We recently purchased an "american warmblood" who is part draft, belgiun, quarterhorse and thoughoubred. She will be 3 in May. Missy is on the thin side and we want to give her the best nutrition to be healthy. She was fed 2 scoops of sweet feed and hay at the barn where she was born and raised. A vet told me she should have 4lbs of grain 2x a day and as much hay as possible. She is my 15year old daughters horse and they do light riding just about every day. We have had her for 1.5 weeks. I would like to know what is the best diet for her being a draft cross. Thank you, Melissa and Aly Patterson

Melissa and Aly, good for you to be looking for the best way to feed your new horse. I will tell you right up front to stop the sweet feed or anything high in grain and instead feed her a high fat and fiber and low starch and sugar EPSM type diet. About 2/3 of all draft related horses are "metabolically different" and prone to EPSM (also known as PSSM in Quarter horses - same muscle problem, though) and need this type of diet. Those that are not EPSM prone will still benefit from reduced risk of colic and laminitis. Hopefully others with draft crosses will see your message and post their experiences with this type of diet. There is information on EPSM diets on this site and also in the Rural Heritage book "Draft Horses, An Owner's Manual" that you can see in this site's Book Store. If you e-mail me directly at Beth.Valentine@oregonstate.edu I can forward a more detailed diet file. I hope this helps to keep Missy healthy and happy for many years to come!