Too light?

[eventingpony24]

My mare is due to foal in 2 weeks, and I have only ever bred one foal before who was a mini x shetland.. so not really the same game at all.

I am really excited and wanting to do everything I can for her, she has been rugged due to her having very bad queensland itch and as she is getting close now I took the rug off today.
I am a little worried that she may be just on the light side? Should I be upping her feed? I know you have to be careful not overfeeding during pregnancy as this can just make things worse, and you can have difficulties with a big foal, but I also want to be able to put her back into foal again this year, so I don't want her too skinny either!

So what do you think, or am I just starting to go crazy waiting for this foal?

 

[Dizzydancer]

I would say she is looking about right weightwise like you say too much feed is usually worse due to larger foals. i think you are maybe just getting a little impatient altho she does look like she is ready to drop anyday! This is probably just my opinion but is it not best to leave the mare a year in between having a foal and then getting pregnant again, so she can get back to her usual self etc. that is how everyone i know has bred there mares.

 

[GinnieRedwings]

I personally don't think she is looking thin... just ready to have the foal. Everything tends to "drop" (particularly bottom and back muscles) just before giving birth, giving that "lean" look.

I would however start upping her feed now, because in the first 3 months after the foal is born, she will need a LOT more calories to produce the milk needed to keep the foal as well as keeping herself (remember that most mares will put everything they have into the foal at their own detriment). As you can't really up the feed suddenly if you don't want her to risk colicking, better start now and gradually to reach optimum calory intake at birth.

As for putting her in foal straight away, most commercial studs (and indeed in the wild!!!) do so on foal heat or the season immediately following foal heat without any health issues to the mare.