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2 Y.O. Growth

Horse Care
#1

I’m writing this one to get some opinions from others who have experience with babies and young horses.

My filly was born OATK and the vet recommended not having her on a growth feed because he didn’t want to encourage her bones to grow faster than her tendons and muscles could keep up. During this time I had her on essential K and Kalm n EZ Tribute feed, as well as good Timothy hay. She grew well, but she never shot up like her half sibling who was given the growth formula. I can’t say she was ever malnourished, she seemed to be getting what she needed and sometimes I had to cut her back because she started getting a little too much of a belly for my liking.

She turned 2 early this year and she looks good, and she’s fit. But she’s really dainty. To the point that multiple people have commented on it. They all say she looks good with her weight and coat, etc, just small. She stands about 14-14.1hh at withers and 14.3 at the hind end. Her dam was 14.3 and her sire was 15.3 so I always expected her to end up somewhere in the middle. She is also full blood QH with no pony in her lines.

My question is whether she still has potential to grow into herself more, and if the lack of growth feed would really have that drastic of an effect. I know 14.3 isn’t a bad height but she’s so dainty I couldn’t even imagine getting on her right now, and I’m only 5’3” and probably around 130lbs. I was hoping to start her once she turns 3, but if she’s still so dainty I may have to push out further. I’ve been told her lines tend to grow until 6-7, but I see messages that at 2 they won’t get much more height from where they are now. I am considering adding grow colt supplement to her current mix of grain and alfalfa pellets, I figure the extra vitamins/minerals couldn’t hurt her.

Any thoughts and input would be appreciated! Her legs have also straightened out with time and some corrective shoeing, so thankfully that is no longer an issue and she seems much more comfortable!

#2

As long as her blood work is normal and she is healthy and happy, why add more supplements? Let her grow as HER body wants to grow, as far as height, build, etc. Don’t start manipulating (for lack of a better term) her body’s system, her metabolism, and all that already. Let her body do what it is programmed to do as a horse.

In school my equine biology teacher taught us about how two yr olds bones are not even fully fused and yet they are trying to race them and wonder why so many ottbs have lameness issues. It turned me off racing for life. She may just have a high metabolism, which technically will be good for her later in life and help avoid weight issues and cushings.

Let her grow, feed her normal feed, plenty of good quality hay and get normal exercise and turnout with other horses so she can play and build good muscles. Long line her, work on stretching exercises, teach her voice commands, get her used to the weight of a saddle after a couple months of long lining and helping to stregthen her back muscles, work on good ground manners to build up to when you do sit on her. Look at the stretching and slowly adding saddle weight as yoga and pilates for horses :). She will be stronger and healthier for it!

If she starts getting thin or not keeping her weight on, then worry about adding extras to her diet. What does your vet say about her weight and have they pulled blood just to make sure her body is working correctly and there are no underlying issues?

My other thought is you say she is pure qh, does she have papers and are you positive her sire and dam are really pure qh? She may just be a smaller one, if she was the dams first foal, or the dam was older, sometimes they just have smaller foals. As long as she is healthy, and you work with her to build up her muscle, I do not see why in a yr or so you couldn’t start sitting on her. I was 145 and riding 13h ponies and they carried me just fine, even the ones we broke that had not been rode before. Good luck!

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#3

Growing “too fast” is about genetics, and over-feeding energy. A Growth feed, or any regular feed for that matter, is too many calories for a lot of young horses.

During this time I had her on essential K and Kalm n EZ Tribute feed,

How much of each? Ration balancers ARE “growth” feeds, just in a lot smaller calorie package.

She grew well, but she never shot up like her half sibling who was given the growth formula. I can’t say she was ever malnourished, she seemed to be getting what she needed and sometimes I had to cut her back because she started getting a little too much of a belly for my liking.

She’s not her half sibling. She has her own set of genetics :slight_smile: Cutting back calories, for the sake of weight, is short-changing nutrition, unless you were already feeding appropriate amounts of the ration balancer

She turned 2 early this year and she looks good, and she’s fit. But she’s really dainty. To the point that multiple people have commented on it. They all say she looks good with her weight and coat, etc, just small. She stands about 14-14.1hh at withers and 14.3 at the hind end. Her dam was 14.3 and her sire was 15.3 so I always expected her to end up somewhere in the middle. She is also full blood QH with no pony in her lines.

Height genetics are rarely about the middle. They are almost always closer to 1 parent than the other, and sometimes shorter or taller than either. Height is more than about just the 2 parents. There’s a while pedigree behind each of them.

My question is whether she still has potential to grow into herself more

If she was around 14h at 24 months, she’s likely going to end up 15h - closer to her dam’s size than her sire. That’s the general rule for horses - add 2h to the 12 month height, 1h to the 24 month height. But do the 2 string tests and see what you get

, and if the lack of growth feed would really have that drastic of an effect.

No. You were feeding a ration balancer, and a regular feed. “Growth” feed has nothing to do with how much energy (calories) are provided, and everything to do with how much nutrition is provided.

