Fewer topics in equine nutrition stir more controversy than feeding the growing horse. Top nutrition for weanlings expert advice on horse care and. See the section on hoof care for instructions on how to properly use a. Water requirements depend largely on environmental conditions, amount of work or physical activity being performed, type and amount of feed, and physiologic status of the horse. I have taken mana off of the feed he and deja have been on since i have had her nutrena mare and foal pellets and i switched to a 12% pellet and alfalfa cubes. Disclaimer the designations employed end the presentation of the material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the. Creating a feed budget for a day will tell you how much feed you will need for your horses per dayweekmonth, and then you can estimate how much feed you will need and an approximate cost. It should be pointed out that alfalfa made up 40% of the diet in the. Top nutrition for weanlings expert advice on horse care.
Nutrients cattle and horses require all classes of nutrients water. Oct 04, 2017 after weaning, most horse owners provide some of this nutrition in the form of a concentrate balanced specifically for young horses. January 2010 weaning the foal brings a major benefit to its nutrition. The book is designed to provide new adopters, or those considering adoption, with the information they need to settle their wild horse into a safe, domestic life style. Your foal must receive a diet adequate in energy, protein, vitamins and minerals in order to. As temps dip down and the weather stays cold, a horses nutritional requirements change. Recent developments in equine nutrition with farm and. The basics of equine nutrition equine science center. Most of the dietary starch, sugars and protein as well as oil should be digested in the small intestine, maximising the overall benefit to the horse.
This new edition has been entirely revised to include the large amount of new research information that has become available since publication of the first edition. Nutrition cannot be considered to be an exact science. Weanlings have a greater risk of developmental orthopedic diseases dod if fed excessive energy. A common belief is that high protein diets can cause developmental. Thank you for doing this page for the blm wild horse weanlings and yearlingsthey are rounding up and taking so many horses now, and separating familiesthey need our. The equine research and development program of rirdc has been looking strategically at the major area of horse nutrition for the past four years, commencing with a major workshop in early 1995.
Also monitor body condition to ensure your foal isnt becoming too fat or thin see. Here are some guidelines to help you meet the young horses needs. Top nutrition for weanlings expert advice on horse care and horse. Cattle and horse nutrition nutrients effects on performance hay factors that influence quality hay feeding and how to reduce wastage ration balancing special cases. Jul 06, 2010 it is part of the recommended coursework for an equine nutrition class taught by a veterinary school that i am taking and this book presents the information similarity to how it is taught in our class. Horse quality hay should be baled between 10 and 15 percent moisture. Correct nutrition is important for both health and performance. The horse nutrition handbook paperback may 5, 2010 by melyni worth ph. The horse s small intestine, which is situated between the stomach and hindgut, is the region where enzymatic digestion of feed components takes place. Farmers hand book on pig production for the small holders at village level european comission. Oct 21, 2016 tweaking the horse s diet to benefit weanling.
Provide highquality roughage hay and pasture free choice. If possible, give feeds designed for the growing horse to the mare as creep feed. If feeding him 93% of the adult diet, he will also get 7% less protein and minerals. Research has become more precise and critically evaluated. It also considers a horse s usage, including the type and level of activity. The table below gives you a guide to how much weight a weanling should gain per day please note these growth rates are for a horse expected to mature at 550. A horse also has a unique metabolism which influences how well it digests food and absorbs nutrients. The foals diet cant create the minerals it needs for growth and stores at birth are minimal to none. Ulcers by their very nature cause bleeding, and while an older horse can handle that to a certain extent, a young horse can more easily become extremely depressed, run down and anemic.
Feeding the thoroughbred weanling by zoe davies msc. But more important, this research has given horse owners greater understanding of nutrition. Feeding foals, weanlings and yearlings hygain horse feed. See all 7 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. She offers more indepth narratives of her adventures in natural breeding in her 2003 book riding between the worlds and her bookhorse wisdom card kit way of the horse, a collaboration with noted equine artist kim mcelroy. Feed horses to condition scores while feeding horses according to body weight is ideal, most horse owners should use a horses condition degree. This is a very in depth look at equine nutrition but it is extremely valuable to anyone needing the information at that level. This the amount of roughage a horse would eat, if they were in the wild. The same amount of food for one horse will have a different effect on another. But, there are certain scenarios where weaning earlier makes sense from both a cow and calf health standpoint and from an economic perspective. Make sure the total diet forage and concentrate combined is balanced for the weanling and yearling.
Because the recently weaned foal may have a restricted appetite, it is important that the feed is palatable. The weanling has similar nutrient requirements to the yearling, but eats less, so if a weanling is to achieve maximum growth rates the nutrients must be more concentrated. This horse will need to eat between 10 14 and 20 12 lbs of hay and 5 to 10 14 lbs of grain each day, as long as the total daily feed consumption does not exceed 15 12 to 25 12 lbs of feed. Others like myself are trimming their own horses to either save money or be more responsible for their horses care overall.
