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RU Pardner, RU Sebastian, RU Shivna, & RU Prodigal Son with a friend on the western plains Photos by Victoria Hanke. Question/ Problems: I am adopting a 6 month PMU Percheron. Can you tell me what a horse of his age should be eating? Is there any other advice that you can offer for his first several weeks here? Answer Many people that I encounter seem to
underestimate exactly how much work a horse of this age, and this background
will be. When considering adopting a PMU
foal, or any horse, it is important to understand exactly what is
involved! Depending on where it is
coming from a PMU foal is likely to have little to no human exposure before it
arrives on your farm. It is unlikely to
have ever been housed in a stall before, be halter broken, and may never have
eaten grain, or seen an automatic waterer, feed bucket, or hay rack. Teaching a 600+ lb. scared “baby” what a
halter is, and basic ground manners can be quite exciting to say the
least. It can also be much more than
many people are prepared for. If you do
not have a great deal of experience dealing with young horses it can be not
only exciting, but seriously dangerous for all involved, both human and horse. If you have considered the above factors,
and have the necessary experience and are prepared for the commitment involved,
here are some recommendations.
To prevent “Shipping
Fever”- In an oral dose syringe, mixed with
applesause put 5 grams of Vitamin C, (ground).
Feed this twice per day for five days.
Once per day add 800 iu Vitamin E, (bite the tip off of a capsule and
squeeze into the applesauce mixture). Both the Vitamin C and E may be purchased
at a grocery store, and we use a coffee grinder to smash the Vitamin C. This will serve both to prevent “shipping
fever”/stress induced illness, and may also serve as a treat, as many of the
horses love the applesauce. For more
information on the use of Vitamin C to reduce shipping fever, please see the
information regarding our previous research on Transportation Stress-
click here. Feeding- As stated above, depending on where your
weanling is coming from they may not have any prior exposure to grain, buckets,
hayracks, or automatic waterers. This is
something you should be aware of. Do not
just assume that the horse has figured out how to use the waterer unless you have
seen it drinking. It is important to use a pelleted feed specifically designed for young
horses. Examples of some feeds are Pure
Pride 300, Nutrena Youth, and Blue Seal Mare N’Foal. Begin by feeding 1 lb. twice per day, and
gradually increase to 2 or 3 lbs, depending on body condition. Offer free access to a good quality hay,
preferably an alfalfa/grass mix, from the beginning. Free access to water and mineralized salt
should also be offered. To help the weanling learn how and what is
good to eat it is a good idea to have him stalled next to another horse so that
he can learn by example at feeding times.
The other horse will also be a good source of company for a baby who is
likely afraid of his new surroundings.
Placing some of the feed in his mouth, (gently and carefully of
course!), can help him realize that grain tastes good. Turnout- It is highly recommended that you do not turn the weanling loose
in a pasture or paddock until you have him halter broken and tamed down a
bit. We usually work with our weanlings
twice a day, grooming, teaching them to lead, picking up their feet, etc., for
four or five days before I am comfortable turning them out.  Equine Science Center Rutgers University Search Rutgers For questions about the program or website, please contact Dr. Sarah Ralson at ralston@aesop.rutgers.edu © 2008, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. All rights reserved. |