Feeding For Young Horse Growth – The Facts
A significant amount of information on this page
has been taken from published material by
Ranvet.
The management and feeding of pregnant and lactating mares, and of
young, growing foals is largely dictated by industry trends. It is
commonly accepted that early growth and development are important for
young horses that will enter training and education as yearlings to two
year-olds. Accordingly, industry has a strong desire to accelerate the
growth of young horses to produce a well grown product for sale as a
yearling, or as a performance horse.
Studs recognise that the marketing potential of foals and young horses
often hinges on evidence of significant early development. While stud
managers recognise that it is important for all foals to develop soundly
to ensure their longevity and productivity, it is often difficult to
feed for optimum growth plus soundness.
An important decision for horse owners is whether young horses are to be
fed for moderate or rapid growth. It is important to understand that
either feeding practice will produce mature horses that are as big and
sound as their genetic potential will allow, however, rapidly growing
young horses reach their mature height and weight much earlier than
those fed for moderate growth rates. This is often a significant
advantage in the yearling sale ring.
At two years of age, and sometimes younger, horses are
expected to perform as would an adult animal, so they are expected to be
as well developed at sale time as possible for maximum financial return.
While good growth is the benchmark for yearling sales,
soundness is the key to competition success. These two factors are not
necessarily closely related unless nutrition is carefully considered.
Nutrient Demands Are Cumulative.
While young horses on a high plane of nutrition are maturing much earlier to race as two year olds, they are still growing when they enter racing stables. The growth plates in the legs do not close until about 4 years of age, for example. The nutritional requirements for growth and performance are often not adequately met from standard stable rations. The most important demand on nutrients besides that for exercise, is for growth. Exercise converts energy into motion, and growth converts nutrients into structural tissue, so there is no synergy between these two nutritional requirements, and these nutritional demands are additive.
Young horses need more protein,
vitamins and minerals
than do adults. The additional protein, minerals and vitamins are
usually supplied in the large amounts of feed given to performance
horses to meet their energy needs.
Other additive nutritional demands, such as pregnancy, lactation and
weight gain must also be taken into account
when feeding programs are developed. Although pregnancy and lactation
are unlikely to affect the nutrition of performance or training. The
periods of significant nutritional demand are the last trimester of
pregnancy and the first 6 weeks of lactation, and these are periods of
forced rest for mares.
To achieve a sound, well developed performance horse,
attention to four factors is critical;
a) nutritionally support rapid foetal growth
in last third of pregnancy
b) raise and maintain the nutritional quality of mares milk
c) maintain nutritional requirements of rapidly growing foals and
weanlings
d) allow appropriate exercise for young foals and weanlings
Feeding for optimum growth and development in foals
requires allowances for changes in climate, paddock size, pasture
quality, management capacity, and, most importantly, to ensure that
sudden growth surges do not occur.
Bone Is Living Tissue
Bone is a living organ, forming the skeletal structural framework which
supports the body. Bone consists of protein and mineral components. The
protein (osteoid) makes up 20% of mature bone by weight. The mineral
component is principally calcium and phosphorus. The protein forms the
framework on which the minerals are deposited.
In the growing foal, the long bones add length at areas known as
Epiphyses, or Growth Plates, near each end of the bone close to the
joints. Bone mineral is being constantly deposited at this area to
provide growth.
Bone tissue is in a constant state of mineral deposition and absorption.
Minerals flow in and out constantly. As growing horses exercise and
later as horses train and compete, the bones are subjected to forces of
compression and displacement which affect their growth and form in
foals, and their maintenance in adults. Bones which are not in use, as
an extreme example, when a limb is not bearing weight after injury,
rapidly become thinner and demineralised (a process known as
osteoporosis). This process occurs within a matter of days after injury.
Genetics control bone development to some degree, but nutrition is a key
factor in bone density and strength.
DOD – Developmental Orthopaedic Disease
A major concern for horse breeders is the occurrence of bone and joint
disorders, commonly called DOD (Developmental Orthopaedic Disease).
Common symptoms of DOD include enlargements and deformities of the
fetlocks, knees and hocks, contracted tendons, and skeletal
irregularities in many young horses. Some horses never develop visible
signs of DOD, while others have continual problems with appearance or
lameness that interfere with growth, development, or later, performance
and longevity.
DOD appears to be heritable. Horses with a genetic predisposition for
large mature size often develop skeletal problems regardless of the
manner in which they are fed and managed as young horses.
