Reprinted with permission from the author, February 12, 1999
This article is intended for educational purposes and not as professional advice for specific cases. Neither the author nor Equi-Sense is herein engaged in rendering professional veterinary advice. For specific cases, a veterinarian with first hand knowledge of the problem should be consulted.
Spring is a time for new life and this is never more apparent than when I watch new foals frisk and play without a care. You have done a good job to get this far. You have selected just the right stallion for your mare, and done everything you could to ensure a successful pregnancy. You've taken good care of that mare for a year while she developed the object of your hopes in her body. Finally you have paced the floor worrying about the birth that probably came while you were asleep. Now that you have invested so much time, money, and concern to get that cute little guy here, don't lose it now. At no other time of its life is proper nutrition more important or nutritional requirements higher than while your foal is growing.
Because young horses grow so fast their nutrient requirements are extremely high compared to mature horses. Protein requirements are very high due to the needs of developing muscle and connective tissue as well as all body parts. The rapidly growing skeletal mass demands great amounts of calcium and phosphorous. The foal's high metabolic rate and boundless energy require large quantities of carbohydrates. Luckily, these are the things supplied by mares' milk, but too often this source is not quite adequate for the foal to really optimize his growth and development. How much supplementation does your foal need? This depends on his or her size, age, breed, pasture conditions, and most of all how well the mare is milking. This would be a very complex situation except for one thing. Nursing foals are able to safely regulate their own consumption to meet their needs given the opportunity to do so. They are the only horses who can safely do so.
Nursing foals usually start at a young age eating grain with their mothers. However, the mares' grain ration is not adequate for the needs of the foal. Supplemental feeds for foals should be readily digestible, contain about 20% protein, and approximately 4 to 5 times the mineral levels of feed for mature horses. Feed for foals must be of very high quality because the foal just doesn't have the digestive capacity to eat large amounts in order to meet his needs. A feed that I have used and recommended very successfully consists of 58% soybean meal, 24% cracked corn, 8% dehydrated alfalfa pellets, 4% molasses, 3% dicalcium phosphate, 1% crushed limestone,1% salt, 0.5% trace mineral premix, and 0.5% vitamin premix. Remember that this feed would not be economical and could be dangerous if feed to horses over 1 year of age. If you have a custom feed supplier in your area, they can make this up for you, or there are commercial products available specifically for creep feeding foals that will have a composition very similar to this ration.
Now that we have looked at your foal's needs and what feeds will cover them, we bump heads with two physical problems. While your foal can regulate his own intake safely, his mother can not and access to free choice feed can be dangerous for her. The other problem is that while most of us want to feed twice or maybe three times per day, your foal wants to eat in very small, but very frequent meals. Both of these problems can be solved by "creep feeding", which is simply setting up an arrangement where the foal can get to free choice feed, but the mare cannot. If you have several mares and foals you may want to purchase a commercially built creep feeder where several foals at a time can wander through a panel that will not let the mares pass. You may also close the feed off in a corner of the paddock, or in an adjacent stall by means of any arrangement that lets the foal pass freely but will not admit the mare. A little creativity can go a long way in adapting your facility, but never underestimate the destructive power of a mare. Anything you do must be strong enough that the mare can not break it or injuries may occur. Do not put out more feed than the foals can consume in a few days and make sure the feed is protected from the weather. Remember that creep feeding is only safe up to about 6 months of age. The same feed can be used up to 1 year of age, but should be hand fed after weaning.
Today's competition in racing, showing, and marketing young horses places a heavy demand on your foal to get started right and to grow and develop as quickly as possible. It is equally important to grow them safely, avoiding the many problems associated with improper diets. Always remember that there are no substitutes for learning all you can about your horses' needs and spending the time to watch and observe how they are doing.
Dave Sparks, D.V.M.
Reprinted with permission from the author, February 12, 1999
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