About 80% of foal growth occurs in the last 4 months of pregnancy so it is vital to ensure that the mare and foal are receiving adequate nutrition.

From about 9 months gestation onwards, the mare’s requirements for vitamins and minerals significantly increases as the foal builds up a body store of the minerals for birth. This is because foals rely on their body store of vitamins and minerals in order to maintain growth until they are able to graze and absorb the nutrients for themselves. If the mare loses condition rapidly, while unlikely to affect the size of the foal during the late stages of pregnancy, it can affect her ability to safely give birth and will also reduce her ability to lactate, reducing the growth of the foal after birth.

If you are ever unsure, it is always a good idea to contact an equine nutritionist or your vet in order to create a feeding plan that best suits the needs of your pregnant mare and foal.

Genetic Testing: Practical Horse Genetics

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