FEEDING young horses for sales involves a combination of optimal nutrition, state-of-the-art health management, specific exercise, and superior genetics, tempered with hard work and attention to detail.

The recent trend to send young horses to the sale ring in a more fit and athletic condition differs from the past when it was common to see them look heavier. As a result, many nutritional programmes have been developed to produce a more athletic individual.

Preparing a young horse for sale is perhaps the biggest challenge of all. A clear understanding of the nutrient requirements of the horse and the critical balance between feed intake and exercise are necessary as they impact condition and soundness.

The weanling feeding programme should be based on a balanced ration using palatable, easily assimilated nutrient sources that meet the weanling’s requirements for protein, energy, minerals, and vitamins. Often people fall into the trap of feeding all-grain feeds to weanlings that may encourage fattening but do little to ensure optimal growth and bone development.

High protein does not cause bone problems in young, growing horses. In fact, more cases of developmental orthopedic disease (DOD) are caused by improper mineral balance and overfeeding energy than from any other nutritional cause.

ADJUST LEVELS

The amount of feed that an individual foal or weanling can tolerate is extremely dependent upon the individual. It is crucial to adjust individual feeding levels based on individual performance (growth rate and degree of fatness). It is common to feed a weanling intended for a futurity or a sale a minimum of one pound (0.45 kg) of feed per month of age right up until the time of the event.

In general, a 15%-16% protein concentrate should be fed to these horses in addition to a fat supplement and good-quality clover or alfalfa hay that was harvested in the early stages of maturity. A high-quality, high-energy hay is needed for these horses as this maximizes the utilization of fibrous feeds in meeting the energy requirements and decreases the amount of starch these weanlings process. Also, in using a high-quality, early-cut hay, the unflattering appearance of gut-fill that is often associated with a mature hay of high lignin content (hay belly) can be avoided.

In selecting the appropriate concentrate for weanlings, it is important that the total nutrient profile of the feed be considered, not just the protein content. The nutrient profile of a feed designed for a specific class of horses is critical and by tinkering with a feed this balance of nutrients is destroyed.

HIGH CONCENTRATIONS

For one thing, a weanling does not eat as much as an adult horse, so you need to have higher concentrations of critical nutrients. Feeds containing heat-processed barley and maize are useful because the energy in the grain is much better digested and assimilated after steam-flaking, micronizing, or extrusion.

A feed used for weanling sales should contain added fat from oil, stabilized rice bran, or sunflower seeds. This fat is a concentrated source of energy and helps minimize grain intake, as well as putting a shine on the coat.

Feeding at least one-half cup (125ml) of oil daily or a minimum of one pound (500g) of stabilised rice bran such as Equi-Jewel will really help the coat. As much as two-thirds of a pound (300g) of added fat per day has been fed in some instances when it was critical that more energy be provided without increasing starch (grain) intake.

If horses are gradually adjusted to fat intake, a great deal of energy may be fed to the weanling in the form of fat. If a weanling has epiphysitis or other DODs, it is preferable to feed a high-fat rather than a high-grain diet, but these young horses still need supplementary protein, minerals, and vitamins, which is usually fed in the form of a low-intake balancer pellet such as Stamm 30.

The last thought for the weanling, is how it deals with weaning time. In general, five months of age seems to be the most ideal time to wean. A general rule of thumb is to wean a foal at least 45 days before a sale. If that is too early for late foals, wean five days before a sale. Forty-five days gives adequate time to get the weanling over the post-weaning slump and into good shape, while five days before a sale does not give the weanling time to fall apart.

For further free feeding advice and personalised diets for your horse or pony email info@bluegrasshorsefeed.com.