Horses always require specific care, but that’s especially true when the horse is pregnant. Providing that specific care is exciting since it involves the promise of a new foal, but it’s also stressful to have the responsibility of two horses on your hands at once. Feeding your pregnant mare a balanced diet can help you become confident in your horse’s health—learn about three of the best foods you should include in the mare’s diet.
High-Quality Protein
Protein is always an important part of your horse’s diet. However, you must pay extra attention to protein when a horse is experiencing added physical demands. Working and pregnant horses need extra, high-quality protein since they’re expelling so much energy. The added protein is especially beneficial during the last three or four months of the mare’s pregnancy, during which the fetus grows the most.
Overfeeding your mare or providing too much protein before this point in the pregnancy can lead to obesity, which isn’t safe for the horse or her foal. Alfalfa and soybeans are two high-quality protein options that you can add to your horse’s diet during this time.
Minerals and Vitamins
Your pregnancy mare needs more minerals and vitamins as their pregnancy comes to term. The gestating mare needs these components to balance her metabolism as her body seeks to preserve its own nutrients. The foal fetus needs these minerals and vitamins in order to develop correctly. You can fulfill these dietary needs via your pasture, depending on the feed that makes up your pasture and its quality.
If you’re concerned that the pasture isn’t providing enough minerals and vitamins, you can add pelleted feed or chopped forage to their daily feedings. Feed stores understand the importance of proper nutrition for a pregnant mare as well, so they will typically provide this feed alongside standard feed.
High-Fiber Pasture
A high-quality pasture will provide your pregnant mare and other horses with the protein and fiber they need on a daily basis. Pregnant mares will simply eat more in order to take in the additional protein and fiber they need. Providing your pregnant mare with a high-fiber pasture during her pregnancy will help keep her gastrointestinal tract healthy, which contributes to a healthy pregnancy. If you’re unsure of the protein or fiber quality of your pasture, you can test it and make any necessary changes to improve it for your horses.
Some of the best foods to feed your pregnant mares will come from your pasture, which should provide excellent protein and fiber. You may need to invest in specialty feeds for your pregnant mares to make sure they’re getting the supplements they need for a healthy pregnancy. Before you know it, you should have a healthy mama and foal happily grazing in your pasture.
