A rising plane of nutrition involves purposely keeping a horse in light body condition for a period of time and then building up the amount of feed available to the horse over the period of a couple of months. This is generally done over the winter to spring period of the year.
Why Use a Rising Plane of Nutrition?
Mares are seasonal polyoestrus breeders. This means that they have many cycles within a particular season or time of the year. For horses, this time of the year is spring and summer. This occurs so that a mare can conceive in a time frame that would have her giving birth the following spring or summer, providing her with suitable grazing to provide nutrition to the nursing foal.
Using a rising plane of nutrition means that once a mare’s body has dropped a little in condition due to the winter cold and lack of pasture available, the horse owner can take advantage of her body condition. Starting to increase the amount of feed available to the mare helps to convince her body that plenty of food is available - as is the case in spring - and that it's a good time to start cycling and therefore breed.
Managers of broodmares use other methods to trick the mare’s body into cycling earlier than it otherwise normally would. The rising plane of nutrition is one method that can help to ensure mares are in good condition for the breeding season and that they start cycling earlier.
It is important to note that the feed offered to the mares shouldn’t change rapidly from next to nothing, to large amounts. This wouldn’t be a safe feeding practice and could incur problems. Mares also shouldn’t be allowed to lose too much condition over the winter as it can lead to health problems and take a long time to bring them back to a good body condition.
A Level Plane of Nutrition
Generally horses are kept on a fairly consistent diet with changes being made gradually if any are necessary. It is possible to keep the diet of the horse fairly constant or level and it is important that when using a rising plane of nutrition, that the horse owner doesn’t continue this process to the point that the horse gains too much weight and is eventually obese.
It can be a good practice for the mare that is in her last trimester of pregnancy to put her onto a rising plane of nutrition so that she is in good body condition as foaling and lactating can rob body stores of much energy through fat. It isn’t uncommon for some mares to drop weight after foaling as they’re investing all of their energy into feeding the foal.
Always when considering equine nutrition, each horse should be fed as an individual based on body type, temperament, current condition and work level. Horses shouldn’t be allowed to lose too much condition or become obese as both can lead to health issues.
Chris Thomas - C. Thomas has studied and worked with horses since 2001. She teaches horse studies part time and is undertaking an Equine Science ...
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