Nutrition of the Growing Hanoverian - the American Hanoverian ...

feature
F r o m C o n c e p t i o n t o T w o Y e a r s O l d , P a r t I
Nutrition of the Growing Hanoverian
“We are still seeing too many foals with growing issues that either stem from too much food and/or the
improper balance of vitamins and minerals. Added care must be given to see that they receive proper nutrition
before birth, and during those crucial formative early months.” – Dr. Ludwig Christmann
All of us who breed warmbloods are
interested in reducing the number of
skeletal problems associated with
growth, improving reproduction and
optimizing performance up to our horses’
genetic potential. We ask ourselves,
“How can we effectively manage this on
our farms today, without causing digestive
upset (colic), while maintaining optimal
health and well being in all of our
horses?” Understanding nutrition’s role
in all of this and dispelling old “myths”
is a great place to start.
[ BY Donald R. Kapper, PAS ]
Nutrition is the science of
prevention. Therefore, in this
article we are going to discuss
how to reduce the incidence of “nutrition
related” problems on breeding farms and
give you some management tools to use
at home to prevent these problems from
occurring. We want to make sure that
nutrition is not the limiting factor in
raising Hanoverians today.
Dr. Ludwig Christmann’s comments as
noted by George Walker and published
in his commentary in the 2006 Summer
Inspection Tour article (The American
Hanoverian, Fall 2006) were: “We are still
seeing too many foals with growing issues
that either stem from too much food
and/or the improper balance of vitamins
and minerals”, and “Added care must be
given to see that they receive proper
nutrition before birth, and during those
crucial formative early months”. We are in
complete agreement with Dr. Christmann!
Proper nutrition is crucial to both the reproductive health of the broodmare and proper
development of Hanoverian foals such as the 2006 filly High Hope L (His Highness-Dutch
Flower/De Niro) owned and bred by Leatherdale Farms, Minn.
The results of his two-year study on
Developmental Orthopedic Disease (DOD)
with over 500 warmblood broodmares
and their foals in Germany, found 25 to
30 percent of the foals affected with
DOD. The conclusion wasthat the nutrient
levels provided to the pregnant and
nursing mares, and to their growing
foals, were inadequate in the nutrients
necessary to support the foals’ skeletal
structures, especially from one or more
of the following nutrients: Calcium,
Phosphorus, Copper and/or Zinc. DOD
includes: angular limb deformities,
physitis, contracted tendons, OCD, bone
cysts and wobblers.
This conclusion is in agreement with the
published work from The Ohio State
University (USA), University of Guelph
(Canada) and Massey University (New
Zealand). They all have stated the importance
of providing the new Recommended
Allowance (RA) of Major and Trace Minerals
and Vitamins, the “entire pregnancy”, as
well as in the resulting foals’ diet.
Part I of this article will concentrate on
the total diet of the reproducing mare,
and the care and feeding of the newborn.
In the summer issue, Part II will show
you how to determine your horses body
condition score and muscle development
score and be able to visibly recognize if
www.Susansexton.com
14 T h e A m e r i c a n H a n o v e r i a n

their caloric and/or amino acid needs are
being met. It will conclude with the newest
information on oils recommended as calorie
sources and the important differences in
their Omega 6 and Omega 3 levels.
The mainstay of all horses’ diets is the forage
they consume. Understanding how the equine
digestive tract functions optimally and how
forage quality and quantity will help maintain
the health of your horse, reduce the
incidence of colic and keep your horses
growing, reproducing or performing up to
their genetic potential is what every horse
owner should know. With this knowledge
we can assist you in selecting: 1) the best
forage in your area, 2) the appropriate
grain mixture to complement your forage
and 3) meet all the nutrient needs of your
horses. Once horse owners understand that
horses do not have a requirement for cereal
grains, i.e. oats, barley, corn, rice, wheat, etc.,
but they do have an absolute requirement
for forage, it is much easier to grasp how to
successfully manage and feed their horses.
