Young horse feeding guidance stresses steady growth, not speed

A new sponsored education push from The Horse and related content from Equus is resurfacing one of the most important principles in equine juvenile nutrition: young horses should be fed for controlled, consistent development, not maximum growth. In The Horse's March 26, 2025 article, sponsored by Purina, the core message is that nutritional mismanagement can contribute to developmental orthopedic disease, and that feeding plans should prioritize balanced energy, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals from pregnancy through the early training period. (thehorse.com)

That message builds on long-standing guidance in equine practice. University of Minnesota Extension notes that nutrition between weaning and 2 years of age is critical because bone formation, body size, and muscle mass all increase rapidly during that window. It also warns that feeding for maximum growth is undesirable because skeletal mineralization lags behind height gain; by 12 months, a young horse may be close to mature height while still well short of mature bone mineral content. (extension.umn.edu)

The practical details across the articles are notably consistent. The Horse says foals typically begin consuming concentrates at around 28 days of age and stresses that erratic concentrate changes, free-choice access to inappropriate feeds, or sudden increases in feed amount can create the uneven growth curves associated with DOD risk. The article also argues that when growth problems arise, the goal should be to reduce excess energy without cutting the amino acids, vitamins, and minerals needed for normal skeletal development. (thehorse.com)

Mineral balance is a major through line. The Horse highlights calcium and phosphorus, saying the ratio should stay at no less than 1:1, with 2:1 described as optimal, and points to zinc and copper balance as another key consideration. University of Minnesota Extension similarly recommends a calcium-to-phosphorus ratio between 1:1 and 3:1, flags reversed Ca:P ratios and low zinc or copper as risk factors, and says diets exceeding 120% to 130% of recommended energy intake can increase the risk of defective bone and related tissue formation. (thehorse.com)

Industry commentary in Equus adds a management layer that will sound familiar to veterinarians working with breeders. In a May 16, 2025 article, Sentinel Horse Feeds experts Dr. Randy Raub and Kristyn Sturken say weaning is one of the most stressful points in a young horse's life and can disrupt growth rate. Raub recommends weaning foals onto the same feed they were already accessing with the mare, avoiding group feeding of weanlings that can lead to dominant horses overeating while others fall behind, and cutting calories, not essential nutrients, when trying to slow growth in horses thought to be predisposed to DOD. (equusmagazine.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this is a reminder that nutrition counseling for young horses should be framed around risk management, not just feed selection. The clinical issue is not simply underfeeding versus overfeeding. It's whether the total ration supports a moderate, predictable growth curve, maintains appropriate macro- and trace-mineral ratios, and avoids the stop-start growth patterns that can follow weaning stress, forage changes, or poorly structured concentrate programs. That can make veterinarians especially valuable in reviewing forage analyses, body condition, feeding frequency, and growth tracking, rather than relying on product labels alone. (extension.umn.edu)

The fact that both source pieces are sponsored is also worth noting. Sponsored education can still surface useful, evidence-aligned guidance, but it should be read alongside independent extension and veterinary resources. In this case, the broad recommendations line up well with extension guidance: maximize quality forage, split concentrate meals across the day, monitor body weight and growth rate, and avoid assuming that a bigger or faster-growing youngster is developing more soundly. (extension.umn.edu)

What to watch: The next step for clinicians is less about a new product launch and more about implementation, especially as spring foaling and weaning decisions drive requests for ration reviews, forage testing, and DOD-prevention strategies in breeding and sport-horse programs. (equusmagazine.com)