Is rearing the best place for foals to grow up?
Behaviour
Magnesium
Others
Silicon
27 February '23 • 5 min reading time
Is the rearing the best place for foals to grow up?
Most foals go to a special place for rearing after weaning. Here they usually spend about two to two and a half years. But does a foal actually have to be in rearing? What does good rearing look like? And what are the alternatives?
Because we don't have a lot of space everywhere in the Netherlands, you often find affordable rearing locations for foals in the more rural provinces, or even abroad. As the owner of a young horse, you usually don't have daily visibility. This makes choosing a good rearing location quite difficult. Important aspects to consider in your choice are herd composition, feeding policy, and exercise.
Behavior specialist chooses mixed herd
Dr. Machteld van Dierendonck of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Utrecht University specializes in horse behavior. In an interview with De Paardenkrant in 2021, she emphasized the importance of the correct herd composition for foals and young horses. For rearing, she believes: "You preferably rear in a group with different age classes and an adult animal, which provides mentally and physically the best education and the least stress." This way, young horses learn the different roles. They are subordinate to an older horse, while they can be more dominant when introduced to younger foals. Learning from other (older) horses also reduces a lot of stress and also promotes character development. An animal that has grown up in this way can subsequently deal better with stress. As Van Dierendonck says: "You don't leave a kindergarten class to figure it out on their own, right? They need to learn from others and the environment." Growing up requires not only stability and a good social environment, but also sufficient challenge and people as part of the environment. This way, as an adult horse, it can handle things like competitions or trail rides much better. This argues against simply throwing together a batch of foals of the same age and hardly looking after them further, as is still often done in practice.
Feeding policy
For all horses, from young to old, high-quality forage is the basis of the diet. Long-stemmed, unpackaged, and herb-rich hay is the best option, preferably fed ad libitum. Because young animals are still growing, it is important that they receive enough vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and proteins. They can get some of these nutrients from fresh grass and hay. But then you need to know what's in there. A hay test can be helpful. In addition, especially in winter and on poor soils, supplementation with certain minerals and vitamins is often a good idea. Think especially of the mineral silicon, which is essential for growing horses. Silicon is needed to help your young horse produce collagen for cartilage, tendons, connective tissue, fascia, and to support bone formation. A strong horse starts with enough silicon in the feed. Even if it only works a few times a week, supplementation is a good idea. Hydrolyzed, liquid silicon is the most absorbable and effective supplement. In winter, it is also wise to supplement with vitamin E, among other things for muscles and fertility. Sometimes vitamin E is also in special foal feed or rearing feed, as well as the necessary magnesium, calcium, amino acids, and proteins. Pay close attention to the feed your young animal receives and consult with the caregiver at the rearing location about supplements for your young horse. The form in which vitamin E is given is also crucial for absorbability. You can also potentially supplement magnesium in a liquid, highly absorbable form.
Exercise
A young horse needs a lot of exercise. The skeleton becomes strong through loading. Therefore, you want your foal, yearling, or two-year-old to get as much outdoor time as possible. Ideally, even in a challenging environment with things like height differences and various surfaces. Occasionally walking on firmer or uneven terrain stimulates hoof formation, but also, for example, balance and body awareness in the young horse. A very flat and leveled field does not offer these challenges, although it is still a much better option than just a paddock and many hours in the stall. Especially in the first year of a young horse's life, movement is important to prevent conditions like OC (Osteochondrosis) and OCD (Osteochondritis Dissecans) as much as possible. With OC, something goes wrong in bone formation from cartilage and the joints don't take the right shape. With OCD, even loose pieces of bone chips can form in the joint. Both OC and OCD can cause pain and inflammation and make the horse less load-bearing or even lame. There is a genetic component to this problem, but you significantly reduce the chances of developing it if your young horse has enough minerals in its diet and can move a lot.
Conclusion: should my foal go to rearing?
If you can meet the requirements of a nice and diverse herd, good feed, and enough exercise at your current location, there is no reason to send a foal to rearing. Many people choose to do so, for example because the horses spend more time outdoors in rearing, or because it is much cheaper. If you opt for rearing, go first to see and inquire about the procedures. For better horse education, choose herds of different ages. And make sure your horse receives the supplements you want, if necessary.
Bonus tip: farrier
Finally, a tip: make sure that hoof management at the rearing location is good. That means having a good farrier who comes regularly. This is to prevent abnormal leg positions and the development of hoof problems like upright hooves as much as possible and to be able to intervene early. There is still a lot that can be done for a young horse, but when your horse is three, it's often too late for many corrections.