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Skip Navigation LinksAll Horse Topics > Nutrition/Supplements > Feeding Foals and Young Horses


Articles ( * = TheHorse.com members only )Date Posted
Rutgers' Young Horse Program Adds Mustangs to the Mix  *
Mustangs are the latest twist in the Young Horse Program at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J. Started in 1999 by Associate Professor Sarah Ralston, VMD, PhD, Dipl. ACVN, the program teaches students about handling, training, and nutrition of young horses. The program initially used draft ... Read full story
 9/20/2009
Preventing Developmental Orthopedic Disease through Nutrition  *
Developmental orthopedic disease can rob a young horse of its future as a sound athlete. Each year the consequences of diseases such as osteochondritis dissecans and physitis render hundreds, maybe thousands, of young horses structurally inadequate for the work they were bred to do. Over the last several years, researchers have found that appropriate ... Read full story
 7/29/2009
Preventing Metabolic Disorders through Early Nutrition   *
Maternal nutrition and early foal nutrition could impact the development of the organs and systems that control energy metabolism later in life, suggest the authors of a recent research report. "In other species, it has been demonstrated that maternal diet has important implications on the metabolic status of the offspring," explained equine nutritionist ... Read full story
 6/12/2009
Feeding the Growing Foal  *
Start your foal out right to help avoid bone and tendon problems later in life. Your foal's growing like a weed at his dam's side, and by all appearances, he's healthy and happy. But you know how important it is to ensure that he's receiving the right levels of nutrients and that he doesn't grow too fast as you establish a feeding program; indeed, ... Read full story
 6/1/2009
Rutgers Young Horse Program Auction April 26  *
The Young Horse Teaching and Research Program at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences at Rutgers University will offer 14 draft cross yearlings for purchase at the 10th Annual NAERIC Yearling Horse Auction. This year's auction will occur Sunday, April 26, at the Round House at the corner of College Farm Road and Sheepfold lane, New ... Read full story
 3/25/2009
Emerging Pathogen Lawsonia Detailed in New Study  *
Lawsonia intracellularis is known to be the causative agent of proliferative enteropathy (a spreading disease involving the intestines) in horses and is an important emerging pathogen responsible for a number of North American outbreaks. But where the bacterium comes from, how it is spread, and how general equine practitioners can efficiently recognize ... Read full story
 10/3/2008
Equine Nutrition With No Grain  *
A three-year study by nutritionist Sarah Ralston, VMD, PhD, Dipl. ACVN, of Rutgers University in New Jersey, and her collaborators involved feeding draft cross weanlings and yearlings total mixed rations (TMRs) that contained processed forages, a vitamin/mineral suplement, and wheat bran, but little to no grain. This ration was designed to meet or ... Read full story
 8/26/2008
Tracking Young Horse Reactions on Different Feeds  *
Young horses might be easier to train if they temporarily lay off the sweets, according to a Montana State University (MSU) study that tracked behavior of 2-year-olds in training and compared it to their nutrition program. The extra energy provided by sweet feed during the early stages of training made the horses in MSU's study more disobedient and ... Read full story
 8/22/2008
Learning Lawsonia's Habits: High Exposure Rates, Low Morbidity  *
It appears most young foals born on farms with endemic Lawsonia intracellularis could be protected from equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE), a spreading intestinal disease caused by the bacterium, provided they ingest colostrum containing antibodies. Nicola Pusterla, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, associate professor in the department of Medicine and Epidemiology ... Read full story
 7/28/2008
New Study Identifies Risk Factors for Atypical Myopathy  *
Aggressive research efforts by Belgian veterinarians have culminated in the identification of numerous indicators or factors--including horse management and pasture characteristics--associated with atypical myopathy, a rapidly developing and fatal disease that destroys skeletal muscles. "Atypical myopathy is sporadically seen in grazing horses in ... Read full story
 6/7/2008
Providing Nutritional Support to Sick Neonatal Foals   *
