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 Career in Looney Tune Land
Posts: 1717
  
Location: the high desert | I found a yearling that i really really like and im more then likely going to buy him but i have some questions first... *note* Im not a completely novice to babies, i work at a ranch that raises 2-3 foals a year, im the one that does most of the work with them...but i dont agree with many of the things she does/doesnt do with them...so that is why i am asking here. This will just be MY first colt so i want to make sure i do everything correctly and not half assed.
Question 1, feed: I am planning to feed beet pulp and either LMF foal feed or Ultium growth with a flake of alfalfa morning and night. He will be on pasture 24/7 and also have 24/7 access to good quality grass hay. Is this just to much??
Question 2 training: What all does everyone do with their yearlings? My plan is to have him leading, loading, picking up his feet and tie-ing well. Also planning to work on bathing, some desensitization to certain things and maybe some hauling to the local fairgrounds and some pony-ing. Is this just to much as well? Would i be better off to work on only the first few things i listed and then just let him be baby?
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 600
Location: Oklahoma & Texas | For feed - they have high nutrient/calorie requirements - Ultium growth will meet that and they'll look great - it is on the expensive side (atleast here its like 26 bucks a bag) I was feeding it for a long time and loved the results and with 1 it may be fine - i have way too many though so i feed the Nutrena Mare & Foal with similar result about 10 bucks a bag cheaper...
If you are going to feed Alfalfa - thats great - because they do require a lot of calories as well as Calcium and other nutrients. You will however need to balance this out a bit - what can happen w/young horses when just getting alfalfa is their growth can get excessive - where the bone is growing faster then the ligaments/muscle etc - and you will see them get over at the fetlock or get sore - you can prevent this by feeding some grass hay as well - grass hay is generally a lot higher in Phosphorus and will balance out the Calcium that Alfalfa is so high in. I feed Alfalfa to mine as well - but they get about half Alfalfa and half coastal grass hay... You want them growing just not too fast.
As far as training - the sky is the limit - you dont want to be riding them of course and longing should be kept to a tiny minimum - b/c you dont want to be wearing out their joints trotting and loping circles at that young of age w/growth plates developing - however all of my yearlings all tie, lead, can be groomed completely-all over (no goosey spots), feet pickedup, they have all been saddled and cinched up (not crazy tight like you'd ride cinched up but firmly fastened/cinched), they can all be blanketed, sacked out w/plastic sacks and scary items, they trailer/load, you can clip them (although i really dont clip mine) they bathe (sounds simple but babies usually dont like water the first few times you try lol)... each one is different and some accept things faster others need to be shown over/over w/repetition before they trust... ponying is ok - may want to wait til late in their yearling year - you wont need to exercise a lot as if they have turnout they are going to be running around a lot themselves. Taking them places is great learning experiences just be careful you have them vaccinated as exposing to strange locations/horses they will get sick easier than an older horse would that has a strong immune system - the typical strangles and upper resp type stuff is what i mean...
Good luck! I love raising babies and they are usually fast learners at that age and very willing to please and be rewarded - makes training down the road easier if you set the foundation at that age! |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I personally don't give my yearlings different feed then my other horses. I do not like them to be overweight, or grow too fast as this can be hard on the growth plates and joints.
Mine are on free choice hay, we also feed green feed free choice, so I don't give additional grain.
They get free choice mineral.
Mine are halter broke, good with the farrier, have been blanketed, brushed, other then that I let them be a baby.
I do not haul as hauling is hard on the joints. |
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Career in Looney Tune Land
Posts: 1717
Location: the high desert | thank you BBrewster. I will have to take a look at the nutrena feed. I did a comparison on foal feeds awhile ago but i lost the paper so i will have to do it again. He will have 24/7 access to good quality grass hay. And yes there will be no lungeing (or VERY minimal) as i know that is not very good for the joints. As far as the ponying goes i was thinking more so for if i hauled him to a couple places it would be a good idea to pony him (at a walk) around the fairgrounds to see the sights since he would have a well broke, well traveled adult horse to help keep him calm and be a good "trainer". But I suppose i could aslo just hand walk him around to see the sights myself. Thats my whole thing, i want a good solid foundation on my colt so that way when it comes time to break him to ride it will be a breeze (he wont be broke to ride tell he is well into his 3 year old year).
