Nursing mares and weaning

[big e]

2 weeks ago i weaned my foal from my mare. I stopped the mares food as i didn't want her producing too much milk as her foal was still suckling every 20 minutes or so. Shes been fine, still has udders but they are starting to go down

How long do you leave your mares before you introduce hard feed again? Did you start with a small amount and build up?

So far she looks good and has not lost any weight and before pregnancy and foaling never had hard feed just hay

[jill]

I never stopped feeding mine - nature is very good and if there is no drain on the resource it dries up. I asked a vet one time when I had to have a foal PTS (long story, broken scapula) and she said just carry on as normal, so I did. No ill effects at all.

[horsefeed]

I weaned at 7 months, I stopped hard feed to my mare for about 2 weeks before I weaned so her milk quality and quanity reduced and foalie started eating alot more hardfeed, I then wean and didn't give her any hardfeed for about another week by which point she was completely dry and then started feeding her with TopSpec balancer, beet, alfa pellets.

[specialized]

Does she need hard feed?

[specialsparkle3]

It depends on whether she is in foal again? If so start feeding her hard feed again as soon as her milk has gone. If she is barren then Hay and a bit of Alfa A or some sort of Chaff with a vit and min supplement will be enough as long as she holds her weight.

[big e]

I will watch her weight, shes looking good at the moment but i might give her some alfafa and sugar beet if the weight drops