The beautiful weather of the last few weeks allows our foals and young horses to enjoy the last of the pasture grass a little longer. Soon, however, most horses will enter the barn. So a good time to take a closer look at the nutrition of young horses.

The feeding of young horses should be aimed at ensuring that the horses develop well and healthily. After all, the basis for a long sports career is laid in the first year of life. Thus, extra attention must be paid here to proper nutrition. For example, nutrition in the first year of life has a major impact on joint health.

Some points of interest here are:

• It is important for a horse to experience constant growth. For this reason, a foal must already take in enough solid feed (hay or grass and concentrates) before weaning so that it can continue to take in enough nutrients after weaning to maintain constant growth. So a quality foal feed is definitely in order to get through the period of weaning well.
• Irregular or excessive growth should be avoided in young horses. Indeed, excessive growth increases the risk of developing OCD. It is therefore important not to give young horses excess energy, especially excessive sugar and starch should be avoided. After all, there is evidence that excessive fluctuations in blood sugar and insulin can (negatively) affect cartilage development.
• Essential nutrients for healthy growth are sufficient protein and essential amino acids. In addition, for proper bone growth, the minerals calcium, phosphorus and magnesium are crucial. The proper ratio of these elements is also very important. In addition, a good supply of trace elements such as copper and zinc are also very important for the formation of healthy cartilage. The correct ratio of these elements is also important for proper absorption. For example, an excess of zinc can reduce the absorption of copper.

Correct feeding of the young horse is thus no easy task and requires attention.

We are always ready to assist you with knowledge and advice on this subject. So do not hesitate to contact us!