Edited by Iwish 2014-03-28 2:14 PM
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Career in Looney Tune Land
Posts: 1717
Location: the high desert | Cheryl what is green feed? And i didnt even think about hauling being hard on the joints ( i mean i new that, but i didnt think about it since the local fairgrounds is only about 15 mins away) |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Iwish - 2014-03-28 2:10 PM
Cheryl what is green feed? And i didnt even think about hauling being hard on the joints ( i mean i new that, but i didnt think about it since the local fairgrounds is only about 15 mins away)
Green feed is baled up straw with the oats attached. |
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 Always Off Topic
Posts: 6382
Location: ND | in about a month, my yearlings will go out to pasture, run and grow and come home this fall....they've been worked with over winter and fed oats and free choice hay.....when they come back in this fall, they will get worked with, driven, few rides and then just eat with the colts again... |
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Career in Looney Tune Land
Posts: 1717
Location: the high desert | ah ok, i see. Never heard of it before, must not be a common feed to use in my area. |
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9992
Location: Kansas | I love growing babies!!!!! I have my coming yearling on calf manna, safechoice mare & foal, and then some soaked beet pulp for added weight....since she seems to be a hard keeper already! |
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Career in Looney Tune Land
Posts: 1717
Location: the high desert | hmm...calf manna, interesting. |
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  Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | Mine go out as soon as green grass starts to come up, so in a week or 2 usually. Mine are getting castrated week after next and then hopefully the boot. I have too many riders to mess with yearlings this time of year. They are super gentle by now since I have played with them since weaning. Feet get trimmed, they are dewormed and then checked on every couple days all summer.
I have to say that I am super happy with Ultium Growth though if you were going to leave one in and feed it. |
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 You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | I feed patriot 14/6 feed, plus grass hay and pasture. I don't usually give them alfalfa just because we don't keep a lot of it around. Maybe 2 bales at a time.
My yearling knows how to load, lead, tie, pick up his feet, i can paste deworm him. I can't bathe him yet, just haven't really messed with it. |
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 The Color Specialist
Posts: 7530
Location: Washington. (The DRY side.) | IMO, the feeding plan sound like overkill. If you have good grass (pasture), I would only feed a good vit/min supplement and free choice loose salt, in addition to the 24/7 grass. |
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| Just use common sense and try to make your feed program equal out to be 14-16% protein. Feeding ... say.. 6 lbs of alfalfa.. one block ...with 3 lbs of oats will give you the right ratio of phos and ca for growing strong bones on colts or older horses. Increase the amount to keep your horses in the right body condition ....
If you want more of an oily shine ... add 1/4-1/2 pound of rolled or cracked corn which is good for their teeth and chewing strength. And have a good standard worming program!!
I would never use beet pulp on anything due to the heavy metals it contains and when they accumulate in a horses body you get all kinds of organ problems which create low profile infections that vets can never locate nor the cause to the demise of the horse. The reason horses or livestock appear to gain weight on beet pulp is very simple.... beet pulp accumulate water in their body tissue which is deceiving as being fat and healthy... and can have an ulcer affect if fed too dry. So, why chance having these problems by feeding it.
Over handling is one of the worst things you can do ... they become barn brats and when it comes time for more ground training and then riding you have a sully, stubborn colt that refuses to do simple things. ... So, keep some spook in them so you can move them forward and move them around with little effort with simple spooking techniques and almost no refusals!!
The 3 best basic things you can do to a horse is teaching one to go forward, to back up with light feet and to keep out of your space. And the everyday things to perform maintenance on them.
And for goodness sakes don't feed them treats and make biters out of them ... lol ... as you know....... colts only bite women on a couple of fluffy tender spots ....
HAVE FUN ... if you raise a crazy one .... just get crazier than they are ... problem solved ....
COUGARS MISS BEHAVIN is the way I want my babies to look from weanling thru 2 years old ....
