We usually do not have young horses, however, we have a yearling that is a little ribby and not much glow (not wormy/fecal test clean). We feed quality grass hay/pasture, alfalfa pellets and Renew Gold. Free choice loose mineral available at all times. Maybe I need to up her alfalfa pellets or switch her to a "growth" feed? Everyone is on pasture right now and I know the pasture isn't as good due to lack of rain this year. Thanks in advance!

You can try upping her feed but most yearlings seem to go through these faze, I wouldn't be too concerned about it. It is called the "Yearling Uglies" for a reason. LOL

A lot of horse owners don't realize how many changes with teeth go on in a yearlings mouth. This can make it painful to chew and the result is poor digestion of the roughage in the hind gut. You might add a little more alfalfa pellets to slow the hind gut down a little and get better digestion of the grass hay and pasture as a result. Overall diet should be around 15% - 16% protein in total.  They go through stages at that age, but, if you grass hay quality is pretty good your yearling should grow through it. I f the grass hay is low protein the current amount of alfalfa pellets might not be enough to make up for it.

This is my take on feeding babies. Prenatal care and proper nutrition the first year are critical. I feed by weight. Smaller horses get smaller rations of feed. I start feeding a quality feed so they can start eating with their mothers.  I gradually increase feed to the mate as the baby gets bigger. Weaning through the first year I feed about 4 pounds morning and evening along with Platinum Performance just in the evening. This is a colt at about 6 weeks old and he is 4 not a yearling. That sucker is st least 16-2 his momma was 15-1

I would caution most to be careful feeding 8 pounds of grain based feed per day to any horse. That amount simply does not fit in the digestive system at volumes more than about two pounds per feeding without overwhelming available digestive enzymes in the small intestine and then disrupting hind gut function. There is a way that this can be safely done with more small feeding per day, depending on the makeup of the feed. The risk from many least-cost formulated feeds (which is most feeds) on the market is the constantly changing makeup of the formula from production lot to production lot. Changes of makeup at that volume alters the ph in the hind gut which in turn affects the bacteria needed to break down the roughage portion of the diet. Calcium / Phos ratio may also put a weanling at significant risk for structural problems. I know many get away with doing this, but careful monitoring is required at a level that many do not or can not do. Growing horses need a total protein level in the diet of around 16%, a balanced Cal/Phos ratio and any regional mineral deficiency addressed. If you feel that you need to support natural vitamin production, or fat soluble vitamins, you are better off to do that directly rater than rely on added vitamins that are supplied in the premixes used in most conventional feeds. More feed does not safely grow a young horse bigger that they are genetically capable of growing. At the same time, lack of nutrition can certainly prevent them from growing to their genetic potential. Finding the sweet spot and staying safe from developmental issues will help keep a horse sound in later years of use. Just my opinion, but if better roughage that meets the majority of the nutirional needs is available, that is safer money spent than high grain based feed volume. I am not saying that additional support beyond roughage is bad. I am just saying that you need to be very careful if you add more than two pounds of any concnetrate at a single feeding.

My babies eat with their mommas.  They probably get a pound morning and evening. I have to increase feed to the mares as they are good milkers and babies pull them down. By the time they are yearlings they get 4 pounds am pm. I have been feeding this way for about the last fifty years. I Research everything I feed. About the only supplement I feed is Platinum. I do have some that get Equipride and I only feed the minimium of those. My feed is kind of a mid priced feed and my horses have never looked better. They also perform well. I have made some changes over the years but when you get something that works well for you, there isn't a need to make changes.  Over the years, I have had 2 horses with ulcers. One was off the track and I am sure he had ulcers when I bought him. Back then there wasn't much to treat with but worked with my vet and took care of it. The other one was performing at a high stressful level and that one was treated with better meds. Thanks for your suggests