Looking after your broodmare: Essential care guide for breeders

Breeding your first foal is a truly special journey, requiring you to treat your mare like royalty to ensure she is healthy, comfortable, and well-supported. This comprehensive guide will walk you through every stage of broodmare care—from preparing your mare for breeding to the all-important weaning period—so you can raise a strong, thriving foal with confidence.

Getting Your Mare in Foal

Before breeding, it’s crucial to assess your mare’s health. Mares that are underweight, overweight, or unwell are less likely to conceive successfully. Whether you opt to send her to a stud for natural covering or use Artificial Insemination (AI) by a vet, preparation is key. AI, while often safer for your mare, can be costly and may not be accepted in certain breed registries.

Schedule a veterinary health check before breeding to monitor her reproductive cycle and identify the optimal time for covering, maximising her chances of conception.

Pregnancy Examinations

After covering, the first veterinary ultrasound should occur 14–16 days post-breeding to confirm pregnancy and check for twins. If the mare isn’t pregnant, she may be covered again. If twins are detected, the vet may palpate one to improve the chances of a single healthy foal.

A follow-up scan at 30 days confirms if the pregnancy is ongoing or if an early abortion has occurred. This is typically the last time covering can occur that season, so maintaining close communication with your vet is essential.

Caring for Your Pregnant Mare

During the first two trimesters, maintain her feed as it was at conception. As the foal enters rapid growth in the last trimester, the mare needs an increased diet rich in high-quality forage like grass and alfalfa, plus essential supplements such as calcium, phosphorus, and salt. Many commercial specialist broodmare supplements are available to balance her nutritional intake.

Micronutrients are equally vital; iron and copper support foal liver and skeletal development, while vitamin E helps transfer antibodies for newborn immunity.

Regular exercise like walking or lunging keeps her muscles and joints healthy and prevents stiffness. Groom your mare frequently to build trust and ensure she stays comfortable and calm, particularly preparing her temperament for foaling.

Preparing for the Foaling

In the final weeks, watch for physical changes signalling foaling: her belly shape alterations about two weeks prior, udder enlargement a week before, and foal positioning four days ahead. When teats become waxy 1–2 days before foaling, it’s time to move her to a prepared foaling stable with rubber matting and fresh straw.

A foaling camera can be a helpful non-intrusive monitoring tool. Tail bandaging helps facilitate a cleaner birth. During labour, expect signs like sweating, nostril flaring, and lying down to birth over approximately 20 minutes. If membranes or presentation seem abnormal, consult your vet immediately.

After birth, verify the entire placenta is delivered to prevent infection or haemorrhage, but never pull it forcibly.

Most foals stand and nurse within two hours, and you should check for the meconium, the first sticky, black manure. Provide care for any foal having difficulties passing it.

Managing Mare and Foal Post-Birth

Lactating mares require increased energy and protein, supplemented by grain or commercial feeds, to sustain milk production for around three months. Both mare and foal benefit from access to a large paddock with appropriate socialisation to support healthy development.

Teaching your foal to lead with the mare and continuing regular grooming helps manage the mare’s health and bond with her foal.

Weaning Your Foal

Initiate weaning by gradually reducing the mare’s protein intake to ease cessation of lactation. Since some mares may pine or become anxious, place them in small paddocks with familiar companions to ease transition.

Monitor the mare’s udders for signs of mastitis—heat, swelling, reduced appetite, or fever—and seek veterinary advice if these appear.

Throughout the breeding cycle, always prioritise responsible ownership with regular vet checks and quality care to promote mare and foal wellbeing.