Zoetic Quarter Horses

The feeding program for these mares, foals, and stallions are made up of Legend Maker Plus, Maternity, milled flax seed, optimum, and HL Mineral. 

Legend Maker Plus~specially formulated for the needs of growing horses, this feed has been used successfully on the pre and post weaned foals up into and including their 2nd year.  With none of the epiphysitis or contracted tendons seen with other foal rations, the foals maintain a healthy weight and grow in a balanced way.

Milled Flax Seed-ground up flax that is much easier on the stomache to digest and absorb it is great for maintaining consistent bowel movement and gives an awesome glossy coat, especially beneficial for the young horses whose young digestive system is not mature enough to digest hay properly.

Wendels Herbs-used since 2008.  Take your choice from this wide variety of natural additives.  Easy-to-feed bottle with pre-measured spout, the horses love the taste and lick their bowls. 

Beet Pulp-It has been utalized as a great 'glue' feed for helping with hard keepers and underweight horses.  It should NOT be used on growing horses!  The foals and youngstock of Zoetic Quarter Horses are NOT fed beet pulp as their proper growth and future soundness is extremely important.

Read exerts from an article about beet pulp below.

Excess amounts of oxalates ( form of salt) may be present in these plants-halogeteon, greasewood, BEETS, dock , rhubarb-(Beets =product beet pulp) - If the horse consistently eats theses plants over a LONG extendend period of time, calcium deficency will result. Insoluble oxalate crystals will deposit in the kidneys resulting in kidney damage - Could be the reason for the water molecules trying to flush the kidneys?

Beet pulp originates from sugar industry. It is an insoluble fiber, meaning that it does not interact with the body. It rushes through the intestines taking with it whatever supplements have been given. Simply put, it cannot be digested. It takes four molecules of water for the body to process beet pulp-adding water weight, and making the horse appear heavier. Once beet pulp is removed from the diet, the horse loses weight quickly, leading the owner to believe that the horse needs the beet pulp.

Dr. Joyce Harman of the Harmany Equine Clinic http://www.harmanyequine.com/ states that not all sugar can be eliminated from soaking the beets, therefore some remains in the pulp. Sugar contributes to insulin-resistance, and a condition known as Cushing's syndrome.

Often, if the horse is unable to digest the beet pulp. Their hind-ends "shut down" and become weak. The common complaint being, "my horse has a weak hind-end."

Case in Kentucky - A lady emailed me about her paint that had been seen by vets, chiropractors, etc. to no avail her paint was weak from behind, bad stifles? He was 4yrs old they said arthritis, I said what are you feeding? Turns out she was feeding a product that was mostly beet pulp and rice bran. She took the paint off the feed, then sent a email stating her horse was moving much better and was able to ride him again.

What does this all mean? Ask yourself these questions:

• Does my horse feel weak in the hind end?

• Are his hooves brittle?

• Does it seem like his stifles are weak?

• Does my horse appear to be lacking energy?

• What about the coat? Is it dull?

• Does my horse have loose stools? Are his stools loose or hard?

If you horse has any of these symptoms then:

Try the following for three months. Take your horse off beet pulp, and use good quality hay pellets, or grass hay, remembering to soak in water.

Probably the most stressful time of year.

  Foals at Zoetic Quarter Horses are usually weaned at approximately 4 months of age, rarely they are weaned at 3 months.  This decision is based on the condition of the mare, whether she is back in foal, how the foal is doing, and time of year.

All foals are eating well on their own in a separate area from their dam and leading well prior to weaning.  With strong social ties to people and a playful attitude, weaning goes well and is often accompanied by a quiet younger horse to keep them company yet still instill some of those social skills taught by their mom.

The loss of social skills and valuable nutrition by weaning any earlier (and there are many that do) can be reflected in the growth of the foal to maturity.

check out exerts from this article regarding mare milk nutritional values

New curve graphs of mares' milk generated from milking samples show the variations in levels of protein, fat, and lactose in the first 180 days of lactation. Total milk output per day is also represented. These graphs reveal that whereas lactose levels go up throughout the nursing period, fat and protein levels drop. All three components go through rapid changes in the first month and more gradual changes in the following months.

"According to our curves, protein and energy requirements of the lactating mare would be expected to be greater during the first and second months," said study co-author Ana Sofia Santos, MSc, PhD candidate in equine nutrition, and researcher at the Center of Studies of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro. "This means that these are the critical points in the supplementation (of lactating mares) in order to limit their loss of body condition score."

Total milk output reaches a peak of about 14 kg (31 lbs) at 31 days and then steadily drops down to nearly half that amount by the six month mark. By three months, the production is low enough to indicate starting nutritional supplements for the foals, Santos said. "That way we can limit the break on foal growth, and these foals will be better prepared for weaning, and they will eventually get through (weaning) better," she said.

 Nutritional experts will tell you that the most important order of weight on a foal is the following 

              water-->bone-->muscle-->fat 

Fat is not encouraged until after 18 months of age as this can lead to issues in bone growth as the young horse's joints will be carrying too much weight.  Horses are out 24/7, the mares come in for foaling but are out as much as the weather permits.  A horse will begin to demineralize in its bone structure after 3 days of confinement in a stall.  A horse needs the regular impaction on its joints to keep it strong and growing correctly-this does not mean that keeping them in for 16 hours a day and letting them out for 8 is good; it actually can make things worse.