HELP please....... What do I feed a in foal mare in awful condition...

cariadssogreat

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As many of you are probably aware I was a total sucker and bought a complete sob story at the begining of august. Namely a 18 year old native mare who is heavily in foal although we do not know when she is due. To complicate things even further she is totally wild and actually has a fear of people. When I say totally wild - she really really is.
She is basically a hat rack - apart from her belly. All her spine etc is very prominent. Condition score is probably 1!
She is out 24/7 - to try and avoid any stress. So she has access to reasonable grass. She has 3 feeds a day of sugar beet , molichaff, and pony nuts. Now obviously this is not conditioning feed - but I didn't want to overload her system as prior to this she had never experienced feed! I still don't want to go mad as she could easily be over done I think - but what should I try - I really don't think she has gained any weight yet - but she has maintained it. I can only assume that it is because the foal is taking everyting. But at this rate it is going to be bad news because I cant see how she'll manage with a foal. Maybe I should have some faith!
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But at the end of the day I can't wrap her up in cotton wool in a stable cause she will stress so badly. I cant shove a load of rich food at her cause shes never had it and I dont think she'll cope digestively. Please please any words of wisdom - other than shoot it!
 

Bossanova

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firstly, has she been wormed?
I woud start her on a conditioning cube and add in something ike topspec and a probiotic. Aso readi-grass is pretty good for adding more into them and wont strain her digestion but will give her extra protein.
 

vicijp

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Personally would start feeding a prebiotic and probiotic - maybe off the vet?
You cant go wrong with Alfal A Oil and oats, gradually increasing them all the time. She really ought to be introduced to stud cubes as soon as you possibly can, even if its just a handful a day. A general vitamin and mineral supplement is a must - you may be able to get injections off your vet. Ad lib haylage will help massively, both with putting on weight and helping her digest the rest of the food - the grass just isnt good enough this year. Our mare and foal have been on ad lib haylage all summer.
If she really is as bad as you say I would definetly get all the support you can off your vet, I would be really worried about the health of the foal. Also, I would start to handle her in a stable. If its hard now its going to be even more difficult when the foal is born - it is likely he is going to need daily injections/antibiotic support.
 

JaneSteventon

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Sounds like your doing a good job already, but is it worth swapping the mollichaff for an alfalfa based chaff, which with the sugarbeet should be a good conditioning feed. Also what about oil, I feed cooked linseed to mine in winter, and with the sugar beet and alfalfa keeps two TB x's looking great living out, however if you can't be bothered with the hassle of cooking linseed, soya oil is supposed to be good. Good luck.
 

brighteyes

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Well done you. I'd perhaps be contacting the RSPCA or ILPH to let them know you are doing your level best to help this mare. It would be awful if someone (unwittingly) reported her unaware of your admirable efforts! At least they could be informed straight away that she is being looked after.

It could be her teeth, not chewing the feed enough for her to digest and benefit from it, but how you'd get her to allow treatment sounds impossible. Sorry!

If she's heavily in foal, when on earth could it be due - very late for this year, or very early for next. You are completely sure she is, I take it?!

I think you are pretty much doing it right - plus some vitamins as suggested. Oil and sugarbeet won't harm - just steer clear of high powered stuff which could be too much too soon. Poor lass. Has she not twigged you are there to help her?

Good luck and keep us up to date
 

vicijp

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She doesnt look too bad, certainly not as I was expecting. I was thinking shed be like this, with more belly.
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I certainly wouldnt worry about increasing her food, would put her straight onto stud cubes personally, with ad lib haylage.
 

cariadssogreat

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thanks vicijp - was expecting a real telling off at some point - If you go in the field with her tho all her spine is visible and her neck is sooo poor - its just horrible.
Any ideas when she'll drop!!!!! Her muscle tone has all been changing throughout this week.
 

sojeph

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Hi
She doesn't look as bad as I expected either - I would continue with her 3 feeds a day but change the pony nuts to stud cubes/mix and just make sure she has plenty of fibre be it grass, hay or haylage.
How are you managing her wildness? I too have taken on a wild pony who has a major fear of people. He is a 6yr old rig just to make matters worse. I've had him a few months now and still can't catch him
crazy.gif
 

sojeph

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One thing that does worry me about your photo's is the barbed wire. Apart from it being barbed wire, its very high and a foal could easily get seperated from mum in there with dire consequences. Is there anywhere else you could have them? Hope you don't mind me saying!
 

