The advice for horses is carry on as usual
prior to foaling until the body tells you
otherwise. The foal is a relatively small
burden until the final stages of
pregnancy. When the mare starts to develop
the characteristic dropped belly and
swinging movement she is ready to slow down.
Before they were domesticated and in the
wild horses experienced a long steady low
impact type of activity with no aerobic
exertion like galloping or high impact
activity like jumping. So don't put to much
stress on your in-foal mare. The mare's
centre of gravity shifts backwards to the
rear of the body and more strain is placed
on the body as the mare grows in weight.
Additional stress is placed on joints,
ligaments and tendons so increasing the risk
of injury. In the final week before foaling
the mare's pelvic ligaments start to relax
in preparation for the birth. At this point
she is prone to injury and not suitable for
riding.
1. After Birth. A return to gentle
activity after the foal is born is advised
provided both mother and foal are in good
health and they should be turned out for as
long as possible if the weather is
suitable. Many mares lose condition quickly
if they are not fed and cared for
appropriately. Lactating takes a lot out of
a mare. If she is coping well you can work a
mare but allow her to remain in sight of her
un-weaned foal so that the foal avoids upset
or risk of an injury. Getting your mare
gently back into shape should be preceded by
a check up of her back and pelvis which have
undergone a lot of strain during pregnancy.
2. Food & Nutrition. Avoid
feeding your mare a nutritionally rich feed
as soon as she becomes pregnant. Broodmares
require very little extra until the last
three months before foaling. If a mare gets
too fat she may be at risk of getting
laminitis. Stud feeds are nutritionally
balanced for both your mare and her foal
until weaning. Cutting back on stud feed
because your mare is overweight may induce a
vitamin or mineral deficiency in both the
mare and her foal unless remedied by the
addition of a suitable supplement. In most
cases it's a good idea to keep the hard feed
going until weaning. Thoroughbred foals can
gain up to 1kg of body weight everyday.
Providing the necessary milk takes it out of
a mare. However, the requirements of native
ponies is a lot less. After weaning the mare
may return to her normal diet.
