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What to do?

974 views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  loosie 
#1 ·
The problem I have is a 10 month old colt I am boarding and purchased from the BO is only 12.1 hands. His parents are foundation bred quarter horses that are at least 15 hands each. I feel is growth is stunted. We will be bring him home in May. He is in a paddock with 3 other babies, he is the largest, and 4 older adult horses. Most of the time they have a round bale in there but not always. He told me they each get a scoop of sweet feed 2 times per day but no one is separated. I am willing and have went over once a day to feed him about 1 1/2 pounds of safe choice per day at my own expense to get more vitamin and minerals into him. He says I should not pour that much feed into him. I brought horse my 2 adult horses from there this summer as our old horse had lost about 100 pounds. I don't want to get into it with him as we take lessons from him but I don't want the colt to suffer either. We did not bring him home with our adult horses as I thought my mare would hurt him, hind sight is 20 20 I guess. I told him I know he is feeding him. We picked this colt out a birth, he is my daughters training project, and will be her next riding horse as her horse is getting up in years. I really don't need a horse will leg problems due to malnutrition. We try to keep every horse we get for life. Please help, I really don't want to step on any ones toes.
 
#2 ·
what i would do, if it were me, i'd go every day, work with the little one on whatever i could think of. take him out to a safe place to work on tying, standing for grooming, lifting feet, etc, and feed him while tied. if the guy asks, you're just working on bonding and basic ground work/manners, and you want the little guy to associate tying with good things...feeding/grooming/etc. eating makes a horse relaxed...so why not multi task ;)
 
#4 ·
Firstly, he may be just a slow grower & that doesn't sound tiny for his age either. But yes, I would be wanting to give him the best start with *balanced* nutrition. I do think some 'sweet feeds' aren't terrible, but generally they're no more than 'junk food' and the Safe Choice is probably fine, but it isn't necessarily going to provide much in the way of nutrition, especially if not feeding as much as it recommends. I'd be thinking, if he always has hay, he's probably not lacking in calories, rather than minerals, so a low dose 'ration balancer' or such would be best. But speaking to a nutritionist(pref not one who works for a feed co) & working out what exactly he needs, would be the go I reckon, before forking out for some supplement or other.
 
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