Growing the Young Horse - Latest Nutritional Breakthroughs
By Kate Arkell - Spillers® Technical Nutritionist

What are the issues?

The ultimate aim when rearing a foal should be to produce a sound, healthy and successful athlete for whatever level and type of equestrian use. Many factors affect the growth and development of foals, but nutrition is one that we can more easily influence and therefore we should try and get as close to the optimum as possible. We are increasingly realising that how we feed and manage pregnant and lactating mares as well as their youngstock can have a profound effect on their health and welfare. Some of the main issues affecting the growth of horses that can be assisted by appropriate nutrition include:

• Bone development
• Digestive health
• Immune status
• Behavioural development

In addition, we now believe that good nutrition supports not only overall wellbeing, but also future health and longevity.

How can diet help?

There are a number of factors to consider when formulating the optimum ration for a growing youngster. It has been known for some time that excessive amounts of energy in the diet can contribute to the development of joint and bone problems but recent research has also highlighted the importance of energy sources; feeds based on fibre and oil rather than the more traditional cereal-based feeds can help support healthy bone growth and limit the risk of developmental orthopaedic disease. Cereal-free fibre-based diets also carry benefits for digestive health of the mare and foal as well as for the foal’s behavioural development. High quality protein is also essential for optimum growth, with quality being more important than overall quantity. Vitamins and minerals too have a vital role to play in bone development, immune defence and overall health. 

The solution

WINERGY Equilibrium® Growth is a unique stud feed developed after more than ten years of extensive scientific research into nutrition for the growing horse. Its unique fibre and oil formulation, a far cry from typical cereal based diets and as much as 80% lower in starch, offers a number of important potential benefits for bone and behavioural development, digestive health and immune status:

• Optimum sources of energy for healthy bone development
• Optimum mineral levels for healthy growth
• Digestive security for mares & youngstock
• Fibre blend and low starch levels encourage balanced hindgut fermentation.
• Chopped fibre increases chewing time and buffers stomach acid to support gastric health.
• Support for the immune system
• High levels of antioxidants encourage transfer of immunity from mare to foal
• Good digestive health creates a healthy first line of defence against pathogens.
• Promoting positive behaviour
• High fibre formulation and careful nutrient combination encourage calm responsive behaviour and help reduce abnormal behaviours such as crib-biting.
• Healthy longevity
• Low sugar and starch formula encourages positive metabolism.

WINERGY Equilibrium® Growth really can give young horses the best start in life. For more information, call the WINERGY® Care-Line on 01908 576277.