The only reason to feed a grain mixture or
supplement to horses is to make up the
difference between what nutrients are in
your forage and what your horses need to
meet their daily nutrient needs.
Horse Feeds
Horsemen add cereal grains, or grain
mixtures with added vegetable oils, to
increase the calories in their horses’ diet to
increase weight or to maintain their desired
body condition. It is the responsibility of
the feed manufacturer to explain: 1) which
physiological status (growing, reproducing
or performing) their feed mixture is
formulated to be fed to, 2) what type of
forage their grain mixture is formulated to
complement and 3) provide this information
on the tag to allow owners or managers to
determine what the minimum amount of
this grain mixture is to be fed per day to
meet all of the horses’ nutritional needs.
These requirements will vary with a horse’s
size, age, growth rate, reproductive status
and performance level. It is then the
responsibility of the owner or manager to
read the information on the feed tag or bag
and follow those directions. Today, many
horse owners do not realize that if fewer
pounds are fed per day than the manufacturer
recommends as “minimum” on their
feeding directions, the horse is being fed a
deficient diet in certain nutrients.
Table 1: Relative Feed Value (RFV) of Grass, Mixed and Legume Forages
Hay Quality Standards For: Grass, Grass/Legume Mixed and Legume Forages:
FORAGES – Fresh and Dried
Determining Quality
Forages, by definition, are the aerial parts of
the plant commonly fed to livestock. Their
history, as pasture, pre-dates that of man.
Forages supply various levels of nutrients
depending on their type (species) and
maturity at harvest. Today they are consumed:
fresh, as pasture; dried, as baled or cubed
hay; or preserved in silos or plastic bags, as
haylage. Horses have limited ability to utilize
poor quality forages, so it is very important
that owners and trainers understand how
to determine quality as well as the different
types of forages. Since maturity of the plant
affects the digestibility of the fiber and the
availability of its nutrients, it is vital that
immature forages be fed to horses that need
the highest amount of nutrients per day.
This would include: sucklings, weanlings
and yearlings, nursing mares and horses in
moderate to intense training. The first visual
appraisal of all types of forage includes: 1)
the length of the seed head in grasses (boot
stage) and 2) the percent of blossoms in
bloom in legumes (bud stage). Ideally,
grasses should have seed heads less than
one inch long and legumes should have less
than ten percent of the buds in blossom. As
all plants prepare to blossom, the Acid
Detergent Fiber (ADF), which measures
Crude Fiber (Cellulose plus Insoluble
Lignin) and Soluble Lignin, and the Neutral
Detergent Fiber (NDF), which measures
the ADF plus Hemi-Cellulose, increases so
the stem has enough strength to hold up
the seed heads or blossoms. Unfortunately,
as the fiber portion increases, all other
nutrients decrease and become less digestible
and available to the horse.
Analysisb (dry matter basis)
Quality Standard a ADF % NDF % DMI, c % of B. Wt. RFV d
Prime (Prime) 151
1 (Premium) 31-35 41-46 3.0-2.6 150-125
2 (Good) 36-40 47-53 2.5-2.3 124-103
3 (Fair) 41-42 54-60 2.2-2.0 102-87
4 (Poor) 43-45 61-65 1.9-1.8 86-75
5 (Reject) >46 >66

Table 2: Protein and Calorie Levels in Forages, Based on Type and Maturity*.
Quality Standard
%
Protein
Grass Grass/Legume Mixed (50/50) Legume
%
Lysine f
MCal.
DE/lb. e
%
Protein
%
Lysine f
MCal.
DE/lb. e
%
Protein
%
Lysine f
MCal.
