How Much Should You Feed a Yearling Horse?

Young horses require more feed and nutrients than full-grown horses.

Provide Adequate Nutrition

Yearling horses require more nutrients than full-grown horses. The yearling's daily diet needs to contain adequate protein, phosphorus and calcium for the horse to grow and develop properly. The University of Kentucky's Animal Science department recommends feeding grain to yearlings at a rate of 1/2 to 1-1/2 pounds of feed for every 100 pounds of body weight and unlimited roughage to ensure the yearling will receive adequate nutrition.

Avoid Overfeeding

The older the yearling becomes, the more its growth will slow and the less feed it will require for proper growth. The University of Minnesota encourages equine caretakers to refrain from overfeeding young horses because of the increased risk the horse will develop a developmental orthopedic disorder caused by putting too much stress on developing bones.

Bottom Line

Every yearling is unique and environmental factors will heighten individual circumstances. A young horse in a rich, grassy pasture will gain more weight than a yearling receiving identical grain rations along with poor quality hay. The caretakers of young horses should keep a watchful eye on the horses' development and adjust feed rations as needed to maintain growth at a healthy pace.

References

• University of Kentucky: Feeding Young & Growing Horses
• University of Minnesota: How to Formulate a Horse Ration
• University of Minnesota: Nutrition of the Weanling and Yearling Horse