A young horse needs good nutrition and plenty of exercise to grow big and strong. Silicon is essential for this. This important mineral contributes to collagen formation and bone formation. Often, young horses in the rearing facility receive additional foal feed or other supplementary feed in winter, but giving liquid silicon is not yet a common practice everywhere.

Giving silicon a few times a week is also useful

Many young horses are in the rearing facility and it is not always close to their owners. We often receive the question of whether it is worthwhile to give a young horse silicon if you visit only three times a week, for example. The answer is: 'Yes!' Supplementing essential minerals is always important, and something is better than nothing. Of course, it would be even better if the person checking the horses daily also gives silicon, but that is not always possible. If you visit your young horse a few times a week, just give the supplement yourself. Note: you do not have to double the dose. A horse's body can absorb only a certain amount per day. When you give silicon a few times a week instead of every day, it will take longer to notice the effects. But silicon still supports the growth of your horse's skeleton. You will only benefit from this later on...

Hydrolyzed silicon is the most absorbable

When giving silicon to your young horse, choose a highly absorbable product. Many silicon supplements are made from orthosilicic acid (also known as silicic acid or silica). You can see this on the packaging. Unfortunately, orthosilicic acid is poorly soluble and only passes through the intestinal wall in small amounts. The most absorbable form of silicon for horses is hydrolyzed silicon. This is a liquid product in which the silicon is packaged in tiny molecules that can pass through the intestinal wall. Hydrolyzed silicon contains 15% silicon dioxide, the highest concentration currently technically possible. Products with silica contain much lower concentrations, so you have to give much more of them, and they are often more expensive to use.

Conclusion: Give silicon for growth

Silicon is very important for the healthy and strong growth of your young horse, helping with the production of collagen for cartilage, tendons, and ligaments, and supporting bone formation. Therefore, give your young horse silicon, even if you can only manage it a few times a week. A supplement of hydrolyzed, liquid silicon is the most absorbable and effective.

Sources

Ravin Jugdaohsingh, Simon HC Anderson, Katherine L Tucker, Hazel Elliott, Douglas P Kiel, Richard PH Thompson, Jonathan J Powell. Dietary silicon intake and absorption. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 75, Issue 5, May 2002, Pages 887–893 https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/75/5/887/4689403

Sripanyakorn S, Jugdaohsingh R, Dissayabutr W, Anderson SH, Thompson RP, Powell JJ. The comparative absorption of silicon from different foods and food supplements. Br J Nutr. 2009;102(6):825-834. doi:10.1017/S0007114509311757

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2744664/

Martin, Keith. (2007). The chemistry of silica and its potential health benefits. The journal of nutrition, health & aging. 11. 94-7. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/6392416_The_chemistry_of_silica_and_its_potential_health_benefits/citation/download