Late Pregnancy & Preparing for Foaling
Colin Mitchell BVM&S CertEP MRCVS
Hexham
Content
• Mare nutrition• Routine care• Vaccinations• Preparations for
foaling
Definitions
• Mare in foal for 11 months
• Gestation = pregnancy = in foal
• Lactation / lactating – mare feeding foal
• Womb = uterus
Mare Nutrition
• By 7 months of gestation – foetus 17% of birth weight
• 60% birth weight in last 3 months
• Total weight gain at full term – 10 – 12 %
• Foal birth weight approx 8 – 10 %
• Average TB mare 500 kg (not in foal)
• Average TB foal 45 kg
Mare Requirement
Early – mid gestation
• Early demands insignificant but not unimportant
• Good quality pasture may meet energy and protein requirements
• Need general mineral supplement
Early – mid gestation
• Little / no conc feed required unless :
1. Lactating
2. Pasture / hay quality or quantity declines
• Do not suddenly increase or decrease the mares intake
Exercise
• Can ride quietly and safely up to 6 / 7 months
• Healthy pregnant mare benefits from natural free exercise up to and including last few days
• Little proven risk from natural movement
Late gestation
• From 7 months – feed small, but increasing amount of conc to diet
• Last 3 months, energy demand increases :
9th month : 10 %
10th month : 15 %
11th month : 20 %
• Space restrictions
Space Restrictions
Late gestation
• Average 550 – 600 kg TB mare in last month of pregnancy, receives:
1. concentrate
2. ad lib pasture / hay / haylage
Which Concentrate feed ?
• Ca & Pr : Energy• Differ from
maintenance to pregnancy & lactation
• Commercially available conc mixesdesigned for the purpose are advantageous
Late gestation
• Forage quality – monitor & feed as appropriate
• Beware of starving if obese and overfeeding if lean
• No sea-weed
Nutrition - complexities
• Grain based diet raises blood glucose and insulin for 4 – 6 hours
• Feeding 1 – 2 high starch meals daily ??
• Surges / changes in insulin, growth hormone, glucose and thyroid hormone
• Developmental orthopaedic disease
Source of energy
• Fibre and oil based diets reduce these hormone fluctuations
• May reduce incidence of DOD
Feeding oil
• Concentrated source of energy
• 2 ¼ times the energy of carbohydrates
• Horses digest well – no temperament problems
• Introduce gradually
• Remember the ‘100 rule’
The 100 rule
• Do not exceed 100ml veg oil per 100kg bodyweight
• For every 100ml fed – supplement 100iu vitamin E
Farriery
• Routine trimming every 6 weeks
• Have re-shod if usually shod
• Try not to attempt anything new
• Check ingredients of any hoof supplements
• Sedatives ???
Dental Care
• Routine rasping – every 6 – 12months
• Fibre very important dietary constituent
• Careful handling• Care with sedatives
Worming Strategy
• Should have one in place already
• Most quite safe – check check labellabel
• Care with handling
• Good worming + good dental care
=> Efficient use of good quality fibre
Vaccinations
• Tetanus – a priority
• Influenza
• Herpes Virus ( EHV )
Tetanus
• Primary course : 2 injections 4-6 weeks
• Boosters : yearly / other year
• Repeat booster 4-6 weeks prior to foaling
• Tetanus anti-toxin often given to mare and foal on first day additionally
Antibody level
Time
booster booster
Antibody level
Time
booster booster
F
F
Influenza
• Usually combined with tetanus
• If programme up to date - ?continue
• Not usually required by foal at an early age
Herpes Virus ( EHV )
• 75% of all horses carriers
• Very widespread• Highly contagious• Viral recrudescence
EHV – disease syndromes
1. Respiratory disease
2. Abortion
3. Neonatal foal disease
4. Paralytic form – uncommon
5. Sexually Transmitted Disease
Equine Abortion
Cord abnormalities 46%
Placental abnormalities 25%
Foetal abnormalities 18%
EHV 6%
Twinning 3%
Maternal illness 2%
EHV - vaccination
• Given at 5, 7 & 9 months of pregnancy
• Offers protection against abortion
• Can be used to reduce level of EHV in environment
• Yard situation ??
Colostrum
Foal needs colostrum for :
1. Warmth
2. Energy
3. Laxative
4. Immune system – protection from environmental “bugs”
As foaling approaches
• Mare – needs to be in foaling environment at least 3 weeks prior to foaling
• Caslicks removal
• 15’ x 15’ box – thick straw bed
• Overhead light
• Tail bandage
• Wash & dry rear end & hind limbs of mare with warm water
• CCTV
• Emergency numbers
• Clean towels
• Antibiotic spray