I know 14.3 isn’t a bad height but she’s so dainty I couldn’t even imagine getting on her right now, and I’m only 5’3” and probably around 130lbs. I was hoping to start her once she turns 3, but if she’s still so dainty I may have to push out further. I’ve been told her lines tend to grow until 6-7, but I see messages that at 2 they won’t get much more height from where they are now.

Not only is she not done growing vertically, she’s not done growing in substance.

I am considering adding grow colt supplement to her current mix of grain and alfalfa pellets, I figure the extra vitamins/minerals couldn’t hurt her.

Well yes, extras CAN hurt. But not in this case, as Grow Colt is such a a meh supplement.

Copper - 1.6mg in a serving, and a 2yo needs over 90mg.
Zinc - .62mg in a serving, and a 2yo needs over 400.

And, on top of there being a pittance of each of those minerals, they aren’t even in the proper ratio - a diet needs about 4x as much zinc as copper. Don’t waste your money. Not that it really matters in these piddly little amounts.

Feed the proper amount of the Essential K, drop the KNE

Any thoughts and input would be appreciated! Her legs have also straightened out with time and some corrective shoeing, so thankfully that is no longer an issue and she seems much more comfortable!

They’d have almost guarantee straightened out on their own. Growth phases of over at the knee (more correctly contracted tendons, but MORE correctly just growth stages of bones growing ahead of ligaments) almost always straighten up as their growth catches up, as long as they are getting ample and proper nutrition, and aren’t too heavy.

3 Likes
#4

Bloodwork really doesn’t tell a lot about most nutritional areas. It’s not going to tell you if there’s enough ca/phos/cu/zn in the diet, unless things are REALLY out of whack. It’s great for selenium and vit E and A and a few other things

In school my equine biology teacher taught us about how two yr olds bones are not even fully fused

The lower legs bones are done growing vertically by 2, and the lower you get, the even earlier they are done. Knees/hocks and above, no

and yet they are trying to race them and wonder why so many ottbs have lameness issues. It turned me off racing for life. She may just have a high metabolism, which technically will be good for her later in life and help avoid weight issues and cushings.

Not a terribly high metabolism if she was getting heavy at times, but then again, phases of leaner than ideal, and heavier than ideal, are VERY normal during the faster growing periods. Even then, weight issues aren’t a cause of PPID/Cushing’s, but definitely can contribute to insulin resistance issues

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#5

The Tribute products and amounts were fine. It’s the KNE I’d reduce or drop if she gets too heavy. You aren’t really using it for nutrition, though of course it does supply some. 2lb of the EK is suitable for her age, from a nutritional perspective. I like to use alfalfa pellets for added calories, keeping 1/4c or so for consistency, then increasing and decreasing as calorie needs change

2lb of ProForce Fuel isn’t appropriate nutrition for any but a REALLY small pony. A ration balancer at 2lb is much more appropriate.

She doesn’t look dainty to me, and to me, daintiness is independent of height. Her back half has grown, (obviously) and her front half will catch up. She looks suitably proportioned given the growth stage. Good bone. Her front half is still a “yearling”, not yet caught up to her 2yo rear half :lol:

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#6

I agree with @JB To me she isn’t dainty at all , but just hasn’t filled out as much yet. Her neck looks thin in comparison with the rest of her but she is well proportioned over all. She is after all just 2.

A lot happens in the 2-3 year old year. A well balanced diet with plenty of room for exercise is what you want. Give them that and they should reach their full potential in the height department.

My newest youngster is not yet 2 and is filling out too much, so that I am drylotting off pasture during the day and cutting back on the amount of feed he is getting. Seems it is a problem either way!

2 Likes
#7

I should clarify that she gets 2lbs pro force morning and night, so 4lbs total, and then 3lbs of alfalfa pellets total.

I really appreciate your guys responses! I’ll try to get a picture up close to her so you guys can see scale, but everything you’ve said has been helpful to me. 😊

2 Likes
#8

OP, we have a King Ranch lines mare whom my son raised from a six month old. When she turned two, everyone around us said “get on her!” To me, she looked like a sixth grader just starting middle school…so immature and young-looking that it didn’t seem appropriate to saddle break her. In fact, we didn’t get on her til she was 3.5 years old and even then, we did 10 or 15 rides and left her alone riding-wise until she was four.

Her breeder had told us that she would be a late bloomer, that we’d look out into the pasture when she was six or seven and we’d go “damn, what horse is that?!” And we’re about there! She’s not a giant in terms of height or breadth, but she’s a good, strong, solid girl and she looks like a million bucks.

I’m not an expert, but in your photo your filly looks fine. I’d keep up a good feeding and grazing regimen with pals in a pasture. I’d introduce her to the saddle and lead her around on long walks. I’d pony her too, if you can. Just enjoy her for another year from the ground and from the back of another horse. She’ll fill in!

