Fall Care for Broodmares

Fall is a time of year that broodmares tend to require the least care and are often given no more than a cursory going-over when being fed each day. However, a little extra care this time of year could be of benefit when breeding and foaling season arrives early next year.

Now is the time to have your veterinarian check the reproductive status and health of your broodmares.  A mare that was checked in foal around 45 days or even further along earlier in the year may no longer be pregnant. Barren mares should undergo a full reproductive exam to determine if there are problems with conceiving or maintaining a pregnancy that can be addressed or treated prior to mares entering winter anestrus. 

Evaluating body condition scores (BCS) in the fall is also a valuable management practice. Mares should have a BCS between 5.5 and 7.5 heading into winter. Late in pregnancy, mares will utilize a large amount of energy to support the nutritional requirements of the developing fetus and for milk production post-foaling. To meet these high demands, pregnant mares rely on stored body fat.  Mares with a BCS less than 5 will also have a greater difficulty conceiving when breeding season arrives.  (While it has not been proven that mares with a BCS of greater than 7.5 experience problems reproductively, obese mares are more prone to health issues such as laminitis and colic.)

After determining their status and body condition scores, mares should be separated into groups.  Pregnant mares have higher nutritional requirements than barren mares, particularly entering the last three months of pregnancy, and should be fed separately from barren mares.  Pregnant mares require a grain feed with 10%-12% protein with high quality pasture and hay to support fetal development, while barren mares in healthy condition may be able to maintain on quality pasture and hay alone. Mares that need a little more conditioning and extra care should be in a group of their own.  Also, pregnant broodmares still grazing endophyte-infected fescue pastures should be removed at least 90 days prior to their due date to avoid any problems such as prolonged pregnancy, foaling difficulties, thickened placentas, and no milk production after foaling. This includes removing any access to endophyte-infected fescue hay as well.

Lastly, take the time to update and schedule any vaccinations recommended by your veterinarian.  While primary vaccines are typically given in the spring, pregnant mares require additional vaccines such as Rhinopnuemonitis prior to foaling.  A fecal sample at this time is also recommended to address any parasite issues with the proper dewormer.