Dietary aspects of developmental orthopedic disease in young horses

The clinician may choose between two approaches to nutritional intervention. One is to evaluate the ration and make a painstaking effort to identify those specific factors operating in a particular case, then correct them. The second is to evaluate the ration, inspect for obvious aberrations, and, if finding none, proceed with no further delay to formulate an optimal diet, or a series, for the animals, and design a feeding program to suit farm management. Veterinarians should counsel clients on the possible or probable consequences of level of feeding on growth rate and clinical expression of DOD. In our view, retardation of growth rate by feeding poor quality hay is irresponsible. At present, we suggest that the new approach to retarded growth in weanlings and yearlings--a carefully formulated diet that specifically restricts starch and protein while supplying NRC minimum requirements of other essential nutrients--should be confined to selected individuals and be conducted under strict professional supervision.