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The nutrition of the mare affects growth and development of the foal both in utero and via milk production. These effects carry over through 12 months or more.

In one study, 15 one-day-old foals fed milk replacer for 7 weeks were compared with five foals that nursed their dams. During the first 2 weeks, replacer-fed foals did not gain as rapidly as mare-nursed foals. The resulting insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) values for replacer-fed foals were lower than values for mare-nursed foals.

After the first 2 weeks, gains were similar between the two groups; however, serum IGF-I concentrations of replacer-fed foals were only 36% and 60% of values obtained for mare-nursed foals at 8 and 18 weeks of age, respectively. The differences between mare-nursed and replacer-fed foals in serum IGF-I concentrations persisted to 1 year of age, when the serum IGF-I concentration of mare-nursed foals was 48% higher than that of replacer-fed foals.

In 2001, a group of researchers fed lactating mares a sugar and starch diet (59.4% NSC, 18.5% NDF, 3.2% fat) or a fat and fiber diet (34.1% NSC, 36% NDF, 16.6% fat). The researchers reported higher glucose and insulin area under the curves for the sugar and starch diets after a meal.

Mares use glucose for milk production. Energy demands for lactation are among the highest for horses. Mares can produce 11.8 kg of milk per day or 2.3% of their body weight during the first 30 days of lactation.

In Quarter Horse mares for early lactation (2-29 days) and late lactation (60-120 days), daily milk production was greater during early lactation compared to midlactation and tended to be greater during midlactation in multiparous mares (those that had previously had foals) compared to primiparous mares but was similar between groups in late lactation.

The extreme demands for glucose during early lactation may represent a time when feeds with higher glycemic responses would benefit the mare and foal. Foals can begin digesting grain within 10 days to 2 weeks of birth. It will be 6 to 8 weeks before a functional hindgut will be able to contribute to the overall nutrition of the foal with forage. Declines in milk production and nutrient concentrations after 2 months may represent a time when foals should be given supplemental feed.

Read more from Advances in Equine Nutrition IV.

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