Hi Dr.Getty,

My two year old Arabian filly just arrived back home from the trainers. She looks very upright on all 4 legs, her hip is a little humpy... she's grown consirably at the trainers and I'm concerned she's grown too fast. Her joints all look good; normal for a two year old in my opinion, but I'm obviously concerned about her tendons being too tight.

I'm going to leave her out of training and let her relax. What do you recommend I feed her at this point? She is currently getting free choice grass hay and 2 pounds of Nutrena Life Design Youth twice a day. What else can I do for her growthy-ness? She is in good flesh right now, ie not too fat.

I bought your MVP Mare/Foal IIP, would that be appropriate for her or should I get something else?

Thanks so much!

julie

Where are you from? Loveland, CO

How did you locate this forum? recommended

Hi Julie,

You're wise to keep a close eye on her growth since getting too heavy can lead to future joint/bone/tendon problems.

Check the feed that you're using to make sure that it isn't too high in cereal grains.

If she's not working, the best thing for her would be forage -- lots of grass hay and or pasture -- as much as she wants. And, then give her a small meal as a carrier (perhaps only 1 lb, depending on the feed) to add her supplements.

That's about as specific as I can get with the info I have and the scope of this forum. If you would like to go into more detail where I take a close look at the big picture, please let me know and we can schedule a time to do so.

Thanks so much for writing!

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO