Nutritional Management of Growing Horses

Growing horses require specific nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to aid in proper development.
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Feeding the Growing Horse
At each stage of a growing horse’s life, he’ll require different feed sources and nutrients to help him stay strong and healthy. | Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt/The Horse
Fuzzy foals waste no time transforming into full grown horses. But as they mature, their bodies need specific nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to aid in proper development, meaning the horses require special dietary considerations from caretakers during the first few years of life.

“Managing equine growth is a balance between producing a desirable individual for a particular purpose without creating skeletal problems that will reduce a horse’s athletic ability,” said Clarissa Brown-Douglas, PhD, a nutritionist for Kentucky Equine Research Australia.

She noted that managers should be familiar with equine growth patterns, and she guided attendees through the first few years of a horse’s life, discussing ideal feeding techniques and key points to remember.

Equine Growth Patterns

Study results have shown that when the average horse is born, he weighs about 10% of his mature weight, Brown-Douglas said. She explained that horses grow quickly during the first year of life, reaching 43% of mature body weight by 6 months of age and 61% of mature weight at 12 months. By the time the average horse turns 2, he weighs about 96% of his mature weight

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Erica Larson, former news editor for The Horse, holds a degree in journalism with an external specialty in equine science from Michigan State University in East Lansing. A Massachusetts native, she grew up in the saddle and has dabbled in a variety of disciplines including foxhunting, saddle seat, and mounted games. Currently, Erica competes in eventing with her OTTB, Dorado.

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