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  Discussion on Vitamins in last 3 months of gestation
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Posted on Saturday, Jan 26, 2002 - 10:21 pm:

My mare is approaching the last 3 months of gestation, and the stable manager is urging me to give her vitamins because the barn routinely gives them to all brood mares. I wonder whether they are necessary.

She gets grass hay and Strategy, but in the Northeast in winter, obviously, she has no fresh grass. She is putting on weight, but is by no means fat.

If vitamins are a good idea, are there any brands that seem to have good research behind them?

Thanks for any advice!

Ellie

Posted on Sunday, Jan 27, 2002 - 9:59 am:

Hello Eleanor
Issues on supplementing mares diets with minerals and vitamins and recommendation on products are covered here:
1) Care for Horses: Nutrition: Vitamins an Overview
2) Care for Horses: Nutrition: Pregnant Mare Care and Nutrition
DrO

Posted on Sunday, Jan 27, 2002 - 11:57 am:

Thanks! Actually, I have read those sections--as well as a fair amount of other stuff on this site and elsewhere.

What I can't find is a specific addressing of pregnant mares in cold climates, where they don't get 6 hours of fresh-grass grazing from about November through April.

Over the last 2 years, six foals have been born at my mare's born. All dams have been on Mare Plus or something similar, and 4 or 5 have had problems with steep angles and/or check ligament problems severe enough to warrant surgery.

That's my quandary! Can my mare be getting enough vitamins and minerals with so little fresh grass?

Thanks to anyone with experience or research!

Ellie

Posted on Monday, Jan 28, 2002 - 7:56 am:

Hello Eleanor,
Maybe I am not understanding what you are looking for as your nutrition questions are specifically addressed in those articles:
1) In the vitamin article we address specifically the conditions where vitamin supplementation is helpful and yes yours is number one and number seven on the list in the article.
2) Under the pregnant mare nutrition article the specific vitamin and mineral concerns of pregnant mares is addressed.

You do not have to be concerned as much about minerals in the hay as they do not dissipate like vitamins do but copper supplementation may be indicated, again see the article on pregnant mare nutrition.

Though both are considered as having roles, over-nutrition probably plays a bigger role than malnutrition in causing flexor contracture in growing foals. I almost hate to write this but see Equine Diseases: Foal Diseases: Tendon Laxity and Contracture for more on this.
DrO
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