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How to Choose a Mare and Foal Feed

mare and foal feed

What is the best horse feed for growing horses? What nutrients do broodmares need? How can one feed support foals, weanlings, yearlings, and pregnant or lactating mares? Our equine nutritionists at Nutrena® brand break down some of these most frequently asked questions about how to choose a mare and foal feed, so you can feel confident that you are providing a nutritionally balanced diet for your horse’s specific life stage and activity level. Because here at Nutrena, we believe what’s inside counts®.

When to Feed a “Mare & Foal” Feed

Have you ever wondered why brands carry a “mare and foal” feed suitable for both mama and growing baby? The answer is simple. Growing takes a lot of nutrients that the average horse feed does not sufficiently provide. So, whether you have foals, weanlings, and yearlings or pregnant and lactating mares, there are a few nutrients to look for in your guaranteed analysis to ensure you are providing a balanced diet.

At the end of this article, if you’re still unsure what to feed, you can schedule a virtual consultation, and one of our equine nutritionists can help choose the best feed for your mare and foal.  

Diet Recommendations for Pregnant or Lactating Mares, Foals, Weanlings and Yearlings

Growing is hard work! Whether a broodmare is growing a baby or a foal is growing into a strong horse, proper nutrition is critical. Despite being in completely different life stages, broodmares and foals have very similar nutrient demands. While broodmares need quality nutrients to reserve energy for foaling and lactating, young horses need a high-nutrient diet to support rapidly growing and developing. Forage alone lacks necessary nutrients for a broodmare, and growing horses need to be mindful of calorie to nutrient ratio. So, in both cases, a diet balancer or high-nutrient mare and foal feed can help meet minimum vitamin and mineral requirements. Some guarantees and ingredients a good “mare & foal” feed should list on the feed tags are:

  • Quality Amino Acids: First and foremost, make sure you are providing a good, digestible source of protein. Most mare and foal feeds are at least 14-16% protein. But in addition to  crude protein, growing horses also need the perfect combination of amino acids in the diet to support optimal growth and reduce metabolic waste. The best mare and foal feeds offer a balance of amino acids including Lysine, Methionine, and Threonine, which are the most limiting in horses.  Nutrena feeds Topline Balance® Technology includes those amino acids and is added to all of our premium feeds including our diet balancer and our mare and foal feed, to ensure our formulas support muscle development and maintenance for mama and baby.

  • Organic Trace Minerals: Organic trace minerals support optimal skeletal and muscular development as well as immune function in both mares and foals. Wondering what macro and micro minerals foals need? Check for ingredients like Phosphorus, Copper, Selenium, and Zinc on your guaranteed analysis. Some people offer their mares and foals a vitamin and trace mineral supplement, or you can just grab a bag of SafeChoice® Mare & Foal which already includes these in the formula.

  • Pre, Pro, Postbiotics: Support your foal’s developing gut! SafeChoice is the only mare and foal feed on the market with Digestive Shield™, Nutrena’s unique blend of controlled starch, pre + pro + postbiotics, and calcite to support stomach, foregut, and hindgut in mares and foals.

  • Vitamins: Antioxidants play a variety of roles in mare and foal diets, from muscle health to immune function. That is why Nutrena’s targeted nutrition for mares and foals is enhanced with antioxidants—including vitamins A, C, D, and E—to support immune systems.

Find Mare & Foal Feed Near You

Nutrena offers a few different options depending on your mare’s and foal’s dietary needs. The most popular go-to feeds for mare and foal are:

Visit our Dealer Locator to find mare and foal feed near you.

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