b'NUTRITIONGive pregnant mares unlimited forage access, removing them from tall fescue ISTOCK.COMfields during their third trimester.foaling, and their foals have an increased risk of developing RationMares that maintain condition on forage alone nutritional-associated metabolic conditions later in life.balancermight not have sufficient vitamin and mineralintake and can benefit from a fortified rationTake-Home Messagebalancer. If BCS is a concern, look for low-intakeFor maximal health, welfare, and longevity, focus on:balancers with fewer calories.Accurately assessing a horses body weight and BCS; Ensuring the diet is balanced, in terms of all micro- and Salt Offer a salt block or top-dress feed. macronutrients, based on the horses phenotype (observable characteristics, e.g., easy vs. hard keeper), use, age, and under-Water Provide ad-lib. lying disease status; and Offering smaller, more frequent meals spread throughout the day, instead of only morning and evening meals, to avoid Most broodmares can maintain condition with the basicgastric issues such as ulcers and colic. maintenance recipe for about the first half of pregnancy. It is not until the fifth month that their energy requirements begin to skyrocket as the foal grows rapidly.The pregnant mare will gain The pregnant mare will gain approximately 12-15% of herapproximately 12-15% of her initial initial body weight during pregnancy, and by the final throes she requires approximately 20-22% more calories than what isbody weight during pregnancy.provided in her maintenance diet, Crandell says.DR. KATHLEEN CRANDELLAssess a broodmares condition about once weekly to make sure she maintains a BCS of 5-6 throughout gestation andactation.Offering unnecessary concentrates or nutritional supple-lBe aware that micronutrient requirements change markedlyments is not economical, can double up on certain macro- and during gestation. For example, pregnant broodmares requiremicronutrients, and lead to obesity, which is now recognized as additional vitamin A and E, as well as increased dietary calciuma true welfare issue, Crandell says.and phosphorus, at seven months. Copper and zinc needs alsoUnderstand common reasons for obesity, such as owner increase slightly at nine months.preference for overconditioned horses, lack of knowledge of ap-You can usually meet a mares protein requirements, whichpropriate BCS, improved pasture quality, the overuse of calorie-increase during pregnancy, with either ration balancers or con- dense feeds, and pasture overstocking that restricts unstructured centrate feeds, following manufacturer recommendations. exercise. Use the tips and tools in this article to optimize your Be careful not to overfeed this population, says Crandell.horses nutrition, and seek assistance from a veterinarian or Overweight broodmares have more difficulty conceiving afternutritionist if you encounter roadblocks along the way.h34December 2019The Horse|TheHorse.comNutrition_Dec USE.indd 34 10/30/19 4:03 PM'