Ideally a foal should grow at a steady rate as it is rapid increases or decreases in the growth rate which may cause problems. Weightaping the foal regularly and plotting the bodyweight on a chart will help identify any changes to a foal’s rate of growth so that the diet can be altered accordingly.
It is now widely accepted that protein is not a cause of growth problems – indeed it is an essential component of the diet to enable the youngster to build health bone and body tissue. Growth spurts, caused by high calorie intake from either pasture, forage, mother’s milk or hard feed, are more likely to lead to problems when, at the same time, the diet does not supply sufficient vitamins and minerals to support the youngster’s growth.
Read more about
Growth Problems, including a chart to help identify what you can do, by visiting the Stud Area of the site. There is also some tailore advice for those preparing youngsters for the
Futurity Young Horse Evaluations.
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