Comments on: Foal Growth

By: Kate barker

Kate barker — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 19:03:50 +0000

I have a 2 year old solid paint bred gelding. I’m showing him in halter classes this spring and summer. I feed him 1 scoop of pellet feed and the rest grass or hay. He is 15 hands and weighs 950 pounds. I exercise daily to build up his strength. I’m going to start training under saddle this summer. I want him to look natural in the show ring. I’ve seen some 2 year olds who look like body builders. I know the judges want that look but I dont like it. I want him to grow and develop naturally. I don’t like it when people push weight and muscle on young horses.

By: Cyndi

Cyndi — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 18:48:31 +0000

I totally know where you are coming from I had the same thing happen to me. What worked for me was cutting back on the Alfalfa. Alfalfa tends to build more water in the horse and too much of a good thing is not when it comes to swelling. I’ve found that a balanced diet & excersize is the key. I would like to pass on to you my theory but at the same time I also think you should check in with your vet to see maybe if something else is going on.Heres what I did I cut the Alfalfa back and added a good quality orchard try an excellent quality supplement like Equirys plus it contains your probiotics needed for digestion or try asking your vet if they sell their own supplement. adequate amount of whole oats and some horses do not like the bland taste of the oats I use a small scoop of low starch like safe choice or something similar to mix with your whole oats. Always turn out everyday adequate amount of excersize is needed always.

By: Erica

Erica — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 21:41:15 +0000

I have an 8 month old spotted draft colt. Still a stallion….he has been in a 24 x 24 corral for 3 months with no problems. He has been fed a large flake of alfalfa hay and some jr equine for the last 2 or 3 months as well again with no problems….approximately 3 weeks ago I saw that he was stocked up in the hind legs???? I figured He may be getting too much protein, so I completely stopped the jr equine gave very little alfalfa and began feeding Bermuda grass, however he is still stocked up…exercise makes it go down and when I run cold water on it the swelling goes down immediately!!! He is not lame…why does it keep coming back??? If it is because of too much protein and the amount of protein is ceased…how long will it take for the stocking up to go away if it is caused from that??? Oh and he does not have scratches….is it lack of salt? I surly hope this is a baby thing and is not a lifetime thing….if u think I am doing something wrong please tell me….I need advise..I want this to go away for good….thx so much. Please respond.

By: judy

judy — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 20:20:08 +0000

i have a six month horse how do i train and excersises
it

By: megan

megan — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 22:32:56 +0000

i just went to big r and bought some grain for my 8 year old horse but accedently got foal grain for growth and lactating mares please help will this make her sick if i feed her this?

By: Thom Childress

Thom Childress — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 16:12:59 +0000

We agree here with Dan. You shouldn’t ride your horses any harder than what their body can recover on grass overnight.

By: Greta

Greta — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:13:16 +0000

I am a middle of the roader! I agree too much feed and too fast growth causes more problems than it avoids. I like waiting to ride most horses until they are a good 3 years, but I do think they need grain as well as hay. Hay doesn’t have all the needed nutrients and looses nutrients as it is stored. The recomended amount of vitamins and minerals top dressed in feed is the most sound way to make sure your foals and adult horses are getting what they need.

By: Tina

Tina — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 17:27:26 +0000

I have a question. I have a stud colt that will be 2 in may 2010.I was told his dam was 15 hand but I think she look like she is just under 15 hands and sire is 15.3 but my colt is only 14.1-14.2. do you think he will get up to 15 HH. My e-mail is royalbluebloodranch@hotmail.com

By: Becky Smith

Becky Smith — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:02:09 +0000

I free feed my babies untill they are a year old then I grain feed them twice a day untill two. This way I know they are off to a good start even if the next owner doesnt take proper care of them. At 90% growth they have a great start and are up to the chore of being broke and trained. If anyone wants to compete at least they have a good chance of it. 20 use to be old but with better care and nutrition are belove equine freinds can live to a very ripe old age. I have had horses live into thier late forties and early fifties.

By: Heather Sabine

Heather Sabine — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 22:36:29 +0000

I have a two year old colt that is out of small parents (both are 14.1hh) and at two and a half, I think he’s about 12.2hh. I am constantly getting questioned about his health, age, future use, when he’s going to be broke, etc. It makes me crazy! Just because he’s little now doesn’t mean he won’t get bigger – just more slowly than some! In addition to that, he’s from cutting stock, who are consistantly small and slow growers. I don’t need him to be 14hh today – or ever if he doesn’t feel like it!

I am a firm believer in slow starts – he does just fine working on a lunge and has been tacked up with no stress. Why do I need to have him “fully broke” at two when I have the next twenty years with the horse? And inherently, why do I need a 90% grown horse at two when I have the next twenty years to watch him grow and mature with me. Grain just give young horses too much energy that they don’t yet know how to focus. If you’re giving hay and turnout, you’re doing everything they need.

By: Kathleen Nobert

Kathleen Nobert — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:08:10 +0000

I have to agree with Dan. I have been raising horses for 25 years as well, and I find what they need is lots of exercise, fresh water, a good mineral supplement, good grass in summer and good hay in winter. Grain is only necessary as a treat or reward and for working horses, or old horses that can’t get enough nourishent due to bad teeth. All tooth problems can not be fixed by floating the teeth, sometimes decay and old age set in. Many, many reiners and cutters have ruined legs by the time they reach their third year – caused by overgrowth, overfeeding and too much stress at too young an age.

By: Dan Pandolfo

Dan Pandolfo — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:22:58 +0000

I think articles like this that suggest feeding any horse concentrate(grains or grain biproducts) is part of the reason that we are losing the market base of users of horses……..not only is grain not in the natural diet..its absolutly what they do not need for proper development.
Groups like yours are only feeding the desires of the feed processors…your not really helping the horses or the owners……for example….pushing a 2 year old to be 90% of his mature wieght is certainly asking for structural problems…we see it all the time when we try to utilise the salvage horses of the cowhorse or reiner groups(halter horses even more so)….these horses are crippled at a very young age and cannot be used for ranch work or roping in the pen…they are virtually worthless as riders at that point….this in turn hurts the market base…not many people want to lose a whole bunch of cash on a burnt out cripple, it happens and poof..! they leave the business for good…they go buy a set of golf clubs or a boat….anything but another dead end horse.
Horses need time to grow and lots of fresh water,quality forage and enough pen space to develop muscle mass and bone density…no concentrated high energy starch based feed can replace the result of proper age, resistance, and impact on skeletal and muscle growth.
I do know this because I have bred and treained horses for 25 years now and even an old cowboy can see the results of reality….if your interested I will tell you how I develop horses that will be the kind that stay sound and colic free….its not always the genetics…its mostly the enviorment with some common use of INDIVIDUAL GENETICS.

Best Regards
Dan