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Discussion on Colt not growing!
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Member:
Ekdahld
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Posted on Friday, Aug 27, 2004 - 11:44 pm:
I have had an appaloosa colt since he was 2. He is now 3 1/2 and has not gained 1 inch in height and has not filled out noticably. I can put a picture from when I first got him beside a recent one and not be able to tell the difference! He is a little ribby despite being on excellent pasture (my other horses get fat quickly if not used much) and he is verry active. He is current on worming. He spends just as much time feeding as the other horses and has good teeth. I cant figure it out. What can I do if anything to encourage him to grow and fill out? Should I be graining him as well? he is currently about 15hh and 925lb.
Thanks in advance.
Derek
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Member:
Eoeo
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Posted on Saturday, Aug 28, 2004 - 12:42 pm:
Horses don't necessarily stop growing until they are 5 years old. 15h and 925 lbs sounds about right at this stage. Do you know his history before you got him? How big was the stallion and mare? Maybe 15h is what he will be? Have you had his teeth checked for caps by a vet? Otherwise, yes, you have to put more calories into him to get him to fill out. He should be getting about 20 lbs of good alfalfa hay. If you are feeding grass or timothy you are not getting enough calories from them. He needs grain and supplements possibly. Is he by himself or with others who are eating the bulk of the feed? EO
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Saturday, Aug 28, 2004 - 12:47 pm:
Hello Derek,
At 3 and 1/2 your horse has finished his skeletal growth but as he fills out he may add a inch or two of muscle and fat to his topline. Grain is probably the best way to increase his condition, for more see Care for Horses » Nutrition » Equine Nutrition an Overview of Feeding Horses.
DrO
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Member:
Ekdahld
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Posted on Saturday, Aug 28, 2004 - 11:55 pm:
Thanks. I never saw his dam but all the mares on the ranch I bought him from are 15-16hh and heavy athletic build with large bone. The stalion is 16hh and built like a freight train. My horse looks nothing like any horse they have. His teeth were floated at 2 1/2 and he is in a 12 acre pasture with 3 other horses so there is plenty of feed for all of them and in the winter there is always a round bale in the feeder. My pasture is grass, timothy and some alsike. I guess I'll start graining him & see what happens. Will this build lifelong size or would he lean out if I stopped supplimenting grain after he is mature?
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Sunday, Aug 29, 2004 - 7:21 am:
Hmmm timothy, if there is not much clover perhaps to compensate for the lower protein, a 2 - 5lbs of alfalfa daily maybe better.
I don't know what lifelong size means: if you provide enough nutrition a horses condition will stay up. There are many factors that effect a horses nutritional needs, I cannot begin to guess if he might need grain or how much for how long. The article I reference above explains more about this.
DrO
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New Member:
Brenda71
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Posted on Sunday, Aug 29, 2004 - 5:47 pm:
Hi,
I'm new here so forgive me for just popping in.
For the original poster...they stated there is alsike in their pasture...Alsike has been associated with certain metabolic disorders in horses, and horses should not be pastured on alsike.
Brenda
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Monday, Aug 30, 2004 - 8:11 am:
Hello Brenda,
Your comments are welcome here and thank you for bringing this up. Though you are correct in that many texts and internet sites list this as toxic, Alsike clover (Trifolium hybridum) is a commonly used horse pasture addition to grass, particularly in cooler climates with poor soil. Despite this the reports of problems are few and when they occur mild: primarily photosensitivity and gi irritation. These reports are mainly anecdotal, there is not a single report in mainstream scientific or veterinary literature.
In the past this was blamed on the clover causing liver disease but this has now been questioned. In fact horses on other types of clover and alfalfa get similar anecdotal reports so I am slow to condemn the use of alsike clover at this time because everytime I turn around everyone seems less sure this is a real problem but I continue to watch. On the other hand if choosing a clover to plant this would be my last choice.
DrO
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Member:
Goolsby
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Posted on Monday, Aug 30, 2004 - 8:59 am:
Derek
my first horse was a 2 yr old appy filly. The pic is at 2 standing with my 10 yr. old son. You can see she is very stunted. She got grain and mixed grass hay and supplements(no pasture) for the first two to three years that I had her. She did fill out during that time, but seem to grow slowly. She is 13 now and filled out nicely, probably a little over weight.
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Member:
Brenda71
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Posted on Monday, Aug 30, 2004 - 9:03 am:
Thank you for clarifying about the alsike. We are in the process now of picking a pasture seed mix and the guide we have for this has a warning about the alsike/horses under each pasture mix that contains alsike. Had me thinking alsike was a serious "no-no" for horses 
Brenda
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Member:
Goolsby
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Posted on Monday, Aug 30, 2004 - 9:06 am:
here is a pic of her now standing with my 16h saddle mare and her yearling. She is now on 20 acre pasture, grained in the winter months. Can you post a picture of your appy?
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