Cracked corn

Question
QUESTION: hey I've got a young weanling filly and I am keeping her in a small paddock with one other horse. Not too fat and not skinny, just right. I am feeding her straight alfalfa and a 50/50 mixture of corn and oats (about a coffee can full) once a day. The woman I bought this horse from advised that I put her on this diet. I was really just curious, Is there any nutritional differences between regular corn and cracked corn? I am having a hard time finding a steady supply of cracked corn too so I thought maybe I could just give her reg. corn but the woman said no cracked corn only.
Also I am only feeding her what I was told to, is there anything I can do to better feed this horse? I live in a very cold climate. (so far in January it hasn't gotten above about 15 degrees F.)
 Jenny

ANSWER: Dear Jenny,

Good question and congratulations on your new filly!  The main difference between the two is that in cracking the corn you increase its surface area which gives the gut enzymes and microbes more surface to attach to.  This increases the digestibility of the corn.

As for whether there is something better to feed your filly, I personally would not feed the diet you were given to your horse.  Alfalfa has a very unbalanced calcium phosphorous profile providing far more calcium than phosphorous which may have negative implications on bone development, something that is obviously important to a growing horse.  Corn is very high in sugar and starch and very energy dense with relatively little fiber compared to other grains such as oats. Ideally growth rate should be slow to medium as otherwise there are greater risks of bone development issues such as OCD.  I would be concerned that on this diet she may grow too rapidly.  Horses handle cold weather well as long as they get plenty of hay which releases heat as it is digested.  However, young horses have a lower cold tolerance and may not be able to eat enough hay to meet the energy requirements for growth and that needed for warmth.

You don't mention what weight she is now, her predicted mature weight or her breed.  Some breeds are at greater risk of growth problems than others.  Personally I would feed her no more than 50% alfalfa the rest being grass hay and I would feed her a grain feed specifically for young growing horses and then a supplement that is made to balance a predominantly grass hay based diet.

I would be happy to provide you with more specifics which would probably be easiest to do over the phone.  Feel free to email me at clair@equilibrateequine.com or go to my website www.equilibrateequine.com where you can set up a phone consultation.

Best of luck with your filly.

Clair Thunes, PhD.
Independent Equine Nutritionist,
Equilibrate Equine Consulting,
clair@equilibrateequine.com
www.equilibrateequine.com


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hi again
I don't think I'll be able to do anything over the phone (my parents don't really want me to) but any advice you could give me here would be appreciated.  I'll give you the details as much as I can. But if you don't want to answer it, (because you won't get $ for it) I understand.
  Personally I didn't think this was the best diet for this horse in the first place and I think that the person who told me this diet thinks he knows more than he does.   
My filly is purebred Quarter horse, and about eight months old. She is kept in a small paddock, about half an acre, and gets moderate exercise. I don't work her any, but she loves to run around. Right now she is maybe around six hundred pounds. (sorry I don't have a weight tape right now) Her dam was about a thousand pounds and 15-16 hands high and that is what I expect her to be.
Should I just feed her 50/50 alfalfa and grass hay? (I still need to feed her a little alfalfa because the person I bought her from wanted to make sure that I fed her well, :S and gave me three huge bales of it!) And should I continue to feed her grain, or not at all? Thanks again,
jenny

Answer
Jenny,

The way your filly is being kept her exercise level is actually maintenance unfortunately the running around doesn't count.  She has additional energy needs due to her age and the weather.  Yes I would feed 30-50% alfalfa and the rest as grass hay.  You will need to get more alfalfa once what you have runs out.  Additionally go to the feed store and find a premixed grain made specifically for young horses.  Nutrena Junior is a good feed and then at a year you can switch her to Nutrena Safe Choice.  If you can't get their products LMF are good too feed one of their junior feeds.  Additionally LMF make a grass hay balancing product called Super SUpplement G that you can feed to balance her diet.  Or feed Select the Best's Select II.  These feeds and supplements should be pretty easy to get.  Follow the instructions on the bags and don't be tempted to feed her too much!  If you can't get LMF or Nutrena let me know what brands you can get and I'll let you know which one to buy.

Regards,

Clair