Advice on what to feed yearling

[Poorlypony]

I have a homebred WB (with quite a bit of TB) who is 15 months. She has always been enormous and is very tall and rangey. She was weaned at 10 months and is appropriately wormed etc.

Although she has always looked a bit poor, I have held off feeding her as I lost one youngster as they developed physitis (at a similar age) and the vet said it was very unusual but if it was going to happen it would happen to fast growing big youngsters on hard food.

However, she still looks skinny despite ok grass so I think it can no longer be avoided. I want something presumably low protein but that will give calories - can anyone recommend a suitable young stock feed? Thanks

 

[PorkChop]

I personally wouldn't - I would hang on until the Autumn before considering hard feed.

If she is on good grass, and has access to good quality hay/haylage then I would let her grow at her own pace tbh.

 

[Poorlypony]

Thanks. That is the theory I have been working on but she looks pretty awful and people (including vet) are starting to tut! However, I worry that if I feed her, even if nothing goes wrong long term, she'll look just as bad and grow even more huge!

 

[PorkChop]

Really? that's awful - what is your feeling on how she is looking, your gut feeling?

 

[Poorlypony]

She does look pretty grotty. If I hadn't had a bad experience before I would be feeding her!!

 

[tallyho!]

NOt sure I would hang on with a wb tbh... if looking poor, like, really poor I would start adding just suregrow and grass nuts. I agree that yearlings should look gangly and rangey... but if it goes too much the other way, it's hard to get back if you don't start now because then you just end up pushing far too much in winter and that is never a good thing. It's better they lose a bit in winter.

 

[Poorlypony]

Thanks, that sounds sensible

 

[Oscar]

Look at the mollases free range of horse feeds available that are a complete feed or a complete balancer with a mollases,free chaff.

 

[Alec Swan]

Poorlypony, sometimes the description of one man's 'poor', isn't that of another's! Would pics be possible?

Not I, but there are some highly experienced bods on here who could tell you that you should be concerned, or not! I've seen posts and pics on here of those who've been concerned over their horse's condition, and all so often and upon seeing the evidence, others have replied that the animal looks fine.

Pics will help to give an opinion, immeasurably.

Alec.

 

[tallyho!]

Poorlypony, sometimes the description of one man's 'poor', isn't that of another's! Would pics be possible?

Not I, but there are some highly experienced bods on here who could tell you that you should be concerned, or not! I've seen posts and pics on here of those who've been concerned over their horse's condition, and all so often and upon seeing the evidence, others have replied that the animal looks fine.

Pics will help to give an opinion, immeasurably.

Alec.

Very true.

 

[CBFan]

Poorlypony, sometimes the description of one man's 'poor', isn't that of another's! Would pics be possible?

Not I, but there are some highly experienced bods on here who could tell you that you should be concerned, or not! I've seen posts and pics on here of those who've been concerned over their horse's condition, and all so often and upon seeing the evidence, others have replied that the animal looks fine.

Pics will help to give an opinion, immeasurably.

Alec.

This.

And I too have been in your position with a fast growing youngster developing physitis and OCD. I have no doubt that a feed balancer contributed to this. I would be very weary of feeding balancers again for this very reason and IF I was really concerned about the condition of a youngster I would feed a simple grass chaff with some micronized linseed added (for the calories) but as a general rule, if they have plenty of grass and or access to good quality hay, I'd just let them grow and fill out at their own rate.

Some photos would be helpful so that we can reassure / advise more accurately...

 

[Kacey88]

You could always feed a handful of speedi beet with a good vitamin and mineral supplement. I don't have a high risk yearling (Irish Draught x) but I just make sure she gets essential minerals, especially since we are low in copper.

If she is actually poor (maybe she's not, depends who you ask to be honest!) you could could just increase the speedi beet, or something else which is basically fibre. I would hold off though because the grass will have another spurt before winter.

Best of luck