Other causes of DOD include, (1) nutrient imbalances, and (2) excessive
forced exercise of confined horses.
To help prevent skeletal problems, diets for young horses must be
formulated carefully. Nutrients such as protein, calcium, phosphorus,
other minerals and vitamins must be provided in the correct amounts
relative to each other, and in balance with the amount of energy being
fed. Inadequate or imbalanced nutrients can be a potent cause of DOD.
Growing horses fed high energy diets with nutrient imbalances may gain
weight more rapidly than their bones can develop. In that situation,
above average weight gains may not be consistent with optimum bone
mineral deposition
.
Feeding high energy diets with imbalanced nutrients is
known to be a factor in development of DOD, but research has not shown
that high protein diets produce DOD. It is the nutrient imbalances,
rather than the high energy diets, that create DOD.
When diets are low in protein, calcium and phosphorus,
height gains in weanlings and yearlings is decreased. Conversely, young
horses gain more height, weight and girth when fed high energy diets
with suitable levels of protein and minerals.
When energy is limited, growth will be limited. When energy
is available, growth will be improved.
However, it is very important to recognise that when horses are fed for
faster growth they have a significantly higher requirement for protein,
minerals and other essential nutrients than horses fed for moderate
growth.
Epiphysitis is more frequent in rapid growing horses than
in slow growing horses. This problem develops because of mineral
inadequacy rather than excessive protein.
Feeding Practices Vary.
In Australia, traditional feeding practices are based on grain and
concentrate feeding with pasture supplementation, as pasture quality in
winter often limits animal production.
In contrast, New Zealand successfully practices pasture based feeding.
Other international breeding areas also recognise pasture as the most
economic feed. The trend towards concentrate feeding in Australia is
largely due to the wide variation in pasture and environments, and the
high stocking density in many prime horse raising regions.
Concentrates have the advantage of significantly increasing
the nutritional level of growing horses to obtain optimum growth and
development. The disadvantage of concentrate feeding is that the risks
associated with incorrect feeding are high.
Rapid growth rates can have serious negative outcomes on
skeletal development.
The RIRDC (Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation) has
extensively researched growth and development in recent years, and
suggests that there is evidence that rapid growth early in a horse’s
life can have significant negative outcomes, especially in the skeleton.
Generally, the growth rate of horses is rapid in the first 6 months, and
progressively slows until maturity, at around 5 years. In general,
intensively fed horses were consistently heavier, taller and better
developed in the canon bones than those horses on lower nutrition
levels.
The weight gains of foals grazing improved pastures are
usually greater than foals grazing unimproved pastures.
The general perception of RIRDC researchers is that
commercial Australian studs may be achieving much higher daily growth
rates of foals (0.96kg/day from birth to one year of age).
The NRC (1985) Growth Rate Definitions for horses establish growth rates
in kg per day as follows;
Animal Age
Weanling (4 months) 0.85kg/day
Weanling (6 months) moderate growth 0.65kg/day
Weanling (6 months) rapid growth 0.85kg/day
Yearling (12 months) moderate growth 0.50kg/day
Yearling (12 months) rapid growth 0.65kg/day
Consistency of growth is as important as the rate of growth.
Bone abnormalities have been linked to severe growth depressions
followed by periods of rapid growth. In a study where foal feed intakes
were restricted for 4 months (0.3kg/day) and then uncontrolled, four out
of six foals developed flexural abnormalities and deformities. There was
no incidence of flexural deformities in the foals where intake was not
restricted.
Published data suggests that consistency of growth might be of more
importance than growth rate. Of greatest importance are the sudden
changes in growth rate sometimes seen.
A diet deficient in protein can reduce food intake and
growth, yet excessive protein appears to have no
detrimental effect on growth.
Satisfactory post-weaning growth on pasture is possible
only where there is sufficient high quality pasture.
The RIRDC concludes that at low to moderate stocking rates young foals
can be produced to acceptable industry standards on pasture, and that
there is a significant opportunity to reduce production costs by better
utilising pasture. The greatest benefit lies in the ability to integrate
pasture and concentrates, with concentrate levels being determined by
pasture nutrient shortages.
New Zealand research in 1991 showed that growth rate of
young Thoroughbred horses remained high regardless of the level of
concentrate being fed as long as pasture availability was not limiting
feed intake. Pasture protein levels remained above 20% throughout the
year, and levels of calcium and phosphorus in pasture also remained
adequate for most of the year, with an average Ca:P ratio of 1.9:1 This
is not the pasture situation found in Australia, commonly.
