after weaning, don't grain mares for how long?

[Blue feather]

I've heard different opinions. What's yours. What potential problems do you look for during this time.

[Cathyleabo]

My trainer told me to keep her off until she stops lactating for two weeks.
Worked pretty well, and since we were weaning late spring/early summer there was plenty of grass.

[madelyn]

Why?

We don't stop grain, but we alter it to include more oats and less broodmare mix. This is really important, in my opinion, if the mare is bred back, because you are feeding next year's foal. The milk usually dries up on its own in a couple of days.

[Mood Swings]

I'm with you Madelyn. I don't stop grain completely either. I feed a concentrate instead of large amounts of grain I think 2 weeks is pretty common for those that do stop grain.

Not to hijack the thread but anyone ever have a mare get mastits 6 wks after weaning?

[Intrinsic Worth]

In Ireland, after weaning their foals, the mares lived mainly outside and grained maybe once in a great while. They had no problems. At the farms I worked at in KY, the mares were fed grain per their weight. Most only got 1/2 to 1lb of grain once a day after weaning and stayed on that diet for many months unless they looked like they needed more. If they are at a good weight, they don't need tons of grain even if they are pregnant.

As for mastitis, we just used warm rags to soften the bag.

[Cathyleabo]

I wonder if the grain/stop grain question has to do with breeding back. We don't breed our mares every year, so there isn't any need to keep feeding a fetus.

[clh]

The information I have received it that it makes the mare's dry up faster if they go off grain for a period of time (until they dry up) normally a week or so).

[ireneinwa]

I just reduce grain . I don't like to stop and start a feeding program colic always scares me.