This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (BRIAN C JACOBSEN)
To answer Gail's questions:
Does one need to take much better care with calcium supplementation for
the
mare - possible danger of depleting the bone calcium? Can they replace
the
calcium fast enough, even if you supply it? (50+ woman whose OB GYN harps
on
calcium consumption).
--- Calcium deficiency is not as much a worry in horses as it is in
people. However, the mare does put a lot of calcium in that milk, so
supplementing her with a lactating mare ration or some alfalfa hay is a
good idea.
Are there any dangers to the foal in growing too fast. Joint problems
(Is
there some kind of hip problem that comes from overfeeding foals - I
think
of the stuff that happens to broiler chickens fed high protein feeds?).
--- Yes, foals can certainly have problems from growing too fast.
Thankfully, Fjord foals are less prone to it than some faster-growing
breeds (Quarter Horses, Paints, etc). Epiphysitis (pronounced
Ee-pif-ee-sight-iss) is inflammation of the growth plates of the long
bones of the legs. It is a result of either an improper Calcium to
Phosphorous ratio in the feed, or growing too fast, usually in foals that
are being pushed to be as large as possible for a Futurity Show. A young
horse (usally less than 1-1/2 years old) with Epiphysitis often has
swollen and painful knees (the carpus) and walks stiffly or shakes when
standing still. Balancing the ration and/or cutting back on the protein
and calories usually corrects this problem.
And yes, the joints themselves can be affected. Osteochondrosis and
Osteochondritis Dissecans refer to defects in the cartilage in the joints
, and these have been associated with overfeeding young horses.
Since mares' milk is well balanced for the foal, it alone is unlikely
to cause much problem. When you add much grain and/or alfalfa hay also,
though, you may be asking for trouble.
From the mare's point of view, if she is not bred back and is getting
enough calcium in her ration, she can go on making milk indefinitely. (I
have seen a 4-y-o filly nursing her 8-y-o dam; She just never stopped.
The mare didn't stop the filly, and the people never separated them.)
IF, however, the mare is bred back, the foal should be weaned from her by
the time she starts the last 3 months of her gestation; That is the time
when the fetus is doing the largest part of its growing, and thus when
the mare needs to be able to send the calcium to the fetus, not put it in
milk. Also, if the mare is not allowed to have enough of a dry period
(time between foals when she doesn't have to produce milk), she will
produce less milk all the way through the next lactation.
Good questions Gail!
Brian Jacobsen, DVM
Salisbury, North Carolina
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