Stocking rate and pasture management has large effects on
pasture quality and quantity. In general, horses digest forage less
efficiently than cattle, and appear to compensate by having higher
levels of intake.
Regardless of which energy sources are fed, they must be
accompanied by sufficient high quality protein and essential vitamins
and minerals to ensure adequate sound bone development. As growth rates
rise, so too does the need for critical nutrients for bone development.
Two essential bone building factors are protein and
minerals. Energy provides the stimulus for foal growth, not bone
development.
Environment is a third essential bone building factor.
Exercise stimulates bone growth and strength. Young horses require room
for maximum exercise while growing. Adequate protein and minerals are of
no value without adequate, appropriate exercise.
Young growing horses require a balanced intake of the
minerals calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, copper, iron,
cobalt, zinc, iodine, manganese and salt for bone development. At any
given time, it is highly likely that pastures will be deficient in one
or more of these essential minerals for bone development.
A calcium : phosphorus imbalance is most likely to occur
when high grain rations are fed, and when horses graze tropical pastures
with little feed nutritive value. While a calcium deficiency may not
reduce size, the skeleton is weak, porous and fragile, and prone to
breakdown. Phosphorus deficiencies usually occur when horses are
restricted to grazing high legume pastures (lucerne). Phosphorus
deficiencies usually retard animal growth as well as causing skeletal
weakness.
High levels of a particular mineral may often interfere
with the absorption of other minerals – for example, it is known that
very high calcium supplementation leads to a depression of zinc
absorption, and very high phosphorus levels will negatively influence
calcium absorption. High grain diets immediately unbalance bone
metabolism, as grains are low in calcium and reasonably high in
phosphorus. Grass hays usually suffer the same imbalance. Obviously a
horse in race training on high grain and hay diets has a major part of
its daily intake derived from these two dietary components, with
immediate negative results on bone strength, density and development.
Tropical grasses contain oxalate, which decreases calcium
utilisation and uptake from diets.
In the last 3 months of pregnancy the foetus doubles in
size, and calcification of the cartilaginous skeleton commences. At this
time in pregnancy it is critical that adequate protein and minerals are
supplemented to pregnant mares. During late pregnancy the mare draws
very heavily on the calcium reserves in her own bones. If inadequate
supplementation is available, the mare may suffer from calcium
depletion.
The mineral requirements of a lactating mare are far
greater (up to 3 times her normal requirements) than for a pregnant
mare. Lactating mares lose over 4 times the amount of calcium lost from
pregnant mares.
Horses Still Need Supplementation When In Training and Competition
The majority of high grain / low roughage diets fed to performance
horses in training are chronically deficient in calcium, magnesium,
zinc, iron, copper, and often, vitamins A and D. All, of these vitamins
and minerals are vital to bone development and the maintenance of strong
bones. A diet with these deficiencies leads to demineralisation of
bones, resulting in soft, brittle bones, crippling lameness and
fractures.
The need to provide energy for performance often
overshadows the need for balanced protein and minerals in performance
horses. The most significant demand on the nutrition of performance, and
growing, horses is for supplemental energy. High grain diets provide
energy, but are very low in calcium for bone development. Calcium is
also critically involved in muscle and nerve function. If calcium levels
in the high grain diet are low, calcium is drawn from bone reserves,
reducing bone density and strength. Magnesium is involved in assisting
calcium absorption, as well as having a key role in muscle function. If
magnesium is low, calcium absorption is reduced. All cereal grains are
deficient in magnesium, so supplementation is required. In general,
cereal grains are fed for energy, not protein. Most cereal grains are
quite deficient in the amino acids lysine, methionine and tryptophan
The greatest hazard when increasing grain intake is the
inherent calcium : phosphorus imbalance of most grains. For example;
corn, oats and barley have typical calcium : phosphorus ratios of 1:10,
1:5, and 1:7 respectively. If these diets are not supplemented with
calcium, the calcium : phosphorus ratio falls below 1:1
This ratio must be maintained at the 1:1 to 2:1 range
Excess of certain minerals such as phosphorus, will create
apparent deficiencies in other minerals, such as calcium in this
example.
