Weight loss after pregnancy

[yoda11]

I have a 12 year old TB mare that has given birth on May 11th.  She was extremely large and her baby was smaller than we thought but is very healthy.  She has lost quite a bit of weight but more so in her withers and her hind quarters.  She has water 24/7, we have 80 acres of land and we also provide hay for her as well.  We feed her oats once a day but she does not seem to be starting to gain the weight back.  She was wormed just after the baby was born.  Is there anything else we can supplement her with?  The vet is coming out next week, but in the meantime, I was hoping the get some advice.   Thank you in advance.

[lindasp62]

Your best bet is to get an equine veterinarian out to assess the mare and colt immediately.  He can determine if the mare is in foal or not, and how far along she might be, or if there is a possibility that this colt might not be hers, based on what her body is doing.  You will also need to get advise on nutrition as both mares and foals and newborns need very specialized nutrition as to be able to carry a foal safely, as well as the growth of the colt.  Keep me posted!

[lmf194]

I was given a mare with a 10 day old colt. It was sort of a rescue thing. I do not know alot about Mares and babies and where I board has never dealt with it either, She deals mostly with geldings, My Mare has a huge belly. She by no means looks like she just had a baby 10 days ago, Her utter is not full but does seem to have a bit of milk in it.
The colt has been eating hay and drinking water since we got him but still tries to nurse. I am almost positive the gentleman has given us the wrong mother and that the one we got is still with foal. How can we be sure about this.
We think we see movement in her belly but not sure really what we are looking for. Please advise.

[lindasp62]

I am glad the foal was born healthy, despite its small size, and that the vet will be coming out. During pregnancy, the mare is "eating for 2" and despite her large size, it is possible that she did not get enough to produce a foal of normal size or keep her own.  In addition to that, once the foal is born and begins lactating, the foal really "drains" the mother of a lot of nutrition that needs to be taken into consideraton for the lactation.  I would say that oats once a day is not enough, but in general, it is the forage that puts on the weight.  I do not know what area of the country you live in, but the drought is really making pastures suffer and the forage there may not be adequate.  What kind of hay and how much per day are you feeding?  Also, she may require a supplement.  You are on the right track with having your vet come out.  Please respond to let me know his suggestions and how mare and foal are coming along.