Ask the Nutritionist: Dr. Getty's Forum for Equine Nutrition
Welcome to my forum.
Here you will find more than 6 years of questions and my answers. It is searchable and offers a great deal of information.
Currently, I am discontinuing new questions. This may change in the future, but in the meantime, please know that It has been a true pleasure serving you.
Take a look at my Nutrition Library and Tips of the Month for a variety of answers on selected topics. Be sure to sign up for my monthly e-newsletter, Forage for Thought.
I also have a growing number of recordings on "Teleseminars on Nutrition Topics that Concern You" as well as the new, Spotlight on Equine Nutrition Series -- printed versions of favorite teleseminars.
And finally, look for my articles in a variety of local publications and online newsletters, as well as the Horse Journal, where I am the Contributing Nutrition Editor.
All the best,
Dr. Getty
Greetings Sherrie!
It was WONDERFUL meeting you at the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo in Denver! And you ARE one of my best fans. I hope you are enjoying my book and have found the chapter on Pregnancy to be informative.
An overall vitamin/mineral supplement is only important if you are not feeding the Kent feed according to directions for her weight. Since it is fortified with vitamins and minerals, she will get her basics if fed the recommended amount. But, if she is fed less than what is suggested by the manufacturer (which is often the case), then a supplement is helpful.
I cannot give you an intelligent answer about Purina 12:12 because their website does not give me the specific ingredients or guaranteed analysis. If you'll like to email that to me, or if you found it on another site, I can take a look at it for you.
Flaxseed meal is very important, so one thing I'd recommend is Nutra Flax. This is a stabilized flaxseed meal that has a small amount of calcium added to correct for the naturally inverted calcium to phosphorus ratio that exists in flax. But, are you feeding Glanzen Complete? If so, you will not want to add Nutra Flax, since Glanzen Complete is flaxseed meal based.
If this is your first foal, or if you need some helpful guidance to know what's normal and what's not during foaling and for the newborn, I highly recommend the book, The Complete Foaling Manual.
Happy Foaling and keep me posted!
Dr. Getty 
Author of Feed Your Horse Like A Horse
Where are you from? Bayfield, CO