DE/lb. e
Prime (Prime) >11 >.38 >1.05 >16 >.68 >1.10 >21 >1.07 >1.17
1 (Premium) 8-10 .31 .95 13-15 .60 1.03 18-20 .97 1.10
2 (Good) 7-8 .26 .86 11-13 .51 .93 16-18 .87 1.00
3 (Fair) 5-7 .21 .80 9-11 .43 .86 14-16 .77 .94
4 (Poor) 4-5 .16 .77 7-9 .34 .82 12-14 .66 .89
5 (Reject)

660 lbs to 1,540 lbs, and 3) heavy horses –
from 1,540 lbs to 2,200 lbs of potential
mature body weights. The growth curves,
which indicate “normal” growth rates from
birth to thirty-six (36) months of age, are
taken from the tables in Horse NRC. Proper
use of these charts will assure us that
nutrition is not the limiting factor for
horses. Feeding the correct amount of a
selected grain mixture or supplement, will
allow all foals to reach their inherent genetic
potential and reduce the nutrition related
growth problems seen in horses today.
The number inside each rectangle on the
Growth Chart reflects the amount of minerals
and vitamins necessary to maintain the
Recommended Allowance (RA) for that
particular size and growth rate for foals. We
call this number a Progressive “Unit”. It
does not reflect the necessary calories to
maintain desired body condition, because
of the calorie variability found in today’s
forages being consumed and the owner/
trainer/manager will feed varying amounts
of a grain mixture to meet their desired
body condition in their horses. However,
what everyone needs to know is, “What
are the minimum pounds to achieve the
Recommended Allowance (RA) and the
maximum pounds to not exceed the Safe
Upper Limit (SUL) of their selected grain
mixture they are feeding”. The Growth
Monitoring Charts will provide this information
for you.
We do not recommend trying to speed up
or to slow down growth rate. Just let the
young horses grow up to their genetic
potential, while providing the nutrients
needed to match their current growth rate.
The Progressive “Unit” is made up of protein
(amino acids), fats (fatty acids), major
minerals, trace minerals and vitamins
necessary to complement the analysis of
different forages. The pelleted supplements
in Table 5 are concentrated sources of
nutrients and one “Unit” is equal to one
“pound” of the appropriate supplement.
How many “Units” to feed per day will
depend on your horses’ age, size, current
growth rate, reproductive status and/or
performance level. Which pelleted supplement
to feed will depend on the type of forage
you feed your horse (grass or legume).
Pregnancy
The implementation of the published
research from the Cornell and Illinois
Table 5: The Analysis of Two Different Pelleted Supplements Available to
Complement Different Forage Types
Nutrients
Feed with Grass or Mixed Forage
“ProAdvantage Grass”
Feed with Legume Forage
“ProAdvantage Alfalfa”
Dry Matter, % 90.0 90.0
Crude Protein, % 30.0 14.0
Crude Fat, % 5.5 5.5
Crude Fiber, % 5.0 15.0
Calcium, % 3.0 1.5
Phosphorus, % 1.5 1.5
Potassium, % 1.5 .8
Magnesium, % .4 .4
Manganese, ppm* 260.0 260.0
Iron, ppm* 240.0 240.0
Copper, ppm* 200.0 200.0
Zinc, ppm* 500.0 500.0
Iodine, ppm* 3.0 3.0
Selenium, ppm( 1.5 1.5
Vitamin A, IU/lb 22,000 22,000
Vitamin D, IU/lb 2,200 2,200
Vitamin E, IU/lb 350 350
* ppm is the same as mg/kg.
Table 6: Growth Monitoring Chart
Veterinary Departments stating the nutrients
received in the middle trimester of pregnancy
is just as important as the last trimester has
helped many breeding farms improve the
health of the mares and reduce early developmental
problems in their foals. This change
in feeding practice has allowed the mare to
replenish and build her body reserves to
assure she can supply the foal during their
most rapid growth phase during the last 4
S P R I N G 2 0 0 7 17

trimester of pregnancy. Owners and veterinarians
have stated: 1) improved reproductive
health and conception rates, 2) reduced
incidence of nutrition related fetal developmental
problems and 3) the ease of
management of feeding all their pregnant
mares the same the entire pregnancy.
The Lactating Mare
During the first three months of lactation,
most mares will produce between 3.0 and
3.5 percent of their body weight in fluid
milk each day. Peak lactation can occur
between four to ten weeks postpartum, with
the average being five to six weeks. As
lactation continues, milk yield will decline
to two percent of her body weight between
the fourth and fifth month. The amount of
milk a mare produces will depend on her:
1) genetic potential, but remember maiden
mares will produce less than mares with
previous lactations,
2) nutrient supply (especially daily
consumption of protein, calories
and water); and
3) individual foal intake.
