Ensuring a Good Start for Your Foal

Whether your goal is to obtain an edge in the show ring, produce a superior athlete for working or racing, or simply to raise a healthy, problem-free companion that requires minimal veterinary care over its lifetime, it is important to recognize that the ultimate success depends upon proper mare and foal care. Care of the rapidly growing young foal, through proper vaccination, deworming, and nutrition programs as well as exercise management and a watchful eye on the musculoskeletal, nervous and immune systems all influence the makings of your great horse. Through our genetic selections we have hopes and expectations of what we want our foal to be able to accomplish down the road. We would like to briefly touch on some of the nutritional aspects to consider when raising that "super foal", and touch on how important nutrition is to achieving those goals.

The beginning of any superhorse does not begin at birth, but at conception. The care of the gestating mare during those eleven months plays a huge role in the foundation of the foal. We want to make sure we are providing the mare with enough nutrients for her needs as well as those of the developing fetus. Protein and energy needs are visually easy to address as we watch the condition of the mare. While we don't want to allow the mare to get overly thin during gestation, we also need to closely watch that she doesn’t get overly fat as obese mares will have more foaling issues than ones that are in good body condition. Adjust grain rations according to the condition of the mare, not necessarily by the directions of the feed tag. Provide a good quality forage source. The forage source for the pregnant mare should be a good quality grass/legume mix, mold and dust free. If the forage source is all grass, it will be necessary to supplement calcium in the diet to ensure a 2:1 calcium:phosphorous ratio. You can do this by adding some calcium carbonate to the diet, or using alfalfa pellets or cubes as a supplemental forage source. This will help ensure normal structural development of the foal. If the forage source has a high alfalfa concentration, and is fed free choice, the mare could gain too much and develop obesity issues. A forage analysis is highly recommended to know exactly the nutrient density being provided and where supplementation may be needed. Many mares require very little grain especially early in gestation and when they have ready access to pasture and/or moderate quality forage to maintain a good body condition. However, in this scenario it is highly likely that their vitamin and trace mineral requirements are not being met, so it is important to add a vitamin/mineral supplement to protect against nutrient deficiency. The developing fetus will take the nutrients it needs for development, and if they are not readily available, they will be pulled from the mares body stores, which can then become depleted. If the mare is already deficient (fairly common in older mares that have had multiple foals), the fetus will have deficiencies and not develop properly.

The third trimester is very demanding for the gestating mare as the foal is developing very rapidly. Her nutritional requirements are at their highest, and will continue to be so through early lactation. It is critical to provide a balanced diet with complete vitamin mineral fortification. Remember, exercise is also very important for the gestating mare and her growing foal.

Once the foal is born it will need a "new foal" exam by your veterinarian to ensure normal development and to determine that sufficient colostrum has been ingested to obtain optimal antibody levels. Colostrum is the all important "first milk" that the foal must get within 24 hours of birth for proper absorption of antibodies. Your vet will perform an IgG test to determine the foal's antibody status. They will also ensure that the foal is urinating and defecating normally, is nursing, and has no major defects.

Now the mare's nutrient requirements really increase! Her feed intake will nearly double that of her gestation diet as she provides milk for her rapidly growing foal. Proper nutrition helps ensure an adequate quantity and quality milk supply. We suggest using a weight tape on the foal at monthly intervals to monitor rate of gain. Foals that gain too rapidly are candidates for developmental orthopedic disease, and those that don't gain enough may not be receiving adequate nutrition from their mother's milk. If your foal gains in excess of 2# of weight per day, they are candidates for early weaning (3 months) so that you may take complete control of their diet. They should be fed a low carbohydrate concentrate and lots of roughage. As we slow the growth rate, it is critical to ensure that we are meeting 100% of the vitamin/mineral requirements to ensure normal development and formation of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. Those foals that gain less than 1# per day may require supplemental feed in the form of a creep ration. Consult your veterinarian or equine nutrition specialist.

As with the mare's diet, if the forage for your foal consists of mainly grass pasture or hay, supplemental calcium will be needed to correct the Calcium:Phosphorous ratio. In terms of the grain ration, recent research on causes of Developmental Orthopedic Disease (DOD) has shown that the onset of this disease can be linked to high carbohydrate intake which results in lowered forage intake. These high carbohydrate levels trigger a higher glycemic response in the animal, which can lead to the onset of the condition known as DOD, among other problems. So it is important to provide a good quality, low carbohydrate concentrate in the smallest amount possible, along with a good quality mixed forage and a quality vitamin/mineral source. If additional calories are needed for body condition, supplemental fat is an excellent source as 1# of a 20% fat source such as Rice Bran equals the same calories as 3-4 pounds of a grain source, allowing for increased forage consumption. This keeps the digestive tract in good condition, reduces the risk of colic, produces optimal growth & development, and reduces boredom that can lead to vices.

You have made a considerable investment of time, finances and mental anguish as you plan and await the arrival of your "superhorse". Make sure you give the nutritional aspect of your management program as much thought and attention to detail as you do your vaccination/deworming protocol, training schedule and techniques, and planned future use of the foal. Remember, balanced nutrition is best used as a preventive health tool instead of a treatment program after an issue has developed.