Significance

• Mare's colostrum is necessary as the sole feed during the first 24 h as a source of immunoglobulins and fluid. If unavailable, bovine colostrum is required.
• Neonates rely entirely on the mare's milk for their nutrient and fluid requirements - for optimal growth, function of the immune system, thermoregulation, etc.
• Foals which are ill, weak or orphaned require additional and/or alternative sources of nutrition.
• Alternatives include a donor mare, goat's milk, cow's milk (diluted after the first few days) and commercial mare's milk replacers.
• Parenteral nutrition (combined where possible with enteral feeding) can be used in severely debilitated foals or where the gastrointestinal tract is compromised and intolerant of nutrient intake.
• Enteral feeding should be the method of choice where possible as it is more physiologically normal and helps to promote gut development and maturation of brush border enzymes.
• See also nutrition for growing animals   Nutrition: growth  .

Print off the Owner factsheets on Feeding the young horse and Nutrition - keeping your horse on top form to give to your clients.

Requirements

Enteral feeding

Parenteral nutrition

Sequelae

Further Reading

Publications

Refereed papers

• Recent references from PubMed and VetMedResource.
• Ousey J C, Prandi S, Zimmer J, Holdstock N & Rossdale P D (1997) Effects of various feeding regimens on the energy balance of equine neonates. Am J Vet Res 58 (11), 1243-1251 PubMed.
• Hintz H F (1992) Clinical nutrition. Vet Clin North Am 6 (2).

Other sources of information

• Frape D (2004) Equine Nutrition and Feeding. 3rd edn. Blackwell Publishing Ltd, UK. ISBN: 1405105984.
• Durham A (2004) How to Use Parenteral Nutrition in Equine Practice. In: Proc 43rd BEVA Congress. Equine Vet J Ltd, UK. pp 237.
• Vaala W W (1992) Nutritional management of the critically ill neonate. In: Current Therapy in Equine Medicine. Ed: N E Robinson. W B Saunders Co, USA pp 741-751.