Feeding the broodmare and foal

13 May 2025

''Feed the mare to feed the foal'' - wise words from many an experienced breeder.

In nature, foals would usually be born in the spring - the time of year where grazing offers the most nutrition. In the UK, many breeders try to emulate this to give their foals the best possible start.

Unfortunately, the good old British weather can't always be relied upon to provide the bounty we hope for. This year (2025) being an extreme example of that.

For the foal to do well, the mare must produce good quality milk. The first milk the mare produces is colostrum. Rich in antibodies, colostrum provides the foal with their first line of defence against illness and it is essential for foals to receive colostrum within the first 2 hours after birth. The composition of the mare's milk changes rapidly once she begins feeding a foal, with the colostrum usually lasting for only 12-24 hours post foaling.

As time goes on, the broodmare's milk quality gradually declines. This is nature's way of providing 'ample but steady' growth in those early weeks and months. However, if the mare isn't getting adequate nutrition, both the quality and volume of her milk can be too poor to support the foal well. This can lead to development and growth issues in the foal, and the mare herself can also suffer - dropping too much weight, even losing muscle tone and in extreme cases becoming food aggressive, seeing her foal as competition for resources.

This spring, the grazing quality has been poorer than we would expect as a result of the very dry weather. This means that broodmares feeding foals are likely to require more nutrition than usual from the feed bowl to aid their milk quality, and to maintain weight.

Simple System can offer a 'close to nature' solution. Look to Red Bag Grass Pellets which offer high nutrition levels similar to spring grazing. For further protein, minerals and variety, consider adding Sainfoin Pellets (which naturally contain condensed tannins to aid the digestion of protein along with good levels of calcium) alongside with Stud Balance +, our specialist forage balancer for mares, foals, stallions and growing youngstock.

It can be surprising just how much feed a broodmare needs, but remember that lactation can be as demanding as performing at the highest level of competition! Forage feeds can be fed in generous quantities, if required, once they have been gradually tapered into the diet over a period of a week or so as they are digested in the hindgut. This generous feeding level cannot safely or as effectively be done with starchy cereal feeds which can only be fed little and often to avoid digestive issues.

For a Feed Plan, or to discuss feeding rates for your mare, contact the Feed Line on 01728 604 008, email info@simplesystem.co.uk, or complete the 'Feeding Advice Request' form here.