The nutrient composition of milk also
changes during lactation. Mare’s milk will
become more nutrient dilute as lactation
progresses. Protein, fat, major and trace
minerals and vitamin content decrease and
lactose increases. Water is the major constituent
of mare’s milk, being approximately
90 percent, and the mares appetite, or the
total daily consumption of forage plus grain
mixture, will increase according to her
individual milk production. Table 7 shows
how much total feed will be consumed per
day by pregnant and nursing mares, as a
percent of their individual body weight.
Managers must watch the nursing mare’s
nutrient input – output relationship. If the
mare is providing more nutrients into her
milk than she is taking in, she will draw
from her body reserves until her nutritional
reserves are depleted. For example, if calories
are in short supply, her fat stores will be
used up and she will lose body weight. If
protein is in short supply, her muscle mass
will be sacrificed, because proteins are
stored in the muscle. The first place to visually
see muscle loss is their top-line, i.e.,
withers, back and loin areas. This negative
balance, major and trace minerals included,
will deplete her body reserves, then lower
those nutrients in her milk, and have a
negative effect on her conception rate or
Table 7: Total Feed Consumed per Day by Pregnant and Nursing Mares
Reproductive Status
nutrients available for her next foal’s fetal
development. This, of course, is in addition
to your mare’s decline in health.
The mare’s nutrients in greatest demand
are water and calories, followed by protein,
major minerals, trace minerals and vitamins.
Mare’s milk is approximately 90 percent
water. A 1,300 lb mare, producing 5 ½ gallons
of milk per day, would have to increase her
water intake nearly two fold to replenish
this loss.
Early in lactation, mare’s milk contains
approximately 560 kcal/kg of fluid milk.
Assuming mares convert 60 percent of feed
Digestible Energy (DE) into milk gross
energy, an extra 792 kcal of DE must
be consumed for every kilogram of milk
produced. This would be an increase of 72
percent above maintenance, which is why
lactating mares need to consume 2.5 to 3.5
percent of their body weight in total feed
per day, or they will lose weight.
Amount of Hay plus Grain Mixture to Feed/Day as
a % of Body Weight
Pregnant 1.5 to 2.0 %
Nursing, birth to 3 months 2.5 to 3.5 %
Nursing, 4 to 6 months 2.0 to 3.0 %
Table 8: Compares the Mare’s Recommended Allowance (RA) while: Open, Pregnant and
Lactating, in her Total Diet on a Dry Matter Basis. (This is the average, or total nutrients
found, in everything she eats/day, including: forage, grain mixture, supplements, etc.)
Nutrient Open Pregnant
Protein needs have been estimated to be
almost double from those of maintenance.
Calcium and phosphorus losses during
lactation of the mare’s body reserves can be
significant if adequate supplementation of
these essential minerals is not provided.
Brittle bones are unfortunately the end
result.
The trace mineral and vitamin content of
mare’s milk is now available from several
published studies. All trace minerals are
low in mare’s milk and is believed to be one
of the genetic components of DOD. It is
now possible to monitor a mare’s milk, on a
monthly basis, by analyzing it and comparing
it to Table 9.
Newborn Foals
Lactation
(1-3 Months)
Lactation
(4-6 Months)
Dry Matter intake, % body wt* 1.5-2.0 1.5-2.0 2.5-3.5 2.0-3.0
Crude Protein, % 8.50 11.50 15.00 13.00
Calcium, % .30 .53 .70 .50
Phosphorus, % .21 .35 .43 .28
Potassium, % .40 .50 .80 .60
Magnesium, % .10 .12 .15 .12
Sodium, %** .14 .14 .20 .16
Copper, ppm 15 25 25 25
Iron, ppm 40 80 80 80
Manganese, ppm 40 60 60 60
Zinc, ppm 40 70 70 70
Cobalt, ppm .10 .20 .30 .20
Iodine, ppm .15 .25 .35 .25
Selenium, ppm .15 .20 .30 .20
Vitamin A, IU/lb 900 900 900 900
Vitamin E, IU/lb 23 36 36 36
Thiamine, mg/lb 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3
Riboflavin, mg/lb 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9
*Feed intake is determined by: Body capacity, RFV of forage, physiological status, activity level and environment.
