Mick & David Easterby

Broodmares — Nutrition and well-being through the winter months

Posted: 12.51

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26 Dec 25

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Bloodstock

We've always enjoyed breeding racehorses, and once retired from racing we keep our most successful mares from which to produce the next generations of winners.

It's all about planning ahead, and the late spring will see our mares visit stallions across the country in that pursuit of breeding future champions.

The winter months see the mares are out and enjoying the freedom of acres of grass. At this stage it's paramount that they are fed well in order for their foals to develop.

In preparation for the 2026 season we have ten mares in foal in 2026. The first due is Mid Winster whose foal is expected at the start of February. As the due date approaches we carefully watch the mares for the first signs of foaling.

Signs that a mare is about to foal:

2-4 weeks before foaling	Udder should fill with milk. This is known as 'bagging up'.
2-3 weeks before foaling	Abdominal muscles will drop, and her belly will appear to 'drop'.
7-10 days before foaling	Croup muscles will relax.
4-6 days before foaling	Teats may distend with milk.
1-2 days before foaling	Wax may develop on the mare's teats.
24 hours before foaling	Wax and / or milk may fall from the mare’s teats.

As the latter of these are observed the mare will then be relocated to Norton Grove Stud near Malton where the foal will be delivered.

Throughout the winter the mares have plenty of hay to eat which is topped up regularly. They are also fed whole oats. We feed whole oats because their unique fibrous husk makes them safer than other grains, allowing them to pass through the gut with less risk of issues like colic or laminitis, while still providing easily digestible energy and supporting healthy gut bacteria through fibre and beta-glucans, though processing (like soaking) can increase nutrient availability.

Plenty of hay

The husks themselves are indigestible, but they help the grain move efficiently through the digestive tract, preventing the intense fermentation seen with processed grains like corn or barley, making them good for energy without causing spikes. As the husks pass through they are attractive to other creatures, and the crows will pick them out and they disturb and spread the droppings as they look for worms.

Whole oats

We are also feeding fodder beet to the horses. Fodder beet can be described as a cross between a sugar beet and a mangold. This crop was once popular but has fallen out of favour in recent years due to a lack of suitable harvesting machinery. Fodder beet is still sown and it regularly outyields swedes and turnips and therefore provides an excellent winter feed for sheep and cattle. And horses!

The beta-glucans in beet tissue play a role in cell walls and potentially offer health benefits such as heart and gut support. They encourage enzyme activity, interaction with cell membranes, and offer potential as prebiotics, contributing to metabolic health and gut function.

Fodder beet is sweet and full of sugars. The horses love to eat it and it keeps them entertained as they have fun breaking off chunks from the beet with their strong teeth.

Fodder beet

We're all looking forward to 2026 with much anticipation as we have added some exciting new mares to the roster. Eight-time winner Yorkshire Lady is in foal to Palace Pier and due in May whilst the ever popular Reach is in foal to Belardo. My Honey B is also expecting her first foal having been covered by Rajasinghe earlier this year.

We hope that by feeding the mares correctly and carefully it will help them deliver strong healthy foals in the spring that will go on to become winning racehorses.

Reach pictured on Christmas Day 2025

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	link	Broodmares at Mick & David Easterby Racing