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Feeding and Drinking Behavior of Mares and Foals with Free Access to Pasture and Water¹

Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853

Abstract

The feeding and drinking behavior of 11 mares and 15 foals living on pasture with free access to water was recorded during 2,340 15-min focal samples taken over 2 yr. Lactating mares on pasture spent about 70% of the day feeding. Foals began feeding on their first day of life. As they grew older, they spent progressively more time feeding, but still spent only 47 ± 6% of the time feeding by 21 wk of age. Foals fed primarily during the early morning and evening. While grass formed the major proportion of the diet of both foals and mares, they also ate clay, humus, feces, bark, leaves and twigs. Almost all feeding by foals was done while their mothers were feeding. Movement to water sources was frequently, but not invariably, carried out by an entire herd. Frequency (P=.005) but not duration (P>.05) of drinking bouts by mares increased as the temperature increased. Frequency was greatest at 30 to 35 C, at which temperature mares drank once every 1.8 h. Frequency of drinking varied with the time of day (P<.01), being rarest during the early morning (0500 to 0900 h eastern daylight time) and most frequent during the afternoon (1300 to 1700 h). Drinking by foals was very rare. The youngest age at which a foal was observed to drink was 3 wk, and 8 of 15 foals were never observed to drink before weaning.

¹ We wish to thank Mr. and Mrs. K. Butler for allowing the use of their farm as a study site. J. Burnham, C. Carini and L. Kane assisted with the data collection. Preparation of this manuscript was supported by VMES Grant #84-118.

² College of Veterinary Medicine, Univ. of Georgia, Athens 30602.

³ New York State College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY 14853.

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