Exercise during conditioning, training and competition
results in increased bone remodeling to adapt to stresses, hence
increased mineral requirements during competition, especially when on
calcium deficient high grain diets.
During athletic training and performance, muscle tissue is
damaged, and must be repaired after fast work. Dietary or supplemented
protein is required to replace critical amino acids for muscle repair.
A deficiency of protein will do more to depress growth rate
than almost any other single nutrient group.
80-90% of mature horse size will be achieved in most horses at 12 months
of age. The primary manifestation of protein insufficiency is poor
growth and lactation.
Deficiency of vitamin D will exacerbate an existing
imbalance in calcium : phosphorus. Vitamin D acts by increasing the
intestinal absorption of these minerals, and it can be deficient where
dietary intake is low, as when horses are fed poor quality hay, or when
little direct sunlight is allowed to reach the horse’s skin, when
stabled horses are exercised in early dawn or late dusk, and in winter
conditions in some areas.
Deficiency of vitamin A can occur when horses do not have
access to good quality, green hay. Hay which has been stored for long
periods will have significantly lower vitamin A levels than are
required. Vitamin A deficiency leads directly to loss of bone strength
and thinning of the bone cortex.
The stud is primarily responsible for correct nutrition and
development of bones. The mature, or almost mature racehorse in work
will have acquired its conformation from the parents as well as from
environmental aspects such as appropriate exercise during its
development. By the time a horse reaches the racetrack, its conformation
is more or less fixed. The burden of correct, balanced nutrition to
allow for optimum growth and development falls largely on the stud farm,
from appropriate feeding of pregnant and lactating mares, to balanced
nutrition for growth in young, growing foals.
Protein supplements of various kinds are available for
horse use. Be aware that heat treatment of feeds tends to destroy amino
acids. Cottonseed meal is low in lysine and methionine. Linseed meal is
deficient in lysine and tryptophan, so it is a poor supplement to be
used with cereal grains. Sunflowers are grossly deficient in lysine.
Soybeans are the most widely used protein source worldwide, and is by
far the most acceptable protein feed for use in growing foals. It
contains more of the essential amino acids than any other vegetable
protein.
The Adult Horse in Training and Competition
Weakness of adult horse bones due to inadequate mineralisation and
higher than normal porosity increase the likelihood of fractures and
joint breakdown during training and competition.
Bone strength depends not only on mineralisation, but also on the
quality and quantity of protein in the feed of both young, growing
horses, and those in training.
While crude protein deficiency is rarely encountered, a shortage of
balanced protein is quite common, and can have numerous negative effects
on bone. Strong, sound bone cannot be produced without sufficient
protein for the framework base upon which minerals are deposited.
The average horse diet often has problems with protein quality and
balance, and is often limited by deficiencies in certain essential amino
acids.
The critical issue for feed formulators is to not simply increase the
crude protein of the ration with components such as soybean meal or
other protein foods, but rather to pay strict attention to, and
supplement with, the essential amino acids such as lysine, methionine,
leucine, and arginine, some of which are lacking in most vegetable based
protein feeds.
Bone Needs Conditioning Through Exercise
The strength of bone and muscle in racehorses, and the ability of a
horse to stand up to rigorous training and competition is, to a large
extent, dependent on the conditioning effect of training. Training is
simply an increase in the level of athletic stress placed upon a horse.
Bone is living tissue, and it responds to work either by strengthening,
or breaking down.
Gradual introduction and adaptation by the horse to increasing levels of
training stress increases the strength of bone and associated
structures. The process of conditioning, as it applies to bone, involves
resorption and re-deposition of bone in new areas – a reshaping process.
A classic example of this effect is in the canon or shin bones of young
horses, and the condition known as “shin soreness”, which effects a high
percentage of young horses shortly after introduction to track work. The
bone of the front surface of the shins, or canon bones, is being
reshaped by the stress of track work. Basically cells lay down fresh
bone on the front of the canon bones to meet the mechanical demands of
the faster work. The shin area becomes painful and swollen. This problem
can be rectified by a period of slower work to allow the horse to adapt
to the new stresses placed on young bones.
The important issues in minimising breakdowns on the
racetrack are;
1. Feeding a balanced mineral supplement, correct in the balance of
calcium and phosphorus in relation to the rest of the diet.
2. Appreciation of the need for sufficient balanced protein in the
racehorse diet, particularly as it relates to essential amino acids
which may be lacking in vegetable feeds.
