Feeding the heavily pregnant draft

I have a 10-months pregnant Clydesdale mare that I'm wanting some feeding advice on. She'll be 320 days on Feb. 3rd, but doesn't look to go anytime soon.

We've kept up with her worming (did a fecal and worm by weight), trimming, vaccinations, etc. Feeding her has always been a bit mysterious to us. I've asked for help before from her veterinarians and from forums, but I've never received any definitive answers. When she was 7 months pregnant, the vet said she looked thin but not alarmingly so--that's when we added the pelleted hay, oil and supplements.

She looks to be in good weight, but is a bit thin on her top line, but this could be partially conformation and partially the baby pulling her belly down and thus drawing weight away from the top line.

Her current regime:
Unlimited Bermuda grass hay in the form of a round bale.
15lbs of soaked alfalfa/timothy pellets
1 liter of oil (currently soy)
2 oz of Vitamin E/Selenium/probiotic powder (Kaeco brand)

Any advice?

How old is the mare and how many foals has she had? If she's a big mare, it's real easy to hide the pregnancy and right about now she'll start getting full through the flank area. She might start getting rather cranky now as well. Her topline is more than likely lack of work+ the foal and you can't do anything about it for now.

Her diet looks fine other than I don't see a comprehensive vitamin/mineral supplement. I would lose the Se and Vit E for something that has it already in it plus A,D,Cu,Mg,Fe,I and extra Ca. Add a good Ration Balancer or a vitamin/mineral blend like ADM Grostrong or Progressive Nutrition. I have had a problem with retained placentas in one young mare. She needs a boost of Vit A in the last month of pregnancy and I'll have oxytocin on hand for her to make sure she cleans.

She'll be six in June. This is her 2nd foal. Her first foal she had as a 3 year old. She is 17.2-3 hands and weights about 2000lb (right now) using the heart girth x heart girth x body length/330 formula.

Either we were off on her height or she's also grown some since we got her in August 2012 as she is now about an inch taller than she was back then. In August her weight was 1700lbs using the same formula.

Honestly, she's only just now starting to look pregnant. We were so unsure of her pregnancy that we've had her ultrasounded twice; palpated once and had blood work done each of those times!

She sure is getting cranky! She was a doll-baby until about a month ago. Unfortunately the farrier found a bit of thrush in one hind foot and we've had a heck of a time getting her to cooperate for treatment. In addition to her hormones, methinks she's also a bit spoiled.

According to the previous owner--she had no complications the first time around and actually had the foal by herself as they were not expecting her to foal.

I'll get her on a multi-vitamin straight away. I'll look into the brands that you mentioned and see what we have readily available here. I can order a multi online, but I don't think I can afford to have the ration balancer shipped.

Here are a couple of pictures of her from 01.19.2013. This was the week when she really started looking pregnant.





The hazardous looking stuff behind her in the second picture is on the other side of a fence that isn't showing up in the photo.

I have my colt on nutrena mare and foal, you'd have to look up the nutrition info, I did the other day but already forgot it lol, it's good though because once the foal starts to eat grain too it is great for him too. I get it a tractor supply

Ok just read it up on it, it has plenty of selenium, copper, zinc, phosphorus, calcium, lysine, vitamin a and e, magnesium,..... It's good lol

**Sidenote** PLEASE start a foaling thread??? I really want to see the baby!

PS-I have a Clyde X (more clyde than not) who looks like her everyday! I think it is just the way they look. Lol

I think Nutrena has too many NSC's for my liking, but I'll look into it the next time. I don't think my mare has an issue with NSC's, but I want to stay safe and keep her as low as possible. Thanks for the info and taking the time to look it up!

Franknbeans--Thanks! I'll be sure to start a thread for her when the big event seems imminent! We're pretty excited.

I think Nutrena has too many NSC's for my liking, but I'll look into it the next time. I don't think my mare has an issue with NSC's, but I want to stay safe and keep her as low as possible. Thanks for the info and taking the time to look it up!

Franknbeans--Thanks! I'll be sure to start a thread for her when the big event seems imminent! We're pretty excited and it would be fun to share the birth with other horsey people!

As a draft and especially a slow maturing clyde, she will still have another year to finish growing. The challenge will be to get enough food in her to nurse a large foal and have enough reserves to take care of herself. I've had one percheron mare grow 3 inches in her 6th year. She'll top out around 18H. Her topline looks more like lack of work than anything else.