Feeding the heavily pregnant draft

I don't know much about drafts but does she need to worry about high sugar diet for Stringhalt???

Stringhalt has nothing to do with nutrition. Are you thinking of EPSM? She's already addressing that issue. She's on a high fat diet and sugars are in check unless the bermuda tests out higher than average.

No I was thinking of Stringhalt, my friend has a Clydesdale and was concerned about feeds with high sugar, again I know next to nothing about it.

We have not tested our Bermuda rounds for sugar content, but if she starts showing symptoms of EPSM--I guess we can rinse the hay prior to feeding it. That would mean peeling "flakes" off the round, but we'll do it if we see cause to. FWIW, the vet doesn't think she has EPSM, we're just going the cautious route.

Our hay has come from several different sources due to the on-going drought. It would be quite costly to test the hay from every source...

As for that topline, we are planning on forgoing a re-breed in order to put her to work. She's been a broodmare and/or pasture puff since she was three. She has no formal training other than being shown as a weanling through 2-year old. She is quite spoiled and pushy. We just bought a round pen in anticipation of her future training. Hopefully 60' is big enough; if not we can add to it.

Thanks for all of the responses!

Warm season grasses (including Bermuda) tend to be lower in sugars than cool season ones are. It really shouldn't be a concern.

A 60' roundpen is more than adequate for a draft to lope in (though most would prefer to not to). I like 6' sides to keep their minds inside the pen.

Thank you for all of your help and information! Alas, my round pen sides are only 5'...

From the pix, she doesn't look thin at all... except compared to the other horse pictured, who looks HUGE!! Perhaps if she was a little light when the vet saw her, she's put it on again now.

2nd foal & only 6 years old(!), yes, you'd expect her belly to 'drop' more & her to have little topline. Especially onto her second foal, you'd also expect her to be deficient in a range of nutrients, if not having been adequately supplemented. Unless there are severe deficiencies, it doesn't generally tend to effect the baby overly, but they take what they need from Mum, who may then be left quite depleted.

1 litre of oil a day is a LOT, even for an underweight draft. I'd cut this back to about half for now. Alfalfa will be providing her with lots of protein & calcium, among other stuff, but she may need extra Mg because of it.

Mares in the last trimester don't need much more energy(as in calories) than normal, but the first trimester is when they need more beans, and after birth with lactating they may need substantially more to keep condition.

Thank you loosie for your input.

Yes...my gelding is a chunk. I swear he's an air fern. All he gets is the round bale, honestly! I'm hoping the round pen will help him out too! He's an untouchable rescue who was truly emaciated when I got him--he actually has scars on his back where his vertebra rubbed his skin raw... When I had a handle on him before a huge set-back; he was regularly lunged.

As for the mare, I'm glad she looks okay weight-wise. The alfalfa pellets are an alfalfa/timothy blend, if that makes a difference. We've added a multi vitamin to her diet--I know it's very late in the pregnancy, but...that's where we are.

I'll scale back on the oil a bit at least until she has the foal. I'm hoping I can feed her enough after the foal comes. What do you recommend I do while she is lactating as far as food and supplements go?

I know how it is with 'air ferns'! But free access to good quality(usually meaning cattle fattening, high sugar, improved pasture) hay is not at all an 'all he gets' kind of a thing & I'd suggest you restrict his access, feed in a slow feeder or some such. You may want to do some reading at safergrass.org & ecirhorse.com for more info on diet/pasture considerations.

Hard to imagine! As with people who diet, if his metabolism was accustomed to very little, when he suddenly found himself in a 'good paddock'(oh, don't need those inverted commas when talking horses!), his body would have stored as much as it could, which would account for sudden, great weight gain too.

Personally if I had a mare in foal(or foal at foot) I'd be wanting to do a pasture/hay test, analyse the diet & speak to an equine nutritionist(good idea anyway but not always practical), to give her & the baby the best I could. As with at any other time, I'd basically want to ensure she was getting a high fibre, low carb diet & well balanced nutrition. As for how much/what type, what you're feeding(minus at least half the oil & the other half fed over a few meals daily at least) her should be fine & I'd see how she goes on that. If she starts to lose too much weight(won't hurt her to lose a little) then you can feed a bit more alfalfa(alfalfa/timothy means it's half alfalfa, half grass), beet pulp, ricebran, soy hulls or other low NSC options.

I know how it is with 'air ferns'! But free access to good quality(usually meaning cattle fattening, high sugar, improved pasture) hay is not at all an 'all he gets' kind of a thing & I'd suggest you restrict his access, feed in a slow feeder or some such. You may want to do some reading at safergrass.org & ecirhorse.com for more info on diet/pasture considerations.

Hard to imagine! As with people who diet, if his metabolism was accustomed to very little, when he suddenly found himself in a 'good paddock'(oh, don't need those inverted commas when talking horses!), his body would have stored as much as it could, which would account for sudden, great weight gain too.

Personally if I had a mare in foal(or foal at foot) I'd be wanting to do a pasture/hay test, analyse the diet & speak to an equine nutritionist(good idea anyway but not always practical), to give her & the baby the best I could. As with at any other time, I'd basically want to ensure she was getting a high fibre, low carb diet & well balanced nutrition. As for how much/what type, what you're feeding(minus at least half the oil & the other half fed over a few meals daily at least) her should be fine & I'd see how she goes on that. If she starts to lose too much weight(won't hurt her to lose a little) then you can feed a bit more alfalfa(alfalfa/timothy means it's half alfalfa, half grass), beet pulp, ricebran, soy hulls or other low NSC options.