**Under average conditions .35% to .50% Salt (NaCl) is recommended in the total diet.
Needed Digestible Energy, Mcal/Day, is determined by: Body size, metabolic rate, reproductive status, dry matter
consumption and Body Condition Score.
At birth, normal size foals should weigh
between ten and 12 percent of the mare’s
body weight. For example, foals from a
18 T h e A m e r i c a n H a n o v e r i a n

Table 9: Mare’s Milk Nutrient Composition by Week, on a Dry Matter (top) and As Fed Basis (bottom)
Dry Matter Basis
% Total
Solids
Energykcal/
100g
%
Protein
1,300 lb. mare should weigh between 130
and 150 lbs at birth. Maiden mare foals
should weigh between eight and ten percent
of their body weight.
Within the first hour after birth, the foal
should begin to receive colostrum. A 100 lb
foal should receive 250 ml (about one cup)
of colostrum each hour for the first six hours
after birth. That means that every breeding
farm should have at least 1500 ml of frozen
colostrum in their freezer, just in case.
Bacterial exposure to the “open gut” of the
newborn foal is considered the mechanism
for septicemia, the leading cause of death
in neonatal foals. The “open gut” will allow
the foal to absorb immunoglobulins, such as
IgG, IgM, IgE and IgA, from the colostrum,
but it also allows the absorption of harmful
pathogens from the environment. Dr. John
Madigan at the University of California-
Davis, stated that early (rapid) gut closure
may be equivalent to or more important
than simply serum IgG in the preventing
neonatal bacterial infection.
The average foal will drink seven to ten
times per hour for the first 30 days of age.
(Remember this if you have an orphan or
rejected foal) This readily available food
source is necessary to support thermoregulation
and growth.
The Suckling’s Digestive System
%
Fat
During every foal’s first four months there
are rapid growth and digestive changes. To
achieve each foal’s genetic potential, we
must provide a feed to complement their
%
Lactose
%
Ash (b)
%
Calcium
%
Phosphorus
%
Magnesium
%
Potassium
%
Na
mg/kg
Copper
mg/
kgZinc
mg/kgIron c
Birth ------ 536 75.79 2.78 18.25 2.86 0.34 .16 .19 .45 .21 3.93 25.40 5.20
12 hrs. ------ 557 33.04 20.87 41.74 4.35 0.68 .35 .12 .84 .32 7.22 24.40 8.26
24 hrs. ------ 544 28.95 21.93 45.61 4.65 0.85 .39 .10 .74 .30 6.40 31.60 9.21
1 - 4 wk ------ 542 25.23 16.82 57.94 4.91 1.12 .68 .08 .65 .21 4.21 23.36 7.99
5 - 8 wk ------ 505 20.95 16.19 60.95 3.81 0.95 .57 .06 .48 .18 2.48 19.05 6.29
9 - 12 wk ------ 500 18.00 14.00 65.00 3.00 0.80 .50 .05 .40 .15 2.00 18.00 4.90
As Fed Basis
Birth b 25.2 135 19.1 0.7 4.6 .72 .085 .039 .0473 .11 .052 .99 6.4 1.31
12 hrs b 11.5 64 3.8 2.4 4.8 .50 .078 .040 .0138 .10 .036 .83 2.8 .095
24 hrs b 11.4 62 3.3 2.5 5.2 .53 .097 .044 .0110 .08 .034 .73 3.6 1.05
1-4 wk a 10.7 58 2.7 1.8 6.2 .53 .120 .073 .0090 .07 .023 .45 2.5 0.86
5-8 wk a 10.5 53 2.2 1.7 6.4 .40 .100 .060 .0060 .05 .019 .26 2.0 0.66
9-21 wk a 10.0 50 1.8 1.4 6.5 .30 .080 .050 .0045 .04 .015 .20 1.8 0.49
a NRC 1989, Nutrient Requirements of Horses, Summary pg. 95
b Ullrey, DE., Struthers, R.D., Hendricks, D.G., and Brent, B.E., 1966 Composition of Mare’s Milk, Jan. Sci. 25:217
c Ullrey, D.E., Ely, W.T., and Covert, R.L., 1974. Iron, Zinc and Copper in Mare’s Milk, J. Anim. Sci. 38:1276
igestive Enzyme Activity of the Young Gro
Figure 1: Digestive Enzyme Activity of the Young Growing Horse
Kapper, D.R., “Applied Nutrition”, editor: Reed, SM, Equine Internal Medicine, 2nd Edition,
Saunders & Co., St. Louis, MO 2004, pp 1565.