4 Likes
#9

OP, based on the picture I’d say your filly still has a lot of growing and maturing to do. To me, she still looks very “baby” and I would give her plenty of time to finish growing and filling out. I’ve had AQHA and ApHC horses all of my life and have raised a few from foals. Some just mature faster than others. My current Appy is 12, but I got him when he was a yearling. He’d been neglected and tossed out in a dry lot with a round bale of poor quality hay once he was weaned. Poor thing looked like a wormy weanling instead of a yearling when I picked him up. I started feeding him well and he blossomed in no time. By the time he was two, he still wasn’t terribly tall, but he was stout (or at least I thought he was compared to how he’d started). I started him under saddle at two, thinking he was ready. I wish I hadn’t. He was still growing…and by the time he finished, at about age four, he was every bit of 16 hands with legs like tree trunks and a chest and butt to match. His sire is a 16.2 halter horse and his mom was about a 15hh western pleasure horse. I had thought he was going to be slight like his mom (who foundered while he was still at her side and died not long after he was weaned). Turns out he was just a late bloomer.

Your filly is lovely. She’ll probably reach 15 hands with no problem if she’s already 14.3 at the hip. Just give her time. She’ll be sound and happy if she’s allowed to grow up slowly and reach maturity before having to carry a rider. Like @rockymouse says, put the saddle on, lead her, pony her, do lots of ground work with her, and let her finish being a baby for another year. You’ll be glad you did.

3 Likes
#10
#11

Longer-term excess weight is definitely linked to IR issues. In fact, Katy Watts of safergrass just posted an article on this.

But it’s not linked to PPID, unless there’s newer research out there I haven’t run across. When I boarded, over many years and many horses, we saw our share of Cushing’s, and the vast majority were life-long lean TB types

#12

Do you think the 4lbs of proforce and 3 lbs of alfalfa is sufficient or would it still be beneficial to add a ration balancer?

#13

Whether or not you’re feeding enough ProForce depends on her expected mature weight. It sounds on the low end, if not below the low end. But ProForce isn’t something I’d choose for a 2yo anyway.

But let’s say that’s what you stick with. There’s no calculation for her growth stage, as it’s not designed for growing horses… BUT, a 2yo has nutritional needs similar to their adult self in moderate work. So if I pick that - Performance, Moderate work, 1000lb, she should get 7.5-10lb a day.

You’re feeding around half that.

If you were feeding just a ration balancer, I’d be feeding 2lb at her age.

So, you’re feeding a 1/2 serving of the ProForce, and therefore I would add 1lb of a ration balancer (another 1/2 serving) to make a full serving.

The alfalfa pellets are basically calories at this point, with benefits of some extra protein, calcium, and magnesium

1 Like
#14

What ration balancer would you recommend?

The owner of the barn used to be a feed rep, so we’ve discussed her feed a few times but she is adamant that the pro force she’s being fed would be sufficient for her. I honestly don’t know enough feed wise to dig in deep with her on it, and I want to be respectful of her knowledge too. We’ve discussed adding a ration balancer and she’s open to that.

Would Calf-Mana be an okay ration balancer to add or would you recommend staying in the Nutrena line and adding the Topline balancer?

#15

Feed reps SO often have no idea how to feed horses. The very fact that you can’t even select ProForce-anything for a horse in this category on their very own website should tell you something.

Any balancer will do. I don’t usually recommend Nutrena because at only a 40lb bag, it’s $$. Triple Crown is lots better. Purina is fine. I have no idea what other brands you can get, but almost all of them have balancers.

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#16

Oh - Calf Manna - No. It’s not BAD, it’s certainly safe, but it was never designed for horses. Use something that is.

1 Like
#17

Just an an FYI for you. I bought a 14.3 hh 2 yr old (different breed). That was in the fall. As a 4yr old he was 15.1 - 15.2. He is now 5 and 15.3.

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#18

Yep, add 1h to the 24 month height, and you’re in the ballpark most of the time.

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#19

I am feeding my youngster 3 pounds daily of his feed and 1 pound of my Ration Balancer. ( split in 2 feedings) It is working really well.

I am feeding Purina Enrich Plus RB and Purina Impact Mare & Foal.

1 Like
#20

I ended up switching her to the Empower Topline balancer because it’s carried at my local TSC literally 3 mins from the barn. Giving her 2lbs of that a day and will be adding 1lb of the Empower Digestive Balancer once they get more in. They’re both on the pricier end, but the convenience of being close to pick it up as well as the fact that she’ll be getting half of what she was getting on proforce means it’s a wash in the end. The proforce fuel was running $22 a bag and the Topline runs $29.

I’m trying to eliminate the need for adding extra supplements and grains and get more of a complete regimen for her in her standard feed.

Below are a few pics of me next to her in her stall. Now that I’m looking at it I feel like she grew in the last week. 😂

8C730D7E-F46F-4E18-95BA-286BE99E105D.jpeg

3B864961-E965-48B5-B999-06AD66387A4E.jpeg

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