How much hay should I Feed my miniature horses?
A feeding guide for miniatures is approximately 1.5% of their body weight in hay daily (200lbs = 3 pounds of hay per day). If you’re showing them or they are in foal they will require more hay (3% of their body weight). It’s best to avoid coarse hay because it’s hard on their digestive system.
What do you feed a dry pregnant mare?
Dry mares in early gestation can basically be fed like any other mature, idle horse. Good quality pasture or hay along with a supplement such as Purina ® Free Balance 12:12 vitamin/mineral supplement or Enrich Plus ® Ration Balancing horse feed may be all that is necessary to meet these mares’ nutritional requirements.
What is the best feed for my horse’s health?
Good quality pasture or hay along with a supplement such as Purina ® Free Balance 12:12 vitamin/mineral supplement or Enrich Plus ® Ration Balancing horse feed may be all that is necessary to meet these mares’ nutritional requirements.
How do I care for a pregnant horse?
With a little TLC, your mare should progress through her pregnancy without mishap. Proper nutrition, deworming, exercise and vaccinations will help ensure a healthy pregnancy, and you can look forward to the birth of your foal with greater confidence. The earliest days of an embryo's existence are perhaps the most precarious.
What do you feed a pregnant mini mare?
Dry mares in early gestation can basically be fed like any other mature, idle horse. Good quality pasture or hay along with a supplement such as Purina® Free Balance 12:12 vitamin/mineral supplement or Enrich Plus® Ration Balancing horse feed may be all that is necessary to meet these mares' nutritional requirements.
What should pregnant horses not eat?
Salt, water, and fescue. One type of hay or pasture to avoid is fescue, which is often infected with an endophyte that causes problems in pregnant mares, including prolonged gestation, difficult delivery, and lack of milk.
How do you take care of a pregnant miniature horse?
Follow your normal feeding and exercise program for the mare. Continue your normal worming program, but ensure your wormer is safe for unborn foals. Avoid wormer with moxidectin. Arrange a second pregnancy test at five months to be sure the pregnancy is continuing and no internal problems have developed.
What does a pregnant horse need?
Pregnant mares need adequate daily exercise in a paddock or pasture, and any horses kept together should be compatible, which helps to reduce stress. Vaccinations and deworming should be done before the mare is bred, with no vaccinations given during the first 90 days of gestation.
Is alfalfa good for pregnant mares?
The short answer is yes, it is perfectly acceptable to feed your mares alfalfa hay. If the hay is moderate quality or better, your mares will likely have no trouble maintaining their weight.
How much grain does a pregnant mare need?
During late gestation, the mare's diet should be gradually increased to 15 to 20 lb of good quality hay, plus 6 to 8 lb of concentrate feed, such as a Mare and Foal type grain.
How long is a miniature horse pregnant for?
approximately 11 monthsEquine Gestation Miniature ponies, and all other breeds of horses, typically carry their foals for approximately 11 months. The average miniature horse mare will carry her foal for around 330 days before giving birth. The actual length of pregnancy can vary between 320 days and 380 days.
Do mini horses have trouble foaling?
Foaling is generally more difficult in miniatures than in full-size horses. The small size of the mare does not allow for much manipulation and the potential for malformations, especially of the head (above), neck and forelegs of the foal, can make deliveries challenging.
When should you worm a pregnant mare?
Pregnant mares should be administered ivermectin or a benzimidazole 1–3 days before foaling to prevent lactogenic transmission of Strongyloides westeri, which can cause diarrhea in young foals.
How much alfalfa should a pregnant mare have?
Alfalfa should never be fed exclusively (due to potential mineral imbalances). Instead, strive for a 60:40 ratio of grass hay to alfalfa hay. The fetus gains one pound per day during the final three gestational months. Hay alone will not meet all the mare's caloric needs.
Can pregnant horses eat apples?