TGM

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Ditto the others - although she is poor she doesn't look as bad as condition score 1 to me! Hope everything goes well for her and her foal.
 

cariadssogreat

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Sojeph, I was waiting for the comment on the barbed wire! It is the only bit for miles!!!! Also where I have taken the photo is only in a temporary paddock - she is going out in a larger electric fenced field a soon as the other wild one in there goes to my friend - which should be today.
We are not managing with the wildness at all! It just complicates things that she is in foal TBH - cause I dont want to stress her. She shows no willing at all to accept human company - in all honesty she is 18 and just doesn't want to know.
Am I right to put her out in 3 acres - to herself - I 'll probably never get near her again - but I have as I said got the added complication of the foal. Its very difficult. Do I just let her go free - and then worry about her and the foal ? in the spring? It really is a moral dilema.
*Any ideas when she'll drop the foal anyone???*
 

sojeph

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Can't help with the timing I'm afraid - I suppose you just have to assume that any day could be the day (not helpfull I know - sorree!!) Are you keeping her? the foal? The only thing with setting her free in 3 acres is that you are unlikely to be able to handle the foal!! Could you set up a corral where you could feed her in everyday so she becomes accustomed to it and handle the foal while she has her feed?
 

sojeph

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Ah - good for you!

I'm no expert on these things I'm afraid but theres plenty that are - hopefully they'll help! Is she bagging up or waxing at all. She doesn't appear to be in your picture.

Good luck anyway - keep us all posted!
 

Prudence

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Instead of turing her out on the 3 acres, or even makinga corral. Why not strip graze the paddock? Once a section has been grazed down, add more fencing further over and move her in there and so on - that way, you won't have to worry about 'getting her into a corral' as the space she and her foal will be in, will not be too great. Just an idea. she looks a lot better than I thought she would tbh, though I would stay well clear of feeding her stud cubes/mix. She's a pony and doesn't want laminitis......
 

henryhorn

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Because she's a native type you will have to be careful not to overload her system, I'm assuming you have wormed her for more than one type of worm, have a word with your vet re worming her for tapeworm, as that could be the reason she isn't gaining much weight.
I would have her on a balancer preferably Topspec and a basic mix such as pasture mix, if you put a mineral block in the field (the keep ones are good) she will get what she needs. The sugar beet is fine too. If she will eat it some oil will also help the weight go on.
Don't panic about the foal, we drive past the numerous Dartmoor ponies every day here, and most of them manage to rear strong little foals with no supplementary feed at all, our own mares don't get hard feed just ad lib good quality haylage, plus mineral blocks. We do this deliberately as it means slow growth rate and no bone problems.
If you look at my blog you'll see they do fine.
The most important thing is ensure you have no high worm burden, get her teeth checked, (wild or not, they can sedate her and assess the foal size at the same time) as the teeth at that age could also be a major problem.
 

lennysmith

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She really doesn't look too bad. I would get her on to stud cubes and gradually increase them.

With regards to how close she is, has she develpoed any udders? If so, is she waxing? Is she relaxing across her tail bone? Looking at her shape, I'd say I'd expect her bump to move back more. But much longer and it would make it a very late one wouldn't it?

Goodluck with everything xxx
 

Tia

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To be honest she looks just like any of the other thousands of Forest ponies to me. They've survived for plenty of years without much human interference so I would be careful about feeding her.

When I get a horse in a condition similar to yours, almost the last thing I do is to feed them hard feed when they are obviously not used to it - sometimes it can do more harm than good. My advice (which seems completely opposite to everyone else's advice) would be to invest in some good quality hay and take her forward like that. Once she has more nutrients in her body you could start gentle hard feed and some minerals. Just my opinion and what has worked well for me. Good luck.
 
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