Foaling Season – The Stars of Tomorrow See the Light of Day

In the first half of the year, the time has come: foaling season begins. Breeders know that foaling season is not only the most beautiful, but also the most critical phase of the breeding year.

But how do we provide optimal care for the mare and foal to ensure we get healthy, high-performance horses?
The feeding of the pregnant mare from the eighth month of gestation is already crucial. During these final months, the foal develops enormously in the mother’s womb; therefore, in addition to more energy, protein and minerals are required in larger quantities. From the eighth month of pregnancy, the mare should therefore receive a breeding feed (DERBY Zucht or DERBY Zuchtmüsli Plus) to meet the increased demand.

During this time, foals not only gain mass but also build up reserves of minerals in their bones and internal organs, such as the liver. In practice, it has proven effective to provide mares with an additional mineral paste (DERBY Top Start) or a trace element booster (DERBY Vita-Booster) during the last four weeks of pregnancy. This adds important minerals and trace elements to the ration, which are particularly important for the musculoskeletal system (calcium, copper) as well as for general vitality (selenium, iron).

Once the foal is born, it continues to benefit from DERBY Vita-Booster and DERBY Top Start, especially in the first few weeks. This is because foals only begin to consume larger quantities of mineralized concentrate from the fourth week of life. Prior to this, the supply should be secured with one of the aforementioned products.

At approximately the fourth week of life, the foal should be offered a foal feed (DERBY Fohlenstarter or DERBY Fohlenmüsli) in a separate foal trough.