Question

Everything I’ve read indicates that grain should not be fed to growing draft horses. I know specially formulated foods are available for large-breed dogs so they don’t grow too fast, but what about horses? I have a Percheron yearling gelding, and my vet says that grass, Bermuda hay, and alfalfa pellets are not enough to give him what he needs, even though he is in good flesh and acts healthy. What does the research say?

Answer

I believe the concern with giving concentrated energy sources, such as cereal grains, textured feeds, or pelleted feeds, to growing drafts stems from the fact that excessive dietary energy contributes to growth issues and obesity in young horses. Owners and breeders of draft horses should be especially careful because drafts tend to be easy keepers. Instead of searching for a “draft-specific feed,” an appropriate ration for your gelding can be designed using readily available feeds. Once an optimal diet is established, you can monitor his body condition and growth rate regularly, making changes to energy sources as needed.

Although there is little modern research specifically on the growth rate of drafts, the primary tenet of feeding young horses applies: provide a forage-based, balanced diet at a rate that fosters sustained, slow growth.

Generally, drafts and draft crosses are considered easy keepers with slower metabolisms, so a diet of free-choice grass hay and a ration balancer is a sound place to start. Because you are offering pasture grass, keep in mind that growth spurts are common during the spring when grass growth surges, and you may want to limit seasonal pasture intake. The alfalfa pellets, which are more energy-dense than grass-based forage products, are acceptable for your gelding so long as he is not gaining too much weight. If you are happy with his body condition and he is growing well, his current diet is meeting his energy needs, but he may not be getting adequate micronutrients.

One of the most common nutritional problems with drafts is undersupplementation of vitamins and minerals or an imbalance of those nutrients. Most commercial feeds are fortified for feeding rates that would supply too many calories to drafts. In general, the recommendation for young draft horses is to feed a ration balancer that contains high-quality protein, vitamins, and minerals at a rate appropriate for their size.