Broodmare Nutrition Horse Course Now Available
When creating a feeding
When creating a feeding program for broodmares, it’s important to remember that the mare is eating for two; you must consider the nutritional requirements of the foal, in addition to those of the mare. In TheHorse.com’s newest Horse Course video installment, “Broodmare Nutrition,” Laurie Lawrence, PhD, of the University of Kentucky Department of Animal and Food Sciences, and Stephen Jackson, PhD, of Bluegrass Equine Nutrition, discuss nutrition for the broodmare and the developing foal, and how to work with your veterinarian to create a feeding program to meet their needs.
Lawrence says, “The mare is not just the vessel for the foal, but she is a pretty important contributor to the development of that foal. We know that foals achieve 60-65% of their final height before birth. When we think about bone development, the gestation period is really important.”
Jackson suggests nutritional program options for broodmares. He focuses mainly on supplying the mare’s energy needs, but also covers her protein, vitamin, mineral, and water requirements.
This year TheHorse.com has partnered with the University of Kentucky’s Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center and the Department of Veterinary Sciences to bring you the latest in equine research in each month via these online Horse Courses. Before this partnership began, the information was limited to those audience members who could attend the presentations in person.
“Unlike a typical research seminar that deals with an overly focused aspect of the problem, or a clinical presentation that emphasizes diagnosis and treatment, we combine each aspect into a singular presentation that in one hour’s time highlights the most important aspects of the particular topic,” said Dr. David Horohov, William Robert Mills Chair in Equine Immunology and faculty member at the University of Kentucky’s Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center.
Horohov, along with Dr. Craig Carter, director of the university’s Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center, created the original seminar series and selects the speakers for each seminar.
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