Question
I own a Welsh/Thoroughbred pony broodmare. She’s 14 hands with the metabolism of a sloth. She’s entering the final few months of her first pregnancy, and she still looks great, with a condition score of 7 on free-choice high-quality grass hay topped off with a balancer pellet. This is the same diet she was on when she was a show pony, being hauled every week to a new venue for years and years. Maintaining weight then was never a problem either. The question is this: what do I feed her as she heads into these calorie-draining few months? If, by chance, she drops weight while nursing, what can I do to increase calories?
Answer
Knowledge of this mare’s nutritional history will serve you well as you work to meet her needs in the coming months. From your description, it seems the mare has always been an easy keeper, regardless of the situation she’s in—from performance pony to broodmare.
As a starting point, given the information you provided, the mare can remain on her current diet as long as she is being fed the balancer pellet at the level recommended by the manufacturer, as the balancer pellet will provide essential nutrients missing from forage.
Most broodmares should be kept in moderate to fleshy weight (that’s a body condition score of 5 to 7). If your mare finds lactation especially draining on her energy reserves, you can increase calories numerous ways:
- Boost forage quality. The mare is currently being fed grass hay, so if more calories are needed, a legume hay, such as alfalfa or clover, could be added. Legumes typically contain more calories than grasses.
- Add a concentrate. Choose a feed formulated for broodmares, and feed at a rate that complements the mare’s energy needs. Pinpointing just how much to feed might require some give-and-take until the right amount is determined. Continue feeding the balancer pellet at an appropriate rate based on feed intake. For example, if the mare consumes half of the feed recommended by the feed manufacturer, continue to feed half of the balancer pellet.
- Supplement with a source of fat. Vegetable oil (canola oil, soybean oil) and stabilized rice bran will add calories to the mare’s ration through fat. Most horses find these supplements palatable, and they can be mixed in with the balancer pellet.
- Pasture contribution. As winter transitions to spring, pasture may be available to the mare, and, depending on quality, pasture could increase calorie consumption significantly.
Evaluating your mare’s body condition every week or so over the next several months will help you notice any changes in her weight. Avoid drive-by assessments, especially during winter months, when a thick winter coat can hide protruding ribs. Use your hands to feel for fat accumulation. Record your findings on your phone or in a journal in case you need to reference them in the future.
