Feeding the Growing Horse for Health and Performance

limiting nutrients and therefore a good mineral must be provided at an intake as directed by the manufacturer. Pay attention to the amount of trace minerals such as copper zinc and selenium in the mineral you choose as well as the amounts of fat soluble vitamins A D and E.
At this point in their lives many twoyearold horses are beginning their training and will need to have nutrient requirements for work factored into their ration. Again good hay ticks a lot of boxes for these horses but if extra energy is needed beet pulp oats or a manufactured concentrate can help. A diet of oats and grass hay for a growing horse may not meet protein needs and if fed a proteinmineral supplement of some sort will be required. When the energy requirements of a young horses increase often the inclusion of some alfalfa hay cubes or pellets in the diet can provide safe supplemental energy.
Different breeds of horses are considered mature at different ages. Many of the lighter breeds of horses such as Arabs Quarter Horses Thoroughbreds and pony breeds are considered mature by the time they are about four to five years old. Large breed horses including draft and warmblood breeds however are not generally considered to be of mature size and weight until they are at least six to seven years old. Be sure to feed your fiveyearold warmblood who is now engaged in light but consistent work like the growing horse he still is. 
Too Much Energy?
Many concentrates intended for the growing horse are high in starch and are energy dense but they can be an important part of a good diet for the growing horse as long as it is a balanced ration. Good quality hay will deliver a lot of the key nutrients but depending on the hay analysis it may be necessary to provide a protein supplement as well. Some commercial foal starters and growers provide an excellent source of essential nutrients but intake is important. If the supplement has to be fed at a high level in order to provide sufficient essential nutrients there is a risk that the growing horse will consume more energy than advisable. When feeding supplements containing starch sugar or fat watch the BCS of your young horse very carefully. A good practice is to take regular pictures and record their body weight as determined by the use