Question

I have an eight-month-old foundation-bred Quarter Horse with an expected mature height of about 15 hands. I am currently feeding a three-pound coffee can of low-starch feed and one-half cup of ground flax twice a day. She has free-choice good-quality grass/alfalfa hay, salt blocks, and fresh water. She seems to be barely holding her weight; though no ribs are showing, she is very lean. I do not want her to get heavy, as I’d like to protect her joints. Is this body condition appropriate? Do I need to increase her feed? I don’t want to cause unnecessary issues with her in the long run.

Answer

Forage and concentrate intake will depend on the caloric value of each feedstuff as well as the optimal growth rate of your weanling. Free-choice access to high-quality mixed hay is great, but intake is difficult to measure. Monitoring growth rate—both height and weight—is also an important component of feeding appropriately.

Assessing body condition on a regular basis is one way to ensure that nutrients are being used for maintenance of weight and, in this instance, growth. Owners with an eye toward long-term soundness often choose to keep weanlings and yearlings in moderate body condition, being especially careful to avoid obesity. As you alluded to in your question, overconditioned young horses could have growth problems that might affect usefulness down the road. Some breeders prefer their young horses to have a “hint of rib,” meaning they’re neither too skinny nor too fat.

Check out the article Feeding Weanling Horses for a more in-depth discussion about how to nutritionally manage these youngsters.

The amount of feed you’ve been offering your filly falls within the general recommendation of 0.5-1 lb (0.23-0.45 kg) per month of age. The energy sources in the feed—low nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) and high fat—may not be optimal in this case.

Limiting the amount of NSC to reduce the glycemic index of the feed (lower glucose/insulin response to meal) is recommended for growing horses as a management strategy to potentially reduce the incidence of DOD, but some feeds may not have sufficient starch for optimal growth. A feed with moderate NSC and fat content may be more appropriate.

Choose a feed that is formulated for growth, and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Consultation with your veterinarian is important to help monitor and track the growth and development of your horse.