My wife and I have decided to buy a Belgian weanling this spring from a breeder in Pa..We are getting a colt that we'll have gelded and I'm not sure how to feed it so it gets everything it needs. I thought that someone out there could help. Thankyou in advance .

When I got a weanling, I gradually changed him over from what he was fed before to an EPSM-type diet. I adjusted the quantities of oil, etc, for his weight and added a vitamin/mineral supplement for growing foals/weanlings. So far he's doing great! I am no expert, but I think you should make sure he grows and looks healthy, but doesn't grow too fast or get too chunky.

As Karen has done, I highly recommend feeding weanling drafts a similar high fat and fiber and low starch and sugar EPSM type diet. They may not need quite the 2 cups oil = 1 lb fat per 1000 lbs of horse per day that a horse with obvious EPSM problems needs, but I'd want to aim for at least half that amount. Feed plenty of good quality forage and extra vitamins and minerals for healthy growth. As Karen has said, you want to watch that your youngster doesn't grow too fast or, even more importantly, get fat. Keep young growing horses a bit on the ribby side as that is much healthier than carrying too much weight during the critical growth phase. There's a bit more information on raising a youngster on an EPSM type diet in the Frequent Asked Questions section of this site's Contents. Be sure also to give him plenty of time outside to exercise to help to build strong bones. I hope this helps, and enjoy your youngster!