The basic nutritional recommendations for horses and other animals are published by the National Research Council. The last recommendation made concerning feeding young horses was in 1989 and Dr. Sarah Ralston indicates it was recommended that weanlings receive rations containing 70% concentrates, and yearlings need 45% to 60% of their ration as concentrates. Near the end of the calendar year, most of the young horses are late weanlings and early yearlings, and I think it is important to consider the best method of feeding these young horses. The NRC recommendations I mentioned recommends feeding large amounts of concentrates to young horses, and although young horses do need some concentrates to grow to their maximum potential, these recommendations may be too high. Many studies have been performed that indicate feeding yearlings 40% of the ration as concentrates had optimal growth rates; there are also less problems feeding lower concentrate rations.

Feeding large amounts of concentrates can increase the chance of young horses developing joint problems and can even affect bone mineral content. It is now recommended to feed rations containing lower amounts of grains and higher amounts of fat and fiber. It is important to feed a commercial balanced ration because the mineral levels must be balanced and this is almost impossible to get right without having your ration analyzed by a nutritionist. For some reason, many people want to buy several different feeds and mix their own rations. This can be dangerous for all horses but especially for young horses, so pick a commercial balanced ration recommended by your veterinarian.