How to Feed 2 and 3-Year-Old Growing Horses

Raising young horses is both a rewarding and demanding task, with success requiring specialised knowledge about nutrition, development and equine behaviour. As foals transition into two and three-year-olds, their nutritional needs undergo significant changes. Proper feeding during this critical stage sets the foundation for a lifetime of health and performance. In this guide, we’ll explore the key considerations for nourishing the growing bodies of young horses, ensuring they develop into strong, thriving individuals.

UNDERSTANDING HORSE DEVELOPMENT

The second and third years of a horse’s life mark a period of rapid growth and development. As gangly foals transform into sturdy yearlings and two-year-olds, their bodies require specific nutrients to support bone and muscle development, joint health, and overall well-being.

The impacts of nutritional insufficiencies during growth can last a lifetime, affecting long-term health, soundness and even behaviour. It is essential for horse owners and caretakers to recognise the unique nutritional needs of this life-stage to promote optimal growth without compromising long-term health.

STEPS TO FORMULATE A WELL-BALANCED RATION

1. Quality forage is the cornerstone.
Forage, such as good-quality hay or pasture, is the foundation of a young horse’s diet. The fibre content in forage aids in proper digestion, maintains a healthy gut microbial balance, and supports gastrointestinal health.
High-quality forage provides many of the essential vitamins and minerals needed, including calcium and phosphorus, which are crucial for bone development. Pasture quality is highest in young, leafy plants and declines as the plants mature and dry off. Unless your growing horses are overweight, it is safe to feed as much low to moderate-sugar grass-based roughage as they will eat. When the pasture is not plentiful, replace it in the diet with quality grass or meadow hay.

Add a biscuit or two of lucerne hay, as it is rich in protein and calcium, helping to support the demands of growing bones and muscles. However, do not feed more than 30% of the total intake as lucerne hay or chaff.

Body Condition, Growth Rates & Developmental Orthopaedic Disease
Vets advise that the risk of growing horses developing OCD is reduced by limiting calories to prevent very fast growth whilst ensuring enough amino acids, vitamins, minerals and polyunsaturated fatty acids (especially omega-3s) are provided for development of strong bones, muscle and other tissue.

Foals and growing youngstock should not be overweight – aim to maintain body condition score (BCS) at 4.5 to 5.5 on a 9 point scale. You want to be able to just see the ribs - and always ensure that ribs can be felt in
growing horses.

2. Balancing Act: Protein and Amino Acids
Protein is a fundamental building block for a young horse’s developing body. Youngstock need high quality protein in their diets – especially proteins rich in the amino acid lysine, which horses are unable to manufacture. Other important essential amino acids are methionine, threonine and leucine.

Legume forages and grains, including lucerne, clover and soybean meal, are effective options for adding essential amino acids to growing horse rations and are commonly found in commercial feeds formulated for breeding horses.
Growing horses with diets deficient in essential amino acids will become stunted with poor muscle development. Pure amino acid supplements can also be used in carefully calculated amounts to meet shortfalls on the nutritionist’s advice.

However, striking a balance is essential, as excessive protein can lead to kidney strain and developmental issues such as growth-related orthopaedic diseases.

3. Monitor Body Condition: A Holistic Approach
While it’s crucial to focus on the nutritional aspects of raising young horses, monitoring their overall body condition is equally important. A horse that is growing too quickly or too slowly may be at risk of health issues.
Only give a hard feed as a calorie/energy source to youngstock who lose weight or grow too slowly on all-they-can-eat forage plus protein when required. Weight loss can occur due to a reduction in pasture or hay quality or during a growth spurt.

The best way to determine a horse’s energy requirements is to regularly monitor their body condition score, assess muscle development and overall appearance, and then make necessary adjustments to the feeding regimen.
Balance with vitamins, minerals and oils

It is critical to provide vitamin and mineral supplementation to satisfy the daily requirements of growing horses. Failure to do so will compromise the long-term structural soundness of young horses.

Forages and protein sources do not contain enough minerals to meet basic requirements, let alone provide optimum and balanced levels. Young horses need more calcium, sodium, phosphorous and manganese than that provided by pasture. All equine diets also require supplementation with copper, zinc, iodine and often selenium. It is also essential that the critical mineral ratios are balanced over the entire diet to optimise availability and uptake.

BALANCING MINERALS

Calcium and phosphorus are essential minerals for proper bone development in young horses. The ideal calcium-to-phosphorus ratio should be maintained to prevent developmental orthopaedic disorders. A ratio across the whole intake of approximately 2:1 is recommended.

To achieve this balance, horse owners can supplement their diet with mineral blends or commercial feeds specifically formulated for young, growing horses.

Regular monitoring of the horse’s diet and adjusting the feed accordingly as they grow is crucial to maintaining the proper mineral balance.

Do I need to feed a commercial breeding horse pellet?
A quality breeding-specific commercial premixed feed can simplify the process of balancing a young horse’s diet, but only when feeding the full daily recommended amount. If fewer calories are required, top up with extra protein and mineral supplements to avoid a deficiency. For this reason, it is often simpler to mix DIY hard feeds incorporating plain ingredients with a comprehensive all in one vitamin and mineral supplement. By providing protein, vitamin, mineral and omega-3 supplements independently from the energy source it becomes easy to change the diet in response to seasonal changes as well as growing horse’s needs as they change over time.

ADD VITAMINS AND OMEGA-3S

Vitamins and oils are also important to sustain healthy growth and development in young horses. Green, leafy pasture contains many of the vitamins that horses require but may not reach the levels that young, actively growing horses need. Vitamin levels are low in mature and dry plants, including hay. It is advisable to provide youngstock with a source of supplementary vitamins, including vitamins A, B, E, K, D, folate and biotin.

A small amount of oil is also essential in any equine diet. Ensuring a good balance of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids relative to omega-6 is important for many reasons, including the development of the brain and nervous system and for correct functioning of the immune system. Some equine nutritionists recommend directly supplementing omega-3 fats in both plant and marine-sourced forms because DHA and EPA are vital to the development of a healthy heart, brain, skin and joints.

5. Supporting Joint Health
The rapid growth experienced by two and three-year-old horses can put strain on their developing joints. To support joint health and prevent issues like developmental orthopaedic diseases, consider using joint supplements containing ingredients such as glucosamine, hyaluronic acid, omega-3s, MSM or collagen to help maintain the integrity of joint cartilage and support overall joint function.

6. Hydration: Often Overlooked, Always Essential
Water is a fundamental component of any horse’s diet, and young, growing horses are no exception. Proper hydration is crucial for digestion, nutrient absorption, and overall well-being. Horses should have access to clean, fresh water at all times and need around 10 grams of plain salt per 100 kilograms of body weight each day to help maintain electrolyte levels for healthy hydration.

Conclusion
Raising two and three-year-old horses requires a well-informed approach to nutrition. Providing a balanced diet that meets their specific and changing needs is crucial for their long-term health and success. By understanding the importance of protein, amino acids, forage, minerals, joint supplements, hydration, and overall body condition, horse owners and breeders can ensure their youngstock develop into strong, active horses able to perform well in their future roles.

Article: Larissa Bilston (BAgrSc – Hons 1), Animal Nutritionist, Farmalogic

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