet said could be any where from 7 to 9 mths along. he couldn't tell exactly because when he checked her he said that the foal is very under developed. I have no experience with mares. I've only owned geldings. I would really love to hear how your mares have come along.
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