Planning and management of mares and recipients for healthy pregnancies and foals

Abstract

The developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) in horses is a growing area of investigation that concerns the way the maternal environment influences the foal’s future health. Maternal environmental clues program important physiologic adaptations in the foal such as: conformation, energy homeostasis, osteochondral health, and thyroid function.1 This topic was also investigated and described as ‘fetal programming’ where placental, fetal and postnatal development were studied.2,3 Maternal nutrition during pregnancy, stress and exposure to harmful substances during critical time periods are known to have an effect on the overall health of her offspring.1-3 The foundational research on the DOHaD involves studies on epigenetic mechanisms.