3. Understanding the reasons we feed everything we do to performance
horses, and the importance of balanced nutrition.
4. Avoidance of stressing unfit or unconditioned horses
5. Most importantly, appropriate foal nutrition and exercise at the stud
What Can Be Used to Properly Care For Young Horse Bone Development &
Growth?
The critical issues outlined above, as they relate to bone development
in young, growing horses, are;
a) Provision of the energy level required to stimulate a steady growth
curve, without “spurts”.
b) Provision of the balanced protein requirements to adequately build
bone framework and structure
c) Provision of balanced mineral requirements to allow bone
mineralisation and structural soundness
What Products Can Help Provide Steady, Sound Bone Growth in Foals at
Studs?
We have already established that foals require a steady growth curve,
with no “peaks and troughs” during the growth phase, and that pasture
feeding alone may not provide sufficient nutrients for pregnancy,
lactation and foal growth.
We have also established that energy fuels foal growth, while balanced
proteins provide a strong structural framework upon which mineralisation
can occur. Proteins also allow optimum muscle development at this stage
of growth.
Finally, we have established that the correct mineral balance is
absolutely critical to sound bone growth and development, at both stud
and training levels. Bone strength depends primarily on diet, and also
on exercise.
In most stud situations, we know that foals will be on pasture or
grasses, where they will be able to exercise appropriately, and where
they will receive some nutrients, but because of the variability of
pasture growth and nutrient content, we know that almost all mares and
foals will be supplemented with something.
We know that, in the last third of pregnancy and during lactation, mares
will be supplemented with grain for energy, to meet the increased
demands for energy they have, and we know that both energy and protein,
as well as adequate vitamins and minerals, are required to fuel the
correct rate of foal growth and development
The only thing we have not yet determined, is if we want foals to grow
at a rapid, or moderate, growth rate.
This decision will determine how much grain, or energy, we want to
supplement to the foal to achieve a steady growth rate with no peaks and
troughs. A rapid growth rate requires more energy, protein, vitamins and
minerals than a moderate growth rate, and also has much higher risks of
developing bone disorders and DOD in foals.
Finally, we then need to establish what feeds we want to supplement with
to achieve our aims. We know that grains produce the energy, and we know
that proteins produce the framework and structure upon which the foal
builds with balanced minerals. We also know that grains and vegetable
proteins can be seriously deficient in certain essential nutrients, and
that minerals can be seriously deficient or imbalanced in many pastures
and feedstuffs.
The greatest potential for growth occurs at a very young age
The average horse has a far greater potential for growth at very young
ages, and if essential nutrients are not supplied during this young
growth period optimum growth will not be achieved. By stunting or
restricting growth early in life, and then, later on, feeding an
increased ration, it is highly likely that excessive growth will be
stimulated, with resulting epiphysitis and/or contracted tendons, and
other skeletal abnormalities. Sudden surges in growth cause the real
problems in young horses. The sudden flush of growth in Spring, followed
by warmer weather, and also mineral imbalances or inadequate protein
balance in feeds are the most dangerous causes of loss of potential in
young foals on the breeding farm.
Mare’s Milk May Not Be Enough for Optimum Foal Growth
Mare’s milk may not be sufficient to fuel maximum early foal growth, as
the Ranvet trials quickly established that the milk is often deficient
in adequate iron and copper, as well as other essential trace nutrients,
depending on the pasture type and quality, and the mare’s supplementary
feeding program. Any deficiency in the mare’s milk will lead to less
than optimal foal growth and development, particularly when the quality
of mare’s milk drops significantly at about the seventh week of
lactation.
Ranvet exhaustively sampled and tested mare’s milk plus mare and foal
bloods during their nutrition trials on NSW stud farms, to finally
confirm the poor overall quality and rapid decline in the levels of
nutrients in milk – most particularly related to levels of iron, copper,
magnesium, protein and energy present in milk and available to the
suckling foal.
Not only was supplementary feeding of protein and minerals
to mares in last third of gestation as well as to foals found to be
justified, it was found to absolutely essential for adequate foal
growth.
A lactating mare loses over four times the amount of calcium used
by a pregnant mare. The combination of pregnancy and lactation produces
an additive requirement for additional calcium. This need is best
replaced by feeding FOLACTIN RED mineral supplement to mares, in
addition to Ranvet 500 protein and mineral supplement.
Creep Feeding Trials
Ranvet initiated an exhaustive trial of mare and foal nutrition
commencing in 1983-1984 on studs to fully research the factors in early
foal growth and sound development (Feeding for early maturity and
soundness, 1987).
Close scrutiny of stud management of mares and foals revealed that the
quality of mare’s milk declined rapidly after the seventh week of
lactation, and this was negatively influencing foal growth rates, which,
at that early stage of trials was 1 kg daily average.
A clearly identified need to increase the quality (and quantity) of
mare’s milk during this early rapid growth stage led to further trials
to introduce Creep Feeding to foals from 2 weeks of age. Ranvet creep
feeding trials during 1984 raised average daily weight gains to 1.23kg
over the 1983 average of 1.07kg daily, with an associated even growth
pattern up to yearling stage. The trial results in 1984 showed that, at
average age of 456 days, the yearlings (at 15 months of age) which were
creep fed weighed an average 460.23kg
These feeding trials quickly confirmed that dietary factors
play the most significant role in influencing the early maturation
process, and that specific nutritional requirements must be addressed
from the foetal development stage, especially in the last quarter of
gestation, then continued right through from foal growth to weanling and
yearling stages
.
Improving the quality of mare’s milk, plus the early
introduction of creep feeding for suckling foals, and early weaning, all
played a significant role in maintaining steady, sound growth patterns
in foals when associated with appropriate exercise opportunities.
Most importantly, this creep feeding program for maximum
growth was not associated with skeletal abnormalities, epiphysitis or
contracted tendons. The foal weight gains achieved under the creep
feeding regime were producing far better developed and more mature
yearlings at sale time.
How do you creep feed foals?
Having established the inadequate nutritional value of mare’s milk, and
the subsequent need for the early introduction of a balanced creep feed
ration, all that remains is to define an appropriate area, and ration,
for creep feeding foals. This area should ideally be in shade on well
drained ground, and placed where mares tend to congregate, as foals will
spend more time creep feeding if their mothers are nearby. The creep
feeding area is designed to simply allow access to foals while denying
entry to the mares. This may be achieved by a simple rail placed at a
height of 137cm, to a more elaborate pen structure, depending on the
situation.
Creep feeding is effective at preparing foals for the weaning process,
by ensuring that only minimal setbacks will occur at this stressful
time.
In practice, the early introduction of a creep feed
actually encourages self-weaning.
Creep Feeding Ration
Ranvet trials and experience have led to the recommendation that creep
feeding rations include;
Steam Rolled Oats (or dehulled oats) – highly palatable and digestible
for young foals
Salt
Ranvet 500 protein supplement
Folactin Red mineral supplement
Lucerne chaff
Iron supplement
The levels of ingredients alter as the foal ages, and doses are as
recommended on the product labels.
Further information on creep feeding foals is available from Ranvet.
Creep Feeding Leads to Early Weaning
After successful introduction to creep feeding, the time to wean foals
is simply a management decision, and will probably occur at about 3
months. This has several advantages, including the reduction of pressure
on the mare’s skeletal mineral and nutrient reserves created by
lactation, to ensure to the best possible opportunity for conception at
her next mating.
So what do we do to use all this information?
Careful stud managers know how much grain they will supplement to their
mares and foals to achieve the appropriate growth. This grain ration can
be altered on a daily basis, if required, to maintain steady growth, as
pastures alter with seasons. Rations may be either “complete” or hand
mixed, depending on the stud.
What is commonly required is to then supplement the mares and foals with
balanced, complete minerals and vitamins, and with protein, to “top up”
the pasture and grain rations, and ensure that all rations are balanced
and complete.
Several products are designed to do this supplementation safely, and
provide steady, sound foal growth:
Ranvet 500 STUD
FORMULA
Protein, Vitamin & Mineral Supplement for Mares, Foals, Weanlings and
Yearlings
A complete protein, amino acid, mineral and vitamin
supplement in pellet form, designed to be simply added daily to the
grain and chaff or hay ration already provided at the stud.
Even though legumes and good pastures provide a high protein feed, this
is purely vegetable protein which has well documented deficiencies in
certain essential amino acids critical to growth and development of
bones and muscles.
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Recommended daily feeding rates:
Mares in late pregnancy & lactation 650g daily
Creep fed foals at 2-4 weeks 50-100g daily
At 2 months 150g daily
At 4 months 250g daily
Weanlings at 6 months 350g daily
At 9 months 500g daily
Yearlings 650g daily