type of digestive system, in a form they can
absorb, and fortify it to meet all of their
nutrient needs. This “Foal’s First” feed should
be provided free choice in an area that the
mares will loiter, but cannot reach or get into.
A common management practice in the
past has been to allow nursing foals to eat
with their dams. Unfortunately, the foal
under two months of age has little ability to
digest the starch in cereal grains. During
the foals first three months of life, their
digestive enzymes are more efficient at
breaking down and absorbing milk (Fig. 1).
As the foal ages, the digestive enzymes also
change. When the foal is between three and
four months of age, amylase surpasses lactase
allowing them begin to digest the starches
in cereal grains. Therefore, all nursing foals,
up to four months of age, should have
available a milk-based foal feed to optimize
absorption. To meet their nutrient needs,
this free choice milk-based pellet should be
formulated to compliment mare’s milk, not
forage. This “first feed” provided for foals
will result in optimal nutrient absorption,
while reducing the chance of digestive upset,
i.e. colic and diarrhea. How much of this feed
is consumed per day will be directly related
to: how much milk the mare is producing
per day, the age of the foal and the size of
the foal in relation to the mare.
Suckling Foals Showing Signs of DOD
If the foals’ legs are normal at birth and
acquire leg deviations with age, but all they
are consuming is the mare’s milk, it is only
logical to analyze her milk and compare it
to the expected mineral density average
listed above. If a mare has had foals in the
past with DOD, we would consider her a
“suspect mare”. We recommend analyzing
her milk on day seven after foaling, then 4
S P R I N G 2 0 0 7 19

Table 10: Compares the Growing Horse’s Recommended Allowance (RA) on a Total Diet, Dry Matter Basis
(This is the average, or total nutrients found, in everything they eat/day, including: forage, grain mixture, supplements, etc).
Nutrient
Weanling
(4-6 months)
Weanling
(6-12 months)
Yearling
(12-18 months)
Long Yearling
(18-24 months) 24 to 36 months of age
*Dry Matter Intake, % body wt 2.25-2.75 2.75-3.25 2.25-2.75 2.0-2.5 1.75-2.25
Crude Protein, % 18.00 16.00 14.00 12.00 11.00
Calcium, % .90 .80 .70 .60 .53
Phosphorus, % .48 .43 .32 .25 .22
Potassium, % .90 .80 .70 .60 .53
Magnesium, % .20 .19 .18 .15 .12
Sodium, % .10 .12 .14 .14 .14
Copper, ppm 35 30 25 22 20
Iron, ppm 100 90 80 70 60
Manganese, ppm 65 60 55 50 45
Zinc, ppm 100 90 80 70 60
Cobalt, ppm .30 .30 .25 .25 .20
Iodine, ppm .35 .35 .30 .30 .25
Selenium, ppm .30 .30 .25 .25 .20
Vitamin A, IU/lb 1,365 1,365 1,135 1,135 910
Vitamin E, IU/lb 43 43 41 39 26
Thiamine, mg/lb 1.8 1.8 1.6 1.6 1.3
Riboflavin, mg/lb 1.3 1.3 1.1 1.1 .9
*Feed Intake is determined by: Body capacity, physiological status, activity level, RFV of forage and environment.
