When a mare is not providing enough milk for her foal, owners can supplement with a milk replacer designed for horses, writes Clair Thunes, PhD. Plenty of early suckling is important so the mare can support the foal’s needs as she grows. If the issue is that the foal does not have much drive to nurse, a veterinarian will need to determine the cause.
Source: The Horse, May 15, 2023. Link. Thunes suggests creating the milk replacer with a dry matter content of 10 percent. Less than this level of dry matter might leave the foal hungry. From month one to four, the foal might consume 1 pound of replacer per 100 pounds of the foal’s body weight.
INSIGHTS: Thunes’ guidance is to avoid using milk replacers created for other species such as goats or cattle.
Every species has a milk composition slightly different and unique to their needs . . . use a commercial milk replacer designed specifically for foals.”