PG . 32
AQHA HORSE HEALTH
Too much energy and not enough minerals during pregnancy affects the health of the mare and the wellbeing of the neonatal foal . Nutrition must support growth of the foetal foal before birth , and milk production after birth . The diet needs to be fine-tuned before and after foaling to match these very different demands .
LAMINITIS The diet of the pregnant mare affects her risk for several clinical conditions , including laminitis and equine metabolic syndrome ( EMS ), osteoporosis , and colic before and after birth . Broodmares are at particular risk for laminitis . This is because of changes in glucose and insulin dynamics ( similar to pregnancy diabetes which affects up to 60 % of women and 43 % of pregnant bitches ). At around 28 weeks gestation , pregnant mares experience a decrease in insulin sensitivity ie they become ‘ insulinresistant ’. This is an evolutionary adaptation that ensures glucose and other nutrients are not taken up by the mare , but are redirected and diverted to nourish the growing foal .
Previous episodes of laminitis ( which often go undetected ), stress , excess body condition , Cushings , high-sugar pasture and starchy cubes or sweet feeds (> 12 % non-structural carbohydrate NSC ) have an additive effect and increase the risk of pregnancyassociated laminitis . Retained placenta is a further risk . Strategies for the management of pregnant mares include preventing excess body weight and condition through diet and exercise , good hoof care ( regular trimming and ensuring nutrients such as biotin and methionine are in the feed ) and prompt treatment of retained placenta . The additive effects of obesity and pregnancy underlie many cases of laminitis in pregnant mares . The tension and load on the hoof are huge as mares gain weight during pregnancy , especially if the mare has had multiple pregnancies . Weight management before breeding and during pregnancy by avoiding high-starch feeds , pasture when it ’ s high in sugar ( Table 3 ) and allowing exercise during pregnancy can avert potential laminitis attacks . These measures are increasingly important as mares age .
Diets high in fibre and oil are recommended for broodmares and vets and owners must work together to manage obesity . If information is not available on a feed bag , its worth contacting the manufacturer for NSC , starch and sugar levels .
For the late pregnant mare , nutrition also influences milk supply – overnutrition can lead to ‘ running milk ’ before she foals and loss of the vital colostrum – fertility , ovulation and cycling post-foaling and the risk of pre- and post-foaling colics ( especially large colon volvulus ). For the foal , nutrition of the pregnant mare influences quality of the colostrum , the incidence of developmental orthopaedic diseases ( DOD ) – angular limb deformities are more common in foals from fatter mares and the starch and sugar in mares diets affect the risk of osteochondrosis in foals after birth .
Management of broodmares with EMS , PPID ( Cushings ), or obesity may include grazing muzzles or limited pasture access . Plant sugar levels rise through the day , peaking mid-afternoon until sunset . Grazing should be limited to between 3am and 11am before sugar levels increase due to photosynthesis . Some mares cannot tolerate any pasture and should be fed soaked lucerne and grassy hay with a friend for company , added salt and a well-formulated vitamin , mineral , protein supplement .
MINERALS NEEDED FOR MARES AND UNBORN FOALS CALCIUM Pasture meets most of the energy needs of pregnant mares except for salt , vitamins , minerals and , unless the pasture includes legumes , calcium . Pasture analyses from Australia and New Zealand studs and farms report pasture protein levels are often below the minimum recommended for pregnant and lactating mares . A large proportion of pastures had lower than recommended concentrations of sodium , copper and zinc . And , importantly , calcium was also below levels
www . jenquine . com
AUSTRALIAN QUARTER HORSE ASSOCIATION - WWW . AQHA . COM . AU