Feeding the Growing Foal . But you know how important it is to ensure that he's receiving the right levels of nutrients and that he doesn't grow too fast as you establish a feeding program; indeed, determining an appropriate diet for foals can be difficult. Scientists have done a wonderful job in determining the necessary nutrients for an appropriate rate of growth, but not all youngsters are created equal. Rates of metabolism vary, circumstances due to geography and weather conditions vary, genetics vary, the quality of milk varies from mare to mare, exercise varies, the quality of forage or pasture grass varies .. Close observation concerning the youngster's ongoing development is highly important in determining whether growth goals are being met without causing problems with bone and tendon structure. This can get somewhat complicated when managing a group of foals, but it is highly important. This is because they achieve 9. An appropriate feeding program can result in a mature horse that is sound of muscle and bone and is ready for a vigorous life as an equine athlete. An inappropriate feeding approach can result in the development of orthopedic problems that can haunt the horse throughout his life. Problems of that type quite often result from overfeeding the weanling. Millions of dollars are spent each year at yearling sales, and quite often the ones commanding the big bucks are the tall, stout, mature- looking animals that are a product of a rapid rate of growth. They are slow, moderate, optimal, and fast. Here is how Rammerstorfer describes each of the growth rates: A slow rate of growth borders on malnutrition and is referred to as . Unless severe medical conditions exist that demand the horse's body weight be minimized, a slow rate of growth should not be pursued. A moderate rate of growth is acceptable for most performance horse prospects, such as cutting, reining, dressage horses, etc. These horses are not pushed quite as hard during their yearling and 2- year- old stages as racehorse prospects are. Optimal rate of growth is the ideal rate of growth for 8. Growth is pushed somewhat, but not to the extent that growth- related bone problems increase significantly. A fast rate of growth is achieved by employing feeding practices that should not be employed for most growing horses. Usually a fast rate of growth involves protein intake in excess of 1. Developed by Don Henneke, Ph.
D, when he was a graduate student at Texas A& M University in 1. A horse rated 1 on the scale is emaciated and one rated 9 is obese. When studying nutritional literature, most nutritionists feel that young, growing horses should range between 4 and 6 on the Henneke scale. Hook bones (the projecting points of the hip bones) are not discernible. The horse's neck blends smoothly into the body; his withers are rounded over the spinous processes; his shoulder blends smoothly into the body; the ribs cannot be visually distinguished, but can be easily felt; the back is level; and the fat around the tailhead is beginning to feel soft. The fat around the horse's tailhead feels soft. Growth should be consistent across all these measurements, they state. Sudden, large increases- -or any decreases- -could be an indication of potential problems. Creep Feeding Nursing Foals. In the earliest stages of life, says Coleman, a foal's nutritional requirements are pretty much met with mare's milk and pasture, plus whatever the foal starts nibbling on, such as grain fed to the mare. Weanling Foal Diets For High CholesterolFeeding Weanling Horses By Dr. The weanling has similar nutrient requirements to the yearling, but eats less, so if a weanling. It is important when adding solid food to the foal's diet to not feed the foal excessively or feed an improperly balanced diet. Weanlings are not capable of. Welcome to the AAEP's Horse Health article search engine. Each of the articles available in this section have been written by AAEP member veterinarians. However, he says, once the foal reaches 2 months of age, his nutritional demands outstrip what the mare can provide with milk alone. It is at this stage, he believes, that creep feeding can be a benefit. Before assuming his current position at the University of Kentucky, he served as horse specialist for Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. While serving in that capacity, Coleman conducted a 5. Alberta farm. It was and still is hailed by equine nutritionists as one of the best studies conducted to determine the role that creep feeding plays in foal development. Coleman concluded that the opposite was true- -creep feeding actually cut the potential for post- weaning developmental problems, rather than being a contributing cause. The reason for this, he said, is that the foal on creep feed will have grown to his optimum potential, thus reducing a spurt of compensatory growth after weaning. Stress at weaning can result in injury, weight loss, and health problems. These stresses can result in reduced competitiveness of the foals in the marketplace or in the show ring. Creep feeding has been shown to reduce stress on foals at weaning. Foals that are accustomed to dry feed prior to weaning exhibit less stress than those foals that do not receive concentrate before weaning. He used combinations of canola meal and soybean meal as protein supplements. One of the rations contained 1. There was very little difference in results when the two rations were compared. In addition, the creep- fed foals were ready to move into the next phase of development post- weaning. And, perhaps most importantly, researchers noted no problems with limb developments in these foals. Make sure the feed is fresh daily and that foals are consuming it adequately. If you do not want a field- type feeder, you can tie the mare in her stall, allowing the foal to eat. For most foals of light horse breeds this amount of feed is approximately 1 pound of feed per month of age. Do not provide creep feed free- choice because that could increase the incidence of physitis and enterotoxemia (also called . At this point the appropriate diet and exercise are highly important. They should have access to all the good- quality hay they will consume and allowed all the voluntary exercise they want. Research has shown that exercise strengthens bone, increases cortical thickness (the dense outer tubular structure of bone), and makes for a more durable future athlete. Adjust protein percentages in the concentrate according to the type of forage you use. If you use higher- quality forage, the foal will need less concentrate. Therefore, adjust feed intake to avoid overfeeding. This would be especially true with hay and pasture. It is a given that hay can vary widely in nutrient content and that many factors figure into its quality. Even then it is a good idea to have the forage tested to learn exactly what nutrients it contains. Take- Home Message. Raising a foal to be a strong, healthy horse capable of competing in the athletic world on strong, healthy limbs can be a challenge. However, you can accomplish this goal if you get that foal off to the correct nutritional start very early in life and maintain a sound feeding program for him throughout his career.
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