Feeding choices for the pastured broodies

[KLM]

Hello All, I am new to the forum and the site, although why I waited so long I dont know. Last year I had 2 mares, one of which I had through her whole pregnancy, the other was at the foaling barn the whole year. I just bought new property and have my mares out of 3 acres of grass. I have one mare confirmed in foal by my vet and another that I simply strongly suspect she is preggo.

So, my question... When should I start to supplement my mares. They are all in great weight right now (though the vet said they are a little fat :/) but, I know how har it is to bring up a mare who gets down in weight, especially while caring for/growing a baby!.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thx - Kandi (not the horrible person in Oregon!)

Pictures of the girls who are expecting...

The pasture picture is recent... what they are currently eating (of course now green grass is coming up underneath)

 

[Wings]

Depending on how happy your girls are to take something from your hand (and if they're like most minis I'm sure they love it!) you could start feeding them a small supplement now.

Mine are pasture grazed all winter on good but not lush stuff and extra hay if needed. They come in about a month pre foaling and go onto feed and supplements then.

 

[AnnaC]

Hi Kandi and welcome to the Nutty Nursery! Thanks for the pictures - you have two lovely girls there.

I was also wondering where you live - mainly because you said that the grass was starting to grow through?

Like Bree (Wings) my girls live out on pasture all the year round, just coming in at nights approx a month before they foal and for a month or so after until the foals are established enough to live out 24/7. We have sufficient grass not to have to feed the girls- just hay if the weather is really bad, but once they come in I do feed a balancer plus their night hay to give them a bit of a 'boost'. As the others here will tell you, my girls are little FATTIES!! LOL!!

Oh and by the way, when are your girls due to foal?

Again - WELCOME!

 

[KLM]

Hello and thank you for the welcome!

I am in the central California foothills. The property I purchased was a forclosure so the pasture from last winter was never eaten down and dried over the summer. My winter grass is just coming up and Oh my, there is a lot of it. I am thinking I should bring everyone in a night for at least right now. No-one looks as if they are lacking in weight at all! lol

I feed the 12:12 as a part of my regular feed routine, but the pasture girls have not gotten anything other than grass and the occasional flake of hay in the barn to try and get them to stay in out of the storms. (1 flake spread between 4)

All my minis are more than happy to take a treat, or two, or four... I could go on. They are well loved!

So, at this point the suggestion would be to wait until Jan/Feb to start supplementing them? Thanks for the tips. I have been a lurker on the Nutty Nursury for a few weeks now!

 

[KLM]

Here is Babe with her preggo belly this past weekend. I was trying to get the mares to stay in the barn during the storm!

 

[KLM]

Oh, Castle Rock... If only you knew how much I lurk on your website! I am in love with your avatar stallion!

Florida is just too far away from California!

Babe is a red roan pinto and filthy from the big storm we had this weekend. I was just wanting to document her growing belly. No grooming

She is in foal to a solid bay stallion who must have everything in his background because he has a real color chart of babies out there! I tried breeding her the past two years to my Champagne Appy stallion, but since he was a rookie and she was a maiden, it was a no go. I did get a very colorful baby by him out of another pinto mare of mine this spring. I have attached first his picture and second his first daughter.

 

[KLM]

Oh and here is Babe when she is clean and pretty and in show shape...

 

[KLM]

Babe is in foal to King Willie Willis a solid Bay Stallion who throws a varity of color and beautiful head and necks.

 

[KLM]

Hello, Back from the weekend...

Babe, my red roan pinto, is my horsie soul-mate. She is my start to minis. I bought her brother and fell in love with her. Her owner leased her to me because she wasn't going to sell her. Long story short... 2 years later she realized she was NEVER getting her back and sold her to me. I used to show 3 day eventing and due to spinal surgery had to give up riding. Babe and I share a birthday (something I found out after I was leasing her for a few months) but more than sharing a birthday, she reads my mind and does whatever I ask of her. She and I LOVE jumping and obstacle. She arrives at a show and announces her arrival like they should roll out the red carpet as she is the princess.

She loves to show, but unfortunately for her, the judges never found her halter worthy (her head is not the desired halter head) but her conformation is great. She and I competed in California on the NorCal circuit for 2 years in halter, jumping and obstacle. I trainer her to drive but we never went into a driving class.

I was about to put her back into training for 2013, but on a whim I had her preg checked and Surprise!!! She was bred on purpose but according to the breeder she kept coming back into season and was sent home (in season). I guess she just really liked the stallion! lol