Hi Felicia,

Thank you for writing about your horses. In cases such as these, I prefer to set up a phone consultation so we can go over their specific needs and come up with customized plans for each of them. Here is the link for more info: http://gettyequinenutrition.biz/TalktoDrGetty.htm

But, in general, I would make a few suggestions:

1. First, give them all the hay and/or forage they want so that they do not run out of something to graze on. This is essential to their digestive health.

2. Add alfalfa pellets now to the diet and do not wait until winter. They require the additional calcium. Plus, if you continue to grind your own flaxseed meal, you are giving them a feed that has an inverted calcium to phosphorus ratio. More phosphorus than calcium is dangerous, especially for growing horses and interferes with bone development. That is why I recommend Nutra Flax because it has added calcium. Plus it is stabilized and won't go rancid for at least 6 months. Freshly ground flaxseeds can only last 1 to 2 days in the refrigerator.

3. Ultium is fine for your growing horses but they do require additional lysine. One sooop of Pure Lysine provides 4 grams of lysine, which may or may not be enough depending on the lysine content of your pasture and hay. So, it is best to have your forage analyzed. You can have this done at your local county extention agency or contact Equi-Analytical (www.equi-analytical.com) for a forage-collecting kit.

4. Salt is also an issue and a plain, white (not the mineralized version) salt block is necessary.

I hope this gets you on track. Plesae let me know if I can assist you further.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO