As the breeding season winds down and spring becomes summer, the primary focus on breeding farms is preparation of yearlings for the sales. The stakes are clearly high as vast sums of money are on the line–rightly or wrongly, the overall “presentation” of a yearling at the sales has a strong bearing on price, regardless of breeding. Plain and simple, poorly “fitted” yearlings won’t cut the mustard.

About 15-20 years ago, the adage “big is beautiful” drove the market and, therefore, the manner in which yearlings were prepared for sale. This meant feeding youngsters as much as they wanted to encourage rapid growth and excess conditioning (i.e., fatness). Nowadays, however, the focus is more on an athletic look. As always, overall conformation must be up to par, but rather than the appearance of a Butterball turkey ready for the Thanksgiving table, the sales yearling must be well muscled and toned, almost giving the impression that he will soon be ready to race.

There is no question that superior nutrition plays a key role in the preparation of a top-notch sales youngster. However, it isn’t the only factor that needs to be considered. Success is also heavily dependent on excellent overall health management programs (e.g., vaccination and parasite control programs), exercise conditioning, and perhaps most importantly, the dedication and hard work of personnel involved in getting the job done. And of course, superior genetics have a big impact on sales price. Another important facet is the selection of the most appropriate sale. A late foal or slower-developing yearling might not be ready for the summer sales, and he (and his seller) could be better served by an additional two or so months of intensive preparation.

In this article, we focus on the “feeding” component of sales preparation–this normally takes place during the three- to four-month period before the sale. However, it is important to realize that the whole process begins with the open broodmare. Her health and nutritional state at the time of breeding will influence conception. Nutrition during her pregnancy, especially the last trimester (three months), has a critical influence on development of the foal and likely affects development during the first few months of life. Poor nutrition of the broodmare and of the growing foal (before and after weaning) can lead to developmental problems that cannot be rectified in the short lead-up to the sales