Harold McKenzie III, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, assistant professor in equine medicine at the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center in Leesburg, Va., discussed the challenge of providing nutritional support to sick neonatal foals in his presentation at the 2007 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention, held Dec. 1-5 in Orlando, Fla. Many ... Read full story
 4/18/2008
Broodmare Nutrition Horse Course Now Available  *
The second installment of TheHorse.com's Horse Course series, "Broodmare Nutrition," is now available online at TheHorse.com/HorseCourses When creating a feeding program for broodmares, it's important to remember that the mare is eating for two; you must consider the nutritional requirements of the foal, in addition to those of the mare. In TheHorse.com's ... Read full story
 4/15/2008
Alfalfa Hay Reduces Ulcer Severity  *
If your horse has ulcers, giving him GastroGard (omeprazole) isn't the only thing you can do to help reduce the severity of the problem. At the 2007 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention, held Dec. 1-5 in Orlando, Fla., Noah Cohen, VMD, PhD, MPH, Dipl. ACVIM, professor of equine medicine at Texas A&M University, discussed a study ... Read full story
 4/2/2008
Foals', Mares' Nutritional Needs Change Over Time, Milk Study Says  *
The nutritional needs of mares and foals in the first six months following birth are becoming better understood following recent scientific and mathematical research in Portugal. New curve graphs of mares' milk generated from milking samples show the variations in levels of protein, fat, and lactose in the first 180 days of lactation. Total milk ... Read full story
 2/24/2008
Feeding to Avoid Developmental Orthopedic Disease (DOD)  *
The way you feed young horses could help them develop strong, properly formed bones and joints Developmental orthopedic disease (DOD) is a term coined in 1986 to describe all musculoskeletal problems in growing horses. These growth disturbances include physitis (inflammation of growth plates at the ends of the long bones), osteochondritis dissecans ... Read full story
 9/1/2007
Nutrition For Critically Ill Foals  *
A major challenge in veterinary hospitals is providing nutrients to critically ill foals that are weak or unable to nurse. In these situations, parenteral nutrition (PN) is provided via an IV catheter. In a recent study researchers found that adding lipids (fats) as a source of energy to intravenous nutrient infusions didn't increase the risk of complications ... Read full story
 6/5/2007
Nutrition to Go  *
A group of veterinarians gathered at the Land O' Lakes Purina Mills headquarters in St. Louis, Mo., last fall to participate in discussions on subjects that ranged from Cushing's disease to proper nutrition for horses young and old. Nicholas Frank, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, of the University of Tennessee, addressed the issues of Cushing's disease and ... Read full story
 3/1/2007
ACVIM 2006: Noni Juice--A NSAID?  *
Although more research is needed, Tahitian Noni Equine Essentials, an herbal product made from the Morinda citrifolia tree, could have uses as an anti-inflammatory agent, according to a cooperative study by the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine and the University of Nevada. Benjamin Darien, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, presented data ... Read full story
 9/14/2006
Feeding Weanlings   *
Feeding young horses is a serious business. If we underfeed, we risk problems stemming from malnutrition. If we overfeed, there is the risk of developmental orthopedic disease that can affect bones and joints. Somewhere in between the two extremes there is a correct balance that results in orderly growth and development as the horse reaches its genetic ... Read full story
 5/1/2006
Book Excerpt: Feeding the Growing Horse  *
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from Understanding Equine Preventive Medicine by Bradford G. Bentz, VMD. This book is available from www.ExclusivelyEquine.com. Feeding of young, growing horses requires a higher amount of digestible energy and specific attention to certain nutrients. Young horses frequently need more protein, calcium, phosphorus, ... Read full story
 1/11/2006
Foals of Non-Milking Mares   *
I have a gorgeous palomino Quarter Horse mare that I would like to breed, but I have a problem. She ran into barbed wire as a yearling and she cannot produce milk as a result of that accident. The man who owned her before bred her twice, and he bottle-fed the babies and they did fine. I really want a foal out of this mare, but I am wondering if it ... Read full story
 4/1/2005
Farnam/Purina Partner on New Feeding Program  *
On March 7, Farnam, known for its wide variety of equine products from equine dewormers to fly sprays to equipment, and Purina, one of the country's most recognized and respected manufacturers of animal feeds, announced they had become partners in the manufacturing and promotion of a new, premium line of horse feeds and supplements. Platform horse ... Read full story
