A guide to weaning and feeding foals: from 6 months to adulthood

Guiding a foal through its growth, from weaning until it reaches one and two years of age, is one of the most delicate and exciting challenges for breeders and owners.

At this stage, nutrition also offers countless opportunities that go beyond simply meeting the animal’s immediate needs; it lays the biological, skeletal and muscular foundations for the adult horse.

Getting the nutritional approach wrong at this critical stage can compromise the development of the musculoskeletal system and, consequently, the entire sporting and competitive career of tomorrow’s athlete. For this reason, it is essential to plan every single step with scientific precision in order to ensure harmonious and physiological growth.

The weaning phase: timing, physiology and managing separation

Weaning represents the physiological and behavioural transition from dependence on mare’s milk to the independent consumption of solid food. This process generally begins at around 6 months of age, although, depending on the rearing practices and the foal’s development, it may extend up to the 8th month.

As early as the fourth month, a natural change becomes apparent: the foal begins to show a marked curiosity about its surroundings. It starts to nibble at the first blades of grass, to taste its mother’s forage and to ‘steal’ small amounts of solid feed from the mare. This spontaneous behaviour should not be hindered, as it stimulates two crucial processes:

1. The development of the masticatory system and dentition, adapting the dental structures to the grinding of tough fibre.
2. The colonisation and maturation of the gut microbiota, which is essential for future fermentation in the caecum and of forage.

The key principle at this stage must be gradualness. An abrupt separation would cause a spike in emotional and metabolic stress, with consequent repercussions on digestive function and the immune system.

To prevent disturbances to the intestinal balance caused by a change in diet and the emotional stress of weaning, from the 5th month onwards, it is essential to supplement the transition diet with specific support for digestive function. In this context, the use of the Trophogast Equiplanet supplementary feed helps to maintain the physiological integrity of the gastric and intestinal mucosa, protecting the foal from the digestive disorders typical of this period.

The choice of forage sources during weaning

Forage is the indispensable cornerstone of any horse’s diet, but for a foal undergoing weaning, the quality of the fibre must be assessed with the utmost care. As its dentition is still incomplete and its digestive system is still developing, the foal requires forage that is extremely soft, easily digestible and free from dust or mould.

It is highly recommended to include a portion of top-quality alfalfa in the diet, making up approximately 30 per cent of the total forage intake.

Alfalfa provides:

• An excellent source of high-quality proteins, rich in essential amino acids.
• A high concentration of natural calcium, which is essential for bone tissue.
• Excellent palatability and chewability for the foal’s milk teeth.

The remaining 70 per cent of the forage portion should consist of top-quality mixed-species hay, which is soft and harvested at an early stage of growth, and should always be made available to stimulate continuous gastrointestinal motility.

The 6-month metabolism paradox and the risks of excessive calorie intake

A key technical fact highlighted by Equiplanet’s nutritionists concerns energy requirements: a 6-month-old weaned foal (with an estimated adult weight of 500 kg) has a digestible energy requirement that is virtually identical to that of an adult horse in maintenance.

Faced with this energy requirement, many breeders make the mistake of feeding excessive amounts of feed rich in starch and complex sugars in an attempt to maximise the animal’s visible growth. This approach is extremely dangerous: a disproportionate intake of concentrates leads to excessively rapid body growth and a weight imbalance relative to the load-bearing capacity of the still-immature bone and cartilage tissue.

Caloric overload is one of the primary causes of so-called DOD (Developmental Orthopaedic Disorders), a group of growth-related problems that can permanently compromise the athlete’s joint function. The foal must not accumulate fat mass, but rather develop ‘noble’ tissues (bones, tendons, ligaments and muscles) in a harmonious manner.

The ideal nutritional profile of a growth-promoting complementary feed

To avoid nutritional deficiencies or excessive calorie intake, the concentrated portion of the diet must be specifically formulated for growing horses.

A complementary feed intended for foals must possess specific characteristics:

• High digestibility: preferably extruded or pelletised, to maximise the intestinal absorption of nutrients.
• Adequate protein content: a protein content of around 14–16 per cent, derived from sources of high biological value.
• A balanced amino acid profile: the presence of limiting amino acids such as lysine and methionine is the truly decisive factor. Without an adequate supply of lysine, protein synthesis and musculoskeletal development come to a standstill, regardless of the total amount of protein present in the diet.

Equiplanet’s nutritional support for the post-weaning phase:

To ensure these requirements are optimally met without burdening the metabolism with excess non-structural carbohydrates, Equiplanet offers the Mac Breed complementary feed, specifically designed to supplement the ration with a high proportion of essential amino acids (including L-lysine at a very high concentration) and nutritional elements essential for proper muscle development.

Nutritional development from 12 to 24 months of age

As we follow the growth curve, we see that by 12 months of age the foal has already reached around 65 per cent of its adult weight and over 90 per cent of its final height. Seeing that it has already reached its full height, one might think that its nutritional requirements have stabilised.

In reality, at one year of age, the horse’s skeletal and muscular structure is not yet fully developed. The bone growth plates are far from fused, and the mineral density of the skeletal framework has yet to be fully established.

In terms of the type of feed, the feed used at 12 months may, in principle, remain the same right up to 24 months. What needs to vary significantly, however, are the quantities administered, which must be adjusted according to the individual’s growth rate, body condition score and level of physical activity (e.g. paddock time, commencement of training).

Bone mineralisation and micronutrient supplementation

To support proper skeletal mineralisation in foals aged between 1 and 2 years, the standard ration of hay and basic feed is often insufficient to meet their macro- and micro-nutrient requirements.

A consistent and balanced intake of the following is required:

• Calcium and Phosphorus: Maintained in the correct ratio (ideally between 1.5:1 and 2:1) to prevent demineralisation.
• Chelated copper and zinc: Essential for collagen synthesis and the health of joint cartilage.
• Vitamin D3 and vitamin A: Indispensable for regulating calcium fixation in the bones and supporting the immune response.

To meet these mineral and vitamin requirements without altering the energy balance of the ration, the periodic inclusion of Osteo Foal mineral feed ensures the correct intake of calcium, phosphorus, trace elements and vitamins, supporting the natural strength of the young, growing horse’s bone and joint structure.

Conclusions and growth monitoring

Feeding a foal correctly is an art that combines knowledge of equine physiology with daily observation of the animal. Signs such as sudden weight loss, a dull coat, swollen joints or changes in appetite are warning signs indicating the need to adjust the diet or the pace of weaning.

The coordinated use of top-quality forage, combined with the scientific support provided by the Equiplanet range of supplementary feeds, enables breeders to guide the foal towards adulthood in perfect health and safety, laying the foundations for a future as a true champion.

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