Almost any fruits, and many vegetables, are safe treats for healthy horses. Apples and carrots are traditional favorites.
How much alfalfa should a pregnant mare have?
Alfalfa should never be fed exclusively (due to potential mineral imbalances). Instead, strive for a 60:40 ratio of grass hay to alfalfa hay. The fetus gains one pound per day during the final three gestational months. Hay alone will not meet all the mare's caloric needs.
When should I feed my pregnant mare?
For the first seven or eight months of pregnancy, the mare requires no increase in levels of energy fed. She does, however, need sufficient intake of high-quality feedstuffs to maintain moderate body condition. be provided via a compound feed, a balancer pellet or a vitamin and mineral supplement.
Is beet pulp good for pregnant mares?
Nonetheless, mares late in pregnancy are frequently offered additional energy in the form of concentrated feeds, such as those containing oats, soybean, barley, corn, beet pulp, stabilized rice bran, and other feedstuffs.
What to feed a dry mare?
Dry mares in early gestation can basically be fed like any other mature, idle horse. Good quality pasture or hay along with a supplement such as Purina ® Free Balance 12:12 vitamin/mineral supplement or Enrich Plus ® Ration Balancing horse feed may be all that is necessary to meet these mares’ nutritional requirements.
When does Mare's milk retain minerals?
During the tenth month of gestation the greatest amount of mineral retention occurs in the unborn foal. Mare’s milk is practically devoid of trace minerals that are essential for proper bone development, such as copper.
Why is it important to lactate a mare?
Plus, lactating mares need a great deal of energy to support optimal milk production. This means that late gestation is the last good opportunity to get a thin mare in good shape for supplying milk for the suckling foal, as well as preparing for the next breeding season.
Why is winter so difficult for pregnant mares?
Winter, with its sometimes extreme weather, poses some nutritional challenges for pregnant mares because this is the transition time from mid to late gestation.
Can foals have weak foals?
It is not uncommon to see fat mares have small, weak foals when the mares’ diets are adequate in calories but low in quality protein sources.
Does a mare need more hay?
The increased size of the fetus also takes up more room in the mare’s body cavity, resulting in the mare eating less hay or forage.
How to keep a miniature horse healthy?
Good nutrition is an important part of keeping your miniature horse healthy and happy. Be sure to feel your horse’s body on a weekly basis, especially in the winter, to be sure he is not getting too fat or too thin. Provide your mini with good quality, soft hay at least twice a day.
What is the best way to care for a miniature horse?
Dental care is vitally important to the welfare of your miniature horse. Design a parasite control program with your vet so the feed you put in your mini benefits him, not his unwanted guests! With these guidelines and the help of your vet, your mini can be a healthy partner and friend for many years.
How to get shine in horse coat?
Supplemental fat. Flax seed is a great supplement to put a shine in your horse’s coat. Buy a package of ground flax seed at the health food store and feed 1 level teaspoon mixed into the grain at one of the feedings every day. Do not give any other type of oil, such as corn oil, while giving flax seed.
What is the most important ingredient in a horse's diet?
Hay or forage is the most important ingredient in a horse’s diet. Every horse needs at least 1 percent of its body weight or 50 percent of total intake in good quality forage. Use a weight tape to estimate your horse’s weight or weigh the animal on a livestock scale. Buy enough bales of green, alfalfa-grass mixed hay or good quality grass hay ...
How often should miniature horses have their teeth examined?
Dental problems are fairly common in miniatures because their teeth are very large for their small jaws — nearly the same size as a full sized horse’s teeth! Like larger horses, miniature horses should have their teeth examined by a veterinarian or equine dentist at least once a year.
What is a good forage for horses?
Good quality forage is the mainstay of a horse’s diet, but horses may also need a grain mix (concentrate) to supplement their energy requirements as well as help balance for other nutrients such as protein, vitamins and minerals. When selecting a concentrate, make sure it is designed for your horse’s age, workload and production status.
