A Meal Away from Mom

The question of whether to feed foals concentrate separate from mares (called creep feeding) has often posed a dilemma for horse owners. On one hand, owners want to be certain that foals are getting all required nutrients and growing to their genetic potential. On the other hand, there is concern that too much rich feed can cause bone and joint growth problems. Is there a correct approach to

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The question of whether to feed foals concentrate separate from mares (called creep feeding) has often posed a dilemma for horse owners. On one hand, owners want to be certain that foals are getting all required nutrients and growing to their genetic potential. On the other hand, there is concern that too much rich feed can cause bone and joint growth problems. Is there a correct approach to creep feeding to allay those fears, or is it strictly guesswork?

There appears to be a right way to get the job done, and the horse world is indebted to Robert J. (Bob) Coleman, MS, PhD, who is now serving as extension horse specialist at the University of Kentucky, for one successful approach. Prior to joining the staff at the University of Kentucky, Coleman served as the Horse Specialist for Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. While in that capacity, he conducted a 53-day trial that involved creep feeding a large group of foals on an Alberta, PMU (pregnant mare urine) farm. The study was funded by the North American Equine Ranch Council (NAERIC), which represents ranchers engaged in the collection of pregnant mare’s urine for use as an estrogen replacement therapy for women.

The study has been hailed by equine nutrition experts such as Harold Hintz, PhD, MS, a professor of animal nutrition at Cornell University. “It’s the best study I know of,” Hintz says. Coleman is quick to say that at least part of the study’s success is attributed to excellent cooperation from the equine rancher who owned the horses involved in the study.

“He (Tracy Watson, who with his wife, Sandy, owns Wolf Creek Ranch in Alberta) asked me how many creep feeders I needed and what the dimensions should be,” Coleman says. “I told him, and he built them. The Watsons gave me full cooperation and help all through the study

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Les Sellnow was a prolific freelance writer based near Riverton, Wyoming. He specialized in articles on equine research, and operated a ranch where he raised horses and livestock. He authored several fiction and nonfiction books, including Understanding Equine Lameness and Understanding The Young Horse. He died in 2023.

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