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Re: [RC] feeding broodmares - Susan Garlinghouse, DVMpasture gets low but I always keep my pregnant mares on alfalfa. The vets here tell me that it provides the extra calcium they need and prevents colic due to its laxative effect. Hmmm, I'll agree that alfalfa can *sometimes* provide some laxative effect, but not sure I'd assign that quality across the board. But, I'm okay with broodmares getting alfalfa most of the time, although I still don't like it in excess of 50% of the total ration for any horse due to the work done up at Davis that observed that 98% of the horses admitted for enterolith surgery were on rations consisting of more than 50% alfalfa. There is some other data done in the Midwest (I think, would have to go look again) about babies fed alfalfa free choice past the age of six months, though. This particular study looked at ALD in free choice alfalfa horses versus those that got a third of their ration or less in alfalfa, and the differences were very significant. Much less DOD when the youngsters were limited in the amount of alfalfa they got. They have cautioned me about adding grain of ANY sort as, Hal's foals in particular, the foal can become too big for the mare due to the fact that most of the grain goes to the foal's development. I can't speak from experience here, except in my own foals, all three of them. <vbg> When I was doing my senior rotations, Iwe had some pretty extensive rounds discussions with CSU's equine repro guru whether mares and fetuses could get too big during gestation and his statement was that actual oversized foals is rarely a problem, unless there are additional factors like malformations and malpresentations. So, not to contradict your vet's advice, but my thoughts would be that your mares are efficient enough that they don't need the grain to maintain body condition themselves, which is fine. But there are huge differences in concentrates based on the supplemental mineral profiles, and depending on what you're feeding, grain alone could either greatly improve OR greatly disturb mineral profiles needed by the growing foal. If the mineral balance is a poor one, then the incidence of in utero malformation is a lot higher, and thus a much higher incidence of ALD problems in the foal once he's on the ground. JMO. also a couple of windswept foals and the vet attributed both to grain during gestation. Grain specifically, no. The minerals, vitamins and protein content inherent in the ration, which *included* the grain provided, yes. The vets did say to give the mare and foal alfalfa and 8 pounds each of mare and foal pellets/day after foaling--- just not before. I'm fine with 8 pounds a day of foal pellets after foaling---BUT, alot of horses that are sensitive to concentrates need a fair amount of time to get safely worked up to eight pounds a day. A lot of the reason I like starting mares on foal pellets during the third trimester is so they have plenty of time to slowly get used to concentrates well before the additional stress of foaling and lactation. Plus, alot of those initial minerals are much better stored in the foal's liver and later utilized when provided indirectly by the mare in utero, rather than later on in the feed bin. So, just my own paranoid preferences, though. :-)) So far I have had big healthy foals--- any comments on this feeding regime? Just those above---if you're current program is working for you and you have a nonexistent incidence of DOD, then don't fix what ain't broke. Oh, on the rare occasions the mare has become a little ribby > from a huge foal, I have to admit I have supplemented with Senior (but > not Purina--- a local one here that has 15% protein and some vitamins) just to keep her weight on but not make her hot. Same comment as above, if you're not seeing any problems whatsoever, it's okay by me. If I had a mare at your place in the same circumstances, my personal preference would probably lean towards a pound of Gro N' Win, some soaked beet pulp and some added fat of some sort. Or, the pound of Gro n' Win plus a few pounds of Nutrena Empower (balanced flax and rice bran). Has research lately dispelled the local vets' theories? Dispelled, nah. Just maybe added some new stuff to throw into the equation. You won't catching me outright contradicting Charlie Bowles for about another forty or fifty years. <g> BTW, I have a story for you about Charlie that I doubt he remembers. Years ago, I was in my first semester of undergrad pre-vet and I had a pregnant broodmare up in Santa Ynez waiting to foal. Charlie came out to see her and said it would be at least another week before she foaled. Sure enough, she foaled my little mare Katy late that night. I zipped up to see her and Charlie came out for her check-up. I asked what was up with his errors in prediction and his reply was that no other profession provides as many opportunities for looking like an idiot as does vet medicine. I'll bet he doesn't remember it, but I sure do! <g> Susan G =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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