Did you know that when a foal is born, it weighs approximately 10% of its mature body weight? This can vary however from about 7% of mature weight in draft breeds and up to 14% of mature weight in small breeds such as Shetlands. On average, a healthy young foal will gain 0.5-1.5kg of weight daily.
At birth, foals have only achieved approximately 17% of their mature bone mineral content. What we feed our broodmares (and therefore, the nutrients passed from a mare’s milk to her foal) has significant influence on healthy bone and joint growth and development, immune function, and overall health. A newborn foal consumes 15-25% of its body weight in milk daily. It may also nurse from its mother an incredible 70-80 times per day! In the first few days of life it may nurse even more frequently…as often as every 10 minutes.
Camilla Whishaw is a highly regarded, experienced horsewoman and naturopath, helping to holistically treat and manage a broad range of equine health conditions and injuries, with a passion for mare and stallion fertility.
As a world-renowned practitioner, presenter, author, and consultant in the field of Equine Naturopathy, Camilla shares her knowledge through keynote presentations, interviews, lectures, panel sessions, and workshop training.