Needed Digestible Energy, Mcal/day, is determined by: Body size, metabolic rate, growth rate, dry matter consumption and Body Condition Score.
again in week four, eight and 12, and compare
her milk mineral density to the appropriate
line on Table 9. There is a product on the
market today, Rejuvenaide, which is formulated
to complement mares’ milk and is
to be given orally to the foal, as a drench,
once a day. This is the product that Dr.
Christmann asked me to be sure every
breeder knew was available to help our
foals. Rejuvenaide is a trace mineral and
vitamin supplement that will enable the
broodmare manager to keep the nutrient
deficient foal on the mare rather than having
to wean early. However, if the foal is over four
months of age when acquired contractures
begin to occur, it is easier and more
economical to wean and put the foal on
a balanced weanling formula to assure
adequate consumption of all nutrients. The
manager must then make sure the correct
numbers of Progressive “Units” are fed per
day to complement the foals’ growth rate
(age vs. size).
Several research projects have been published
that prove adequate or above amounts of
crude protein (amino acids) do not cause
DOD. Dr. Ed Ott, from the University of
Florida, has published that feeding protein
levels below the Horse NRC’s recommendations
will cause: decrease in bone density
and compromised tendon and ligament
strength. As long as the amount of crude
protein was below NRC’s recommendation,
increasing the mineral density in the diet
had no affect on the skeletal and soft tissue
structures of young, growing horses. Other
publications state the only link between
Rejuvenaide Aid Analysis
(per 5cc drench or 2 cc paste)
Copper
Zinc
Selenium
Ascorbic Acid
Vitamin A
Vitamin D
Vitamin E
3.20 mg
9.40 mg
0.25 mg
100.00 mg
3,500 IU
350 IU
100 IU
adequate protein fed and DOD is when one or
more of the minerals (calcium, phosphorus,
copper and zinc) were fed below the
Recommended Allowance (RA). If physitis or
tendon, angular or flexure, deformities occur:
1) check the diet of the pregnant and
nursing mare for nutrient adequacy or
imbalances
2) analyze the mares milk for minerals
3) consider feeding appropriate amounts
of Rejuvenaide every day to the foal, or
weaning the foal if over four months old
DO NOT starve the mare or foal! If these
problems are caused from a nutritional
deficiency, how can we fix it by creating a
larger deficiency?
Feeding the Young, Growing Horse
After four months of age there is no reason
to feed quantities of milk to the growing
foal. Provide a weanling diet according to
desired body condition and Recommended
Allowance (see Table 6). Because the
younger horse’s body capacity is small, the
percentages of all nutrients in a weanling
diet must be higher to assure adequate
amounts of minerals and vitamins will be
consumed per day. As the body capacity
increases, the percentages can be lowered
because they are consuming more pounds
per day (see Table 10).
After six months of age their digestive system
is changing into more of a continuous
grazer and we continue to manage the
weanling to complement their digestive
system. The larger the body capacity, the
larger the fermentation vat and therefore,
more forage can be consumed. However,
the increased body capacity for forage does
not keep up with the increased mineral
requirements for skeletal development. The
larger, faster growing foals are more prone
to skeletal problems due to their higher
mineral needs to support their larger structure.
Therefore, using the Growth Chart (Table 6)
to determine their individual Recommended
Allowances (RA) is the manager’s best tool
to reduce the incidence of nutrition related
growth problems.
Because young foals do not grow at the
same rate and mature to different sizes,
their daily nutritional needs differ. The
smaller horses will usually mature earlier
and the larger horses will take longer. Even
within breeds there are different maturing
rates. The only way to meet the growing
horse’s nutrient needs is to monitor their
growth every month and provide the necessary
“Units” of amino acids, major and
trace minerals and vitamins according to
their individual growth rate.