What is the best way to get a horse to drink?
Trace mineral salt. Providing a trace mineral salt block will encourage your horse to drink and will replace electrolytes lost through sweating. Trace mineral salt will also provide the macro- and microminerals required to keep your horse healthy.
What do you feed a miniature horse?
Feeding the Miniature Horse. Regardless of their size, all equines have the same basic nutritional needs. Each animal must consume enough water, forage, and (possibly) grain to meet the requirements of growth, tissue repair, reproduction, exercise, and maintenance of all body systems. Factors such as body size, age, breed, work, climate, ...
Why are miniature horses easy keepers?
Miniature horses tend to be easy keepers, meaning that they seem to maintain or increase their weight on limited forage and little or no grain.
What are the factors that affect the amount of hay a horse needs?
Factors such as body size, age, breed, work, climate, health status, and metabolism affect the type and amount of hay, pasture, and grain a particular horse should be given. Because very little research has been done on the specific requirements of Miniature horses, feeding recommendations must be based on standards for other equines tempered by ...
How to determine how much hay to give a horse?
Deciding how much hay, grass, and grain to provide a mature Miniature horse involves, as a first step, an estimation of body condition. This is most easily determined not by looking at the belly, which may appear large even in an underweight horse, but by observing the ribs, spine, and fat deposits. For a horse in moderate condition, the ribs ...
How much does a miniature horse weigh?
In a study conducted by Kentucky Equine Research (KER), 49 Miniature horses (mares, geldings, and stallions between the ages of 1 and 12) had an average weight of 213 pounds, and fewer than 15% of these animals weighed as much as 250 pounds. The study found that owners of Miniature horses commonly over- or underestimated the weight ...
What are the basic needs of equines?
Regardless of their size, all equines have the same basic nutritional needs. Each animal must consume enough water, forage, and (possibly) grain to meet the requirements of growth, tissue repair, reproduction, exercise, and maintenance of all body systems. Factors such as body size, age, breed, work, climate, health status, ...
How much grain should I feed my mini?
Many Miniature owners, who measure feed by the cup or half-cup, would agree that a full-grown Mini’s grain ration should not exceed 1 pound per day, and as little as half a pound per day is often adequate.
Why do people get miniature horses?
A lot of people get miniature horses because they are easy to manage, they’re cute, they eat less and they don’t require as much room as a big horse. It’s very important to educate yourself on miniature horse care so that you can keep them healthy and happy. Miniature horses do have different needs than big horses when it comes to their care.
Why are miniature horses more prone to colic than big horses?
They are more prone to colic because of their hearty appetite and predisposition for dental problems. Miniatures tend to have more problems with their teeth because they have the same size and number of teeth as a big horse packed into ...
Is a miniature horse healthy?
If you’re determined to vaccinate your miniature make sure they are healthy. Read the vaccination label, the first thing it says is “For Vaccination of healthy horses”. A miniature with laminitis, pneumonia, strangles, WNV etc is not healthy!
Can miniature horses live a long life?
They can get a lot of things trapped in the heavy hair coat. Your miniature horse can live a long healthy life and a lot of potential problems can be avoided by providing the proper care and feeding they require.
Can you feed a miniature horse alfalfa?
Feeding The Miniature Horse. They are prone to obesity and most owners tend to overfeed them. Feeding a miniature horse sweet feed or high amounts of alfalfa is one of the worst things you could do. Now I know some people will say I feed my mini alfalfa and have not had a problem.
How old are miniature horses when they are pregnant?
Mini Horse Breeding and Pregnancy. Breeding The Mini Horse. A miniature horse stallion is sexually mature sometime between two to five years of age. Mares. are fertile by the time they are two. Breeders frequently wait until their miniature horse mare is 3 years old, because she has reached. her full growth by then.
What should a mare be kept at during gestation?