http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/cougars+miss+behavin
Edited by BARRELHORSE USA 2014-03-28 11:14 PM
 (COUGARS MISS BEHAVIN 11.22.2013 (8).JPG)
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 COUGARS MISS BEHAVIN 11.22.2013 (8).JPG (62KB - 265 downloads)
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Career in Looney Tune Land
Posts: 1717
Location: the high desert | Thank you everyone for your input. I think im over thinking this lol. Im just afraid that im going to screw up his growth by not feeding him right/to much/ to little, i want to make sure i have the perfect ammount. In my area i think we only get purina, nutrena, LMF or triple crown feeds. I have a great vitamin and mineral supplement (its actually the exact same one his current owner is feeding him). So hmmm, would i be better off to feed just alfalfa (couple flakes a day) and then still keep him on 24/7 pasture and access to 24/7 grass hay and do no grain at all? That just worries me that he would not get enough protein. |
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![](<a href="http://s1191.photobucket.com/albums/z470/alicat0909/?action=view¤t=yellaandcalf.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1191.photobu) Heeler Hater
Posts: 3014
Location: Texas | BARRELHORSE USA - 2014-03-28 10:41 PM Just use common sense and try to make your feed program equal out to be 14-16% protein. Feeding ... say.. 6 lbs of alfalfa.. one block ...with 3 lbs of oats will give you the right ratio of phos and ca for growing strong bones on colts or older horses. Increase the amount to keep your horses in the right body condition .... If you want more of an oily shine ... add 1/4-1/2 pound of rolled or cracked corn which is good for their teeth and chewing strength. And have a good standard worming program!! I would never use beet pulp on anything due to the heavy metals it contains and when they accumulate in a horses body you get all kinds of organ problems which create low profile infections that vets can never locate nor the cause to the demise of the horse. The reason horses or livestock appear to gain weight on beet pulp is very simple.... beet pulp accumulate water in their body tissue which is deceiving as being fat and healthy... and can have an ulcer affect if fed too dry. So, why chance having these problems by feeding it. Over handling is one of the worst things you can do ... they become barn brats and when it comes time for more ground training and then riding you have a sully, stubborn colt that refuses to do simple things. ... So, keep some spook in them so you can move them forward and move them around with little effort with simple spooking techniques and almost no refusals!! The 3 best basic things you can do to a horse is teaching one to go forward, to back up with light feet and to keep out of your space. And the everyday things to perform maintenance on them. And for goodness sakes don't feed them treats and make biters out of them ... lol ... as you know....... colts only bite women on a couple of fluffy tender spots .... HAVE FUN ... if you raise a crazy one .... just get crazier than they are ... problem solved .... COUGARS MISS BEHAVIN is the way I want my babies to look from weanling thru 2 years old .... http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/cougars+miss+behavin
all excellent advice here
I however have to add this made me snort and gigle because I can honestly say Ive never been bitten there..however I was riding sale horses through for people and young girl was standing there with her young stallion (maybe 3 or 4) he was all saddled up ready for me to ride him through for her. He ooked so sweet and gentle dozing off next to her...until he woke up looked at her and bite the living crap out of one of her "fluffy" spots. Poor girl had a green swollen boob.
SOrry OP didnt mean to steal.o |
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Career in Looney Tune Land
Posts: 1717
Location: the high desert | jeesh poor girl. |
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Career in Looney Tune Land
Posts: 1717
Location: the high desert | What about this, I really don't want to feed 6-8lbs of grain to get the recommended protein amount could I feed about half that amount and then feed alfalfa to make up the difference? He will be on 24/7 pasture but I would not consider the pasture to be on a exceptional level more on a "it gives them something to do all day" level lol. So I definitely don't think with the pasture and grass hay that he will get enough protein. I'm thinking he will need some more protein from another source. |
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| I have a yearling who is good size mymvet thinks she may be bigger than my mare and she is 15hands. She gets 3 lb of low starch by blue seal, 2 pounds of beat pulp, and 2ounds of chopped forage, plus all the grass hay she can eat. Plent fat but not over fat no hay belly vet said she was perfect body condition. Her momma and my gelding get the same amount but they get about 15 pounds of hay per day. Went it was real,cold i did give them some omegatin.
Edited by daisycake123 2014-03-30 3:47 PM
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| It is time you provided recent pictures of the yearling you are looking at ..... it takes grain, good hay and good care to make a good sound baby even when the mare is pregnant .....
You can't cheat on carbs, proteins, vitamins and minerals, good hay in the correct ratio in order to make a good sound, growing youngster.
Keep your feed program as natural and simple as possible with a good mineral supplement like ADM GroStrong .... AND a good worming program.
Bad hair, air belly with mane and tail longer than it should be for age of horse is a giveaway to the actual care a baby has had previously ..... that is the reason I show pictures when I discuss my feeding program .... you can see the results ...
GOOD LUCK ON YOUR FEEDING DECISIONS AND YOUR NEW BABY!!
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Career in Looney Tune Land
Posts: 1717
Location: the high desert | Cant post a picture as I don't actually own him yet but I get what you are saying BarrelhorseUSA. I can tell you that the colt looks FANTASTIC right now and is currently only getting alfalfa and free choice minerals. Well.... I guess I just answered my own question lol. |
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