The team found that both cortisol and insulin were present in mare’s milk, with especially high levels in colostrum. Lawrence believes this could indicate that there are other hormones or growth factors in colostrum. | Photo: Photos.com

During the 2017 University of Kentucky (UK) Equine Showcase, Laurie Lawrence, PhD, professor in the department of animal and food sciences at UK, gave a talk regarding the equine neonatal diet and some recent foal nutrition research she and her team have conducted.

She recognized contributions made by several collaborators, including Morgan Pyles and Susan Hayes, of UK’s Department of Animal and Food Sciences, and Michael Flythe, PhD, of the USDA Agricultural Research Services unit, located on UK’s campus.

A new foal’s diet consists mostly of milk, Lawrence said. Recently, she and colleagues completed a preliminary study in which they analyzed mare’s milk content. They obtained milk samples from 16 Thoroughbred mares within an hour of foaling, approximately 24 hours after foaling, and approximately three days post-foaling, and analyzed the samples’ insulin and cortisol content