The mare should be kept at a normal weight during gestation, not underweight or obese. During the last trimester the foal is growing rapidly which means the mare needs to eat more. Her. forage or hay can be decreased and concentrates increased to make sure the foal's needs are.
How to introduce a stallion to a mare?
Stallions can be introduced to the mare or mares in the pasture. Write down the date he was. placed in the pasture with the mares. Watch to see that he is not being too aggressive with the. mares. In order to know the date the foal will be born, it is best introduce the stallion to one mare at a. time.
Why is hand breeding important?
Hand breeding gives more control over the behavior and safety of the horses. This is. especially true with maiden mares that may become frightened by the stallion's advances. The. breeding records will be more precise with individual breeding, rather than pasture breeding. Gestation.
What happens during labor in horses?
Labor. At the beginning of labor, muscle contractions begin and the horse becomes restless. She may bite. at her sides from the pain, swish her tail, pace, lie down and get up repeatedly, sweat, and urinate.
When should a mare be dewormed?
During the last month, the mare should receive a tetanus toxoid shot. Deworming. The mare should be dewormed in the last month of gestation, and she be kept under a regular. deworming program since parasites are a major health threat to all horses. Not all dewormers are.
When should a mare get a tetanus shot?
ninth months, and be kept up to date on all her regular vaccinations such as tetanus, sleeping. sickness, West Nile, and rabies. During the last month, the mare should receive a tetanus toxoid shot.
Create a free account with TheHorse.com to view this content
TheHorse.com is home to thousands of free articles about horse health care. In order to access some of our exclusive free content, you must be signed into TheHorse.com. Start your free account today!
About The Author
Nancy S. Loving, DVM, owns Loving Equine Clinic in Boulder, Colorado, and has a special interest in managing the care of sport horses. Her book, All Horse Systems Go, is a comprehensive veterinary care and conditioning resource in full color that covers all facets of horse care.
How to help a mare get pregnant?
Relax. With a little TLC, your mare should progress through her pregnancy without mishap. Proper nutrition, deworming, exercise and vaccinations will help ensure a healthy pregnancy, and you can look forward to the birth of your foal with greater confidence.
How to prepare foaling mare for 11 months?
Your eleven-month waiting game will be over before you know it. To prepare, brush up on your foaling knowledge with the companion AAEP educational brochure, The Foaling Mare and Newborn. Your veterinarian will be happy to supply it and will also be able to answer any further questions you may have about caring for your expectant mare.
How long after ovulation can a mare have a baby?
However, because of the embryo's uncertain beginning, it may be wise to have the pregnancy reconfirmed between 45 to 90 days post-ovulation since this is the time period when resorption is most likely. A mare confirmed in foal by ultrasonography at 14 days and/or 30 days will not necessarily still have a fetus 10 months later.
How long does it take for a mare to conceive?
When the mare conceives, the fertilized egg (zygote) travels down the fallopian tubes and enters the uterus around day six to seven. It migrates throughout the uterus until about day 16 and typically “sticks” onto the uterine wall at 16 to 17 days.
How long does it take for a mare to come back after breeding?
For practical reasons, some breeding farms simply tease the mare 14 to 20 days after her last breeding date to see if she comes back into estrus (heat). If she does not, the pregnancy and its heartbeat may then be detected by ultrasound.
What is an expectant mare?
Expectant Mare: Assuring the Health and Well-Being of the Pregnant Mare. We often think of pregnancy as a delicate and fragile condition. When it comes to horses, this perception is perhaps due to the mare's relatively poor reproductive performance in comparison to other domestic animals. However, in a natural setting, ...
What happens to a mare's embryos in the first 30 days?
During the first 30 days, there is a 10 to 15 percent chance that the embryo will be resorbed. Stress, illness, uterine infection, hormonal abnormalities, the presence of twins and other factors have been implicated in early embryonic loss. Often, the cause remains undetermined. When the mare conceives, the fertilized egg (zygote) ...