 3/8/2005
Sick Baby? Calories Count!   *
You agonized over selecting the right stallion for your mare. You waited patiently for 11 months until the foal was born. You fell in love as soon as those little hooves hit the ground. And now, you're worried sick because that precious baby isn't thriving as he should. Luckily, a focus on proper nutrition can play a key role in getting your foal back ... Read full story
 2/1/2005
Joint Supplements and Vitamins
Q: I have a 2-year-old Quarter Horse gelding who has been in training for three months. When should I start giving him a joint supplement? Also, when should I begin giving him a vitamin supplement? Sarah A: Well, to be honest, your question supposes that you need to be giving him such things at all. Horses were made to be able to satisfy all ... Read full story
 12/1/2004
Diseases of Dietary Origin  *
The axiom, "You are what you eat" does have relevance to horses with regard to health and well-being. Although horses have evolved to eat plant material, not all plants are safe to eat. Some food substances directly exert toxic effects, while others grow fungi that do so. Availability and type of food are important issues to intestinal health and nutritional ... Read full story
 3/1/2004
Feeding Orphan Foals   *
Orphan--the name itself evokes sadness and sympathy. A baby without a mother, in this case a foal. Whether it occurs through the death of the mare, or just that the mare cannot produce milk or will not take care of her foal, it all leads to one problem: how to care for the foal. In the past, there have been two standard options: Raise the foal ... Read full story
 2/1/2004
High-Tech Horse Raising  *
Tracking the growth of young horses is going high-tech with a computer program called Gro-Trac. Developed by Kentucky Equine Research (KER), the program allows breeders to compare the growth rates of horses on their farms to others of the same age and sex on farms in various states and countries. By using a database of growth records created by KER ... Read full story
 8/13/2003
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 ... Read full story
 7/1/2003
Building Better Athletes Through Nutrition  *
Nutritional strategies for raising and competing sounder Thoroughbreds, many of which can be applied to horses of all breeds, was presented by Laurie Lawrence, PhD, at the Thoroughbred International Exposition and Conference (TIEC). Lawrence, who has done extensive research on equine nutrition at the University of Kentucky, covered nutrition of foals, ... Read full story
 7/1/2003
Feeding Yearlings: Preparing for the Sale   *
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, ... Read full story
 5/1/2003
Faulty Bone Formation   *
A disease that can be debilitating in young horses is osteochondrosis. This affliction has its genesis during the youngster's growing years and can compromise the horse's ability to perform later in life if it is not dealt with early. Osteochondrosis is one of the diseases that comes under the general umbrella of developmental orthopedic disease (DOD), ... Read full story
 4/1/2003
AAEP Convention: Nutrition  *
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN EQUINE NUTRITION A lot has happened in the field of equine nutrition research in the last five years. Ginger Rich, PhD, of Rich Equine Nutritional Consulting in Eads, Tenn.; and Leslie Breuer, PhD, of LH Breuer and Associates, updated veterinarians who attended the Current Concepts in Equine Nutrition in-depth session at ... Read full story
 3/1/2003
AAEP 2002: Recent Developments in Equine Nutrition  *
A lot has happened in the field of equine research in the last five years. Ginger Rich, PhD, of Rich Equine Nutritional Consulting in Eads, Tenn.; and Leslie Breuer, PhD, of LH Breuer and Associates, updated veterinarians and others who attended the Current Concepts in Equine Nutrition in-depth session at the 2002 American Association of Equine Practitioners’ ... Read full story
 2/4/2003
The Body's Building Blocks   *
Like a structure made of tinker toys, protein is composed of smaller pieces--the amino acids. These can be rearranged to form the different types of protein-based tissues in the body. Protein is one of the basic nutrient elements of the equine diet, along with fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals, and it is necessary to the life and well-being ... Read full story
 11/1/2002
Purina Veterinary Conference  *
Only 20 miles from downtown St. Louis, Mo., is a 1,200-acre research farm owned by the nutrition company Purina Mills. On Oct. 3-5, 140-plus veterinarians and another 50 Purina Mills representatives gathered to tour that research facility and hear speakers lecture on various topics during the Purina Mills Veterinary Nutritional Conference. Three of ... Read full story