20 T h e A m e r i c a n H a n o v e r i a n

Conclusion of Part I
In conclusion, there are two very important
management decisions that need to be
made which are necessary to reduce the
incidence of “nutrition related” development
problems.
Number one - “Fetal Programming”: The
reliance on adequate prenatal nutrition
is extremely important and needs to be
greatly emphasized in preventing nutritional
deficiencies from occurring in the
suckling. The point at which mare’s milk
and the foal’s liver stores can no longer
provide the trace mineral needs of the foal
can be seen in rapidly growing foals,
consuming only mare’s milk, and beginning
to show signs of Developmental Orthopedic
Disease (DOD). If this occurs before the
suckling begins consuming an adequate
amount of dry feed, we will look into the
possibility of low mineral density in this
mare’s milk as a cause. The research published
over the past several years, clearly
states that trace mineral supplementation
is beneficial in the sucklings’ diet when the
mare has previously produced a foal with,
what is believed to be, nutrition induced
DOD. Comparing the suspect mare’s milk
analysis to Table 9, will allow the owner/
veterinarian/nutritionist to explain why
and how much Rejuvenaide, a trace mineral
supplement to complement mares milk, is
necessary to administer per day.
Number two - “Feed According to Need”:
Monitor your foals’ growth rates and feed
accordingly. Be sure to provide the correct
number of “Units” (amino acids, fatty acids,
major and trace minerals and vitamins)
necessary to “support” their current growth
rate and size of their skeletal structure,
without getting them fat. We do not recommend
trying to slow their growth rate
down or to speed them up. Breed for the
size horse you want to produce and feed
them accordingly.
We have had the most success in reducing
the incidence of DOD on farms today
when these two management “tools” are
used together. To reduce skeletal anomalies,
all owners and managers must realize that
nutrition, management and genetics are
all “equal”. You have to have the best of
all three if you want to attain “optimal
results”. n
Donald R. Kapper, PAS, is the Director of
Nutrition and Technical Services at Progressive
Nutrition, LLC and a team member of Akey
Nutrition Research and Development and
Nutrition Horizon Research and Development
at North American Nutrition Companies, Inc.
He is a graduate of The Ohio State University
and a member of the Equine Science Society,
the American Registry of Professional Animal
Scientists (PAS), the American Farriers Association,
the American Hanoverian Society and the ISR/
Oldenburg N.A. Society. In 1983, he assisted in
the development of the first comprehensive
computer program to balance equine diets. He
consults with industry leaders and has lectured
throughout the world to horse owners, trainers
and veterinarians. He is the exclusive Equine
Nutritionist for the 1998, 2002, 2004 and
the 2007 Sporthorse Stallion Testing LLC’s
100-Day Stallion Performance Tests. In 2003,
Don assisted in writing the text and taught
the first Equine Science Certificate Class,
“Introductory Equine Nutrition”, at the
University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. Don
has written articles on Equine Management
and Nutrition that have been published in
several trade journals and a veterinary text
book. He and his wife Dee own and operate
Outer Banks Farm, where they breed and raise
Hanoverian horses in Beach City, Ohio.
© 2006 Frank Jansen
Page Brook Farms
Home to EMC Arabella RGS – 2006 AHS Benchmark Award Winner for top MPT jumping score!
Page Brook Farms is a small, quality breeding operation in Hollis,
New Hampshire. Our selective band of mares was chosen for correctness
in conformation, movement, proven bloodlines and exceptional dispositions.
Each and every breeding is planned to ensure healthy, athletic
foals with outstanding temperaments. The foals are from a genetic
pool of the finest bloodline available in the U.S. and Europe.
Weanlings to Five-Year-Olds available
2006 colt by Don Frederico • 2005 colt by Autocrat • Four foals by Argentinus, Indoctro, Rosario expected for Spring 2007
Terry or Jayshree Schrubb • 199 Pine Hill Road • Hollis, NH 03049 • 603-883-8223 • 978-857-5735 (cell) • 978-857-5733 (cell)
www.pagebrookfarms.com
S P R I N G 2 0 0 7 21