I just acquired a 4 1/2 month old weanling colt that was getting Omolene 300 and alfalfa hay. I am trying to decide what to feed him. From reading all of the previous posts, I don't want to feed a high starch feed. He will be on coastal bermuda pasture (although pretty dried up in TX right now) and/or hay with a little alfalfa every day. My four year old is getting Ultium. Can I feed the weanling this? If so, how much should I start with and do I need to add any other supplements to it. Or would SafeChoice or Equine Junior be a better option? If so, how much and what other supplements? How can I be assured that he is getting all of the vitamins & minerals he needs for healthy, steady growth?

Where are you from? Texas

How did you locate this forum? online search

Hi Lisa,

Ah yes, I know what you mean about hay in Texas, having just moved from there a few months ago. But, bermuda or timothy (if you can find it) is best, along with around 5 lbs of alfalfa hay each day.

Equine Junior is acceptable, but you'll also want to add a good source of omega 3 fatty acids, such as Nutra Flax, as well as a vitamin/mineral supplement designed for growing horses. You won't need a lot of Equine Junior, since most of the diet, should come from hay and pasture. So, you could make it even simpler, and feed shredded beet pulp (moistened), Nutra Flax, and a supplement such as Mare/Foal IIP. Two small meals a day, along with hay and/or pasture 24/7, and he'll glow!

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Colorado

Thank you for your response. One more semi related question:

Since I will be feeding my weanling beat pulp, I have been considering switching my four year old barrel horse from the Ultium to beat pulp. He is currently getting 4 lbs/day of the Ultium (free choice Gro Strong Minerals & salt) on days when he is worked and he stays plenty fat on that. I was told by Purina that that is the least amount of the Ultium I can feed and still be assured he is getting all the nutrients he needs. If I switch him to the beet pulp, what supplements do you recommend feeding with it for a four year old quarter horse that is worked almost every day and competing on the weekends and is a pretty easy keeper. He is on coastal pasture/hay. Should I put him on alfalfa too and how much per day? I want him to have a nice coat, plenty of energy and plenty of antioxidants in a ration that is easily assimilated. Thanks.

Where are you from? Texas

How did you locate this forum? online search

OK...one MORE question:

What vit/min supplement would you recommend for the weanling and four year old if I am limited on the amount of alfalfa I can get? Or is alfalfa pretty critical for the weanlings diet? Thanks again!

Where are you from? Texas

How did you locate this forum? online search

Hi Lisa,

If you want to switch to a beet pulp based diet, I would recommend adding a complete flaxseed meal-based supplement that will provide omega 3 fatty acids along with important antioxidants and minerals. The one that I recommend is Glanzen. It will round out his forage diet to help meet his performance needs.

If alfalfa hay is hard to come by, consider adding alfalfa pellets to the beet pulp meal. It's difficult to give you an exact amount to add without taking a closer look at his overall situation (and you may wish to arrange for a phone visit at some point to do this). But, in the meantime, you can very safely add 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of alfalfa pellets to a meal. Keep in mind that the overall weight (dry weight) of the meal should not exceed 3 to 3 1/2 pounds.

If you use the Glanzen, you would discontinue using the mineral supplement since there would be too much overlap.

For your youngster, alfalfa is very important, but pellets can also be used instead. But, I would go with the Mare/Foal IIP and the flaxseed meal, to make sure that he is getting all the nutrients he needs for growth.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, Colorado