Nutrition is important for growing horses between weaning and 2 years of age. Tweaking and fortifying the adult horse s diet with modest levels of grain concentrates for the weanling to fill his needs is not terribly difficult or expensive, but the pay back in terms of growth, health and soundness can be enormous. Depending on the nutritive value of the hay or pasture, this can have a profound influence on the nutrient intake of the growing horses, and thus the remaining nutrients. Strategies to optimize and stretch your hay supplies. What type of feed outside of good quality hay and pasture would you suggest for a weanling. Nutrition of the performance horse equine section, department of animal sciences. It has been estimated that a horse with a healthy winter coat, that can keep dry, will be comfortable at temperatures down to 18 f. Dear victoria, im working toward having a place for two mustang weanlings within the next 6 months to a year.
Proper nutrition of the foal and growing horse plays a vital role in the health and performance throughout their life. To achieve the optimum growth rate, the average sixmonthold, 250kg 550lb weanling growing at 0. Weanling stage is a critical stage in the growth and development of a horse and nutrition plays a pivotal role. Nutrition of the performance horse equine section, department of. Considerably more information on the dietary requirements and digestive physiology of domestic ruminants is available than for the horse, however, and more basic and applied scientific research is needed into most aspects of equine nutrition. The infant is considered to be fully weaned once it is no longer fed any breast milk or bottled substitute.
Nutrition plays a significant role in producing a strong, sound horse. After weaning, most horse owners provide some of this nutrition in the form of a concentrate balanced specifically for young horses. Equids have evolved as grazers that spend about 16 hours a day grazing pasture grasses. Feeding the weanling feedxl horse nutrition calculator. Horse feed for foals, weanling and yearling prydes easifeed. It provides the latest information available for those interested in the feeding and nutrition of horses. Preweaning care in freeroaming or feral horses, oals arf e naturally weaned.
Feeding and caring for a yearling 4h futurity horse. Tweaking and fortifying the adult horses diet with modest levels of grain concentrates for the weanling to fill his needs is not terribly difficult or expensive, but the pay back in terms of growth, health and soundness can be enormous. Knowledge of horse nutrition has grown by leaps and bounds during the last 15 years. While it s understandably tempting to share information or search for input on other topics upon which members might have a similar level of knowledge, members must maintain the focus on. Feeding foals after weaning purina animal nutrition purina mills. Many factors add to the confusion of providing nutrition. Try to keep young, growing horses in moderate flesh, with a body score of 56, and monitor body weight with a scale or weight tape every 24 weeks, so adjustments can be made as growth rate increases or decreases. Conversations in horse related forums should be horse related.
If you plan to feed your weanling grain, introduce him to it when hes about 1 or 2 months old, starting with just a handful at a time and increasing the amount incrementally. Feeding strategies for weanlings expert howto for english. They are more aware of the basic nutrients required by all classes of horses, than in past years. Because the recently weaned foal may have a restricted appetite, it is.
The forums are a wonderful source of information and support for members of the horse community. Many yearlings grow as fast as weanlings, and must be fed a diet to support such a growth rate in a sound manner. The equine nutrition nerd the place for easytounderstand. Nutrition for weanling i have taken mana off of the feed he and deja have been on since i have had her nutrena mare and foal pellets and i switched to a 12% pellet and alfalfa cubes. I adopted two many years ago at a satellite adoption near where i lived at the time. Cattle and horse nutrition johnson county university of missouri extension livestock specialist patrick davis, ph. Their small stomach only has a capacity of 2 to 4 gallons for an averagesized lb. Weanling and yearling diets require feed in addition to mares. Conversations in horserelated forums should be horserelated. To have a long and successful career, a horse needs the best possible start in life. By next month i want to have him down to only the alfalfa. Its best to have a horse be a tad over weight maybe a 67 bcs entering the winter and with a thick hair coat and fat cover. Since the first edition of equine nutrition and feeding was published in 1986, it has become the seminal work on the subject. Keep in mind as the weanling gains weight he will need more hay as well.
A 6 monthold weanling requires 7% fewer calories than he will at maintenance at this full adult weight. Weanlings and lactating mares have the highest mineral requirements of all horses, and your weanlings need for protein is even higher. More information on growing horses can be found in extension fact sheets ansi3985, foaling management and care of the nursing foal and ansi3977, managing young horses for sound growth. The importance of good prenatal nutrition in the mare was previously discussed in the feeding and management of the broodmare article. Its nutritional needs vary depending on whether it is stabled, kept in a field, clipped or not clipped. This comprehensive and clearly evidenced textbook covers how food is digested and nutrients are used in growing, working and breeding horses. In every stage of life, nutrition is the foundation for equine health and longevity. This limits the amount of feed a horse can take in at one time. To build your weanlings diet, start with the highest quality hay you can find, or well maintained pasture. This enables you to calculate if certain feeds can be consumed in sufficient quantities to provide the required nutrition. Essentially, youre building the foundation for a lifetime of good health. Mar 20, 2017 the first year of your foals life is the most critical stage for getting the correct nutrition. Meeting the weanling horses demanding nutritional needs. She offers more indepth narratives of her adventures in natural breeding in her 2003 book riding between the worlds and her book horse wisdom card kit way of the horse, a collaboration with noted equine artist kim mcelroy.
It is important to feed the horses physiological growth rate, not necessarily its chronological age. The dietary needs of a horse change as it goes through each life stage. Work with an equine nutritionist or veterinarian with a special interest in nutrition. Nutrition needs are now more for maintenance at rest which is completely different from the old days. Milk production by a wellfed mare will meet the nutrient requirements for the first 6 to 8 weeks of the foals life. An adopters manual which was written by barbara eustiscross and nancy bowker. The minimal maintenance daily water requirement of a sedentary adult horse in a thermoneutral environment is 5 l100 kg body wtday, assuming the horse is consuming at. The horses small intestine, which is situated between the stomach and hindgut, is the region where enzymatic digestion of feed components takes place. These problems include physitis once mistakenly called epiphysitis, osteochondritis dissecans ocd and flexor deformities, such as contracted tendons. This is the second edition of horse feeding and nutrition which was originally published in 1980.
Requirement booklet american morgan horse association. Thus, these horses need the proper amount and balance of energy and nutrients in their ration. It covers all the key topics that you need to know for your equine nutrition degree course. Eustiscross this article is the first chapter of the wild horse. Apr 07, 2017 its best to have a horse be a tad over weight maybe a 67 bcs entering the winter and with a thick hair coat and fat cover. Funds have been invested in research on pasture nutrition, comparison of supplementary and pasture rearing and safe and effective grain feeding of horses. During this time, bone formation and size greatly increase as well as muscle mass. As temps dip down and the weather stays cold, a horse s nutritional requirements change. Care and training the wild horse caring for wild horses by b. Linda kohanov is a trainer, clinician, and bestselling author of several books, including the 2001 classic the tao of equus. Grains can be added to a horses diet, but considered supplementary nutrition, as equine health can depend on the adequate consumption of roughage.
When weaning horses, it is important to offer weanlings a highquality feed specifically formulated for foals. During the last 2030 yr, there has been an increased awareness of equine nutrition and its importance to the health of the horse. Dear friend and horseman, welcome to another horse training tips newsletter. As the foals dietary requirements shift from milk to feed and forage, your role in providing the proper nutrition gains in importance.
It is better to feed products designed for growing horses than individual cereal grains unless adequate supplementation is provided. Some individuals will slow down their growth rate at 6 to 12 months, while others continue to grow rapidly. Horses are nonruminant herbivores hindgut fermentors. Research geared to performance horses performance horses today include racing thoroughbreds, standardbreds and quarter horses bred with significant amounts of thoroughbred blood, along with event horses, distance racing horses, fox hunters and. Horse factors horse factors that affect nutrition requirements starts with the most basic information about your horse. Sound feeding management, including feeding a balanced nutrient supply, is crucial to improving profit through more marketable and useful horses. Nutrition as a weanling influences the horse s final size and perhaps more importantly plays a large role in determining the horse s long term structural soundness. Store and protect hay from moisture to best prevent spoilage. For some, caring for their horses hooves involves the occasional check, clean and a visit from the farrierbarefoot trimmerequine podiatrist every month or two.
Horse training tips foals and weanlings horse training. Feeding and care of the weanling horse how to avoid developmental orthopedic disease dod. Define the following horse terms, written or orally. The first year of your foals life is the most critical stage for getting the correct nutrition. The age you choose will depend on your experience with horses, how much time you have to spend in gentling and training and how soon you want to ride your horse. Oh please, if you can adopt one of these beautiful babies. Grains can be added to a horse s diet, but considered supplementary nutrition, as equine health can depend on the adequate consumption of roughage. Dod is the term used to describe musculoskeletal problems in growing horses. Modern horse breeds, especially, can have higher nutritional requirements than their sturdier wild cousins. Peron, but it is a potentially lifethreatening condition. Weanlings and lactating mares have the highest mineral requirements of all horses, and your weanling s need for protein is even higher.
The nutritional needs of horses will depend on age, growth, activity, health and environment. Recent developments in equine nutrition with farm and clinic. Especially concerning the handling and training of foals and young horses. Determine how much feed each horse can consume daily. Feeding the weanling and yearling tribute equine nutrition. Oct 24, 2016 a 6 monthold weanling requires 7% fewer calories than he will at maintenance at this full adult weight. This principle is the same for horses that are kept for pleasure and trailriding. Weaning is the process of gradually introducing an infant human or another mammal to what will be its adult diet while withdrawing the supply of its mothers milk the process takes place only in mammals, as only mammals produce milk. If you plan to feed your weanling grain, introduce him to it when hes about 1 or 2 months old, starting with just a handful at a. A weanling is a young horse, usually four to six months old, who has just been taken, or weaned, from itos mother. If youve been a reader of my horse training tips newsletter for a while, youre aware some of my newsletters have really stirred up some controversy.