 10/16/2002
Bringing Up Baby  *
Your young horse is growing up. From birth to age two, a horse will achieve 90% or more of his full adult height. But growing up too fast can cause problems, including an increased risk of developmental orthopedic disease (DOD), which includes several skeletal problems in growing foals. To maximize growth while minimizing the risk of DOD, plan your ... Read full story
 7/1/2002
Watch Mild Mid-Winter Weather  *
It is well-accepted that the foal losses and other problems seen in several states in the spring of 2001 were triggered by environmental factors, meaning weather. Farmers and livestock managers have known for years that weather conditions affect the health and welfare of their animals in various ways. The mild weather seen in Kentucky and other states ... Read full story
 12/17/2001
Turnout Time for Warmblood Foals
I am being told by "professionals" that warmblood foals should be turned out a limited amount of time. The "professionals" were a farrier (who shoes Olympic-quality horses) and a respected veterinarian. Their reasoning is that warmblood babies grow too fast and this would slow his growth down. This colt is trying to canter in a 12-foot by 12-foot stall ... Read full story
 12/1/2001
Feeding Young Horses: It's Not the Protein  *
Genetics, exercise, and nutrition all play a role in the occurrence of developmental orthopedic disease (DOD) in young horses. There are, however, conflicting theories regarding the role of each. Breeds selected for rapid growth are at an increased risk, but growth rate alone does not cause the problem. For example, trauma due to excessive concussion ... Read full story
 5/1/2001
Weanlings for Education and Profit  *
A research group at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, has found a unique way to perform multiple research projects where humans, horses, and the university benefit. In fall of 1999, Sarah Ralston, VMD, PhD, Dipl. ACVN, Associate Professor in the University's Animal Science Department traveled to North Dakota to select 10 Quarter Horse/draft ... Read full story
 3/1/2001
Ready, Steady, Grow--Feeding Young Horses  *
We don't have all of the answers when it comes to feeding young horses. A nutrition program that doesn't promote--and possibly helps prevent--developmental orthopedic disease (DOD), including osteochondritis dissecans (OCD), is critical at this stage. Researchers now are steering away from the belief that excess protein is a major culprit in DOD, excess ... Read full story
 3/1/2001
Growing Up: Estimating Adult Size  *
You look at that little 14-hand cutting mare which you have decided to breed. She's a dandy, you think, but just a little small for general ranch work or pleasure riding. So, you take her to that 16-plus-hand Thoroughbred in the next county and breed her. Eleven months later, you walk out to the barn and there in the stall is a newborn foal which has ... Read full story
 1/1/2000
Feeding Racehorses  *
On several occasions in the past year or two, we’ve discussed in this series the intricacies of feeding young horses for optimum growth. We’ve also walked you through the pertinent points of fueling the high-performance equine athlete, for maximum output with minimum fatigue. But there’s one category of performance horse which combines both of these ... Read full story
 8/1/1999
Fetal Development and Foal Growth  *
Procreation in any species borders on the miraculous. How else can one describe a phenomenon where two microscopic entities intersect, join forces, and grow into a living, breathing creature that, in the case of the horse, will weigh 1,000 pounds or more at maturity. Science, of course, does not deal in miracles. It involves itself in no-nonsense facts ... Read full story
 1/1/1999
The Orphan Foal  *
The birth of a long-awaited foal is an occasion to celebrate. All of the planning, breeding dates, pregnancy checks, and hopes finally are realized. But what if the unthinkable happens--the mare becomes ill, or she doesn't produce any milk, or worse, she dies. What do you do with the foal? How do you care for him/her? How and what do you feed the little ... Read full story
 12/1/1997
Focus: Physitis  *
Developmental orthopedic disease (DOD) remains one of the top concerns of breeders worldwide. Not one condition, but rather a series of related syndromes, DOD encompasses anything that contributes to poor skeletal development in foals: angular limb deformities, osteochondrosis, osteochondritis dessicans (OCD), contracted tendons, cervical malformations, ... Read full story
 4/1/1997




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