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In a talk with a horsemen the other day we got on the subject of graining colts you are starting He dont grain I do.
I start feeding corn and oats 15 to 20 days before I start them thinking with 90 days on them and grain fed there broke as to 90 days without grain then grain them and they become unbroke.
Just looking for different views on this thanks

I think it depends, if a guy is only puting an hour or so a day in a round pen or arena I say no way. But if a your riding long circles on them and useing them hard then maybe.
I think alot depends on the colt. I dont usualy grain any of my horses unless they need it, and never as a reward.

Casey

I just got in from riding colts and i put some dang tuff miles on them. I feed good quality hay and plenty of water and salt. I give em a little treat now and then but I don't think a horse that as born to graze the prairie all day for 16-18 hours of it needs mixed feed unless you want to put a real bloom on them and maybe get them on a high. when riding cutters, working cowhorse or race colts you may need that but when you are schooling them in the basics of being a handling horse they don't need too much booger, sugar food. Now if it's cold as hell and they are all drawed up from 15-20 miles a day and such sure give em the beans but other than that go light till you got them in your pocket and not in your pocket book.


JMO
ML

Absolutely not. I start a lot of colts and the very last thing I want to have to do is burn of the sugar from grain. They get good mineral, all the hay they can eat and fresh water. If I have one that doesn't handle the stress of learning his job well, and starts getting poor, I feed whole corn only. They can utilize the fat from the oil with zero octane.

I recall working a colt for a lady at her place. I got noticing how he all the sudden started becoming an absolute reactive idiot, hot, spooky, fidgety, when before he was pretty docile and was learning on a steady incline. I couldn't figure it out. Then one day I arrived a couple hours early and found little junior up to his ears in sweet feed. Come to find out the little lady was feeling sorry for her little precious because he was getting all sweaty and having to work some, so she was pouring the hot to him. Lady damn near got me killed.

If you are in the business of starting colts you should be able to see what a colt may need a little boost and what doesn't. I don't like feeding grain to young horses, if they need a little something to help them out I feed a complete feed like equine JR or stratagy. Yes it cost a little more but you get a better out come. I hate people that would send me a starved down colt to start and wonder why I had him for 30 days but only could ride him 15. In my opinon if you cant start your own or ride one don't buy a colt buy a finished horse.

Here's my observation on something close to this. I know folks will always grain a horse they plan to sell and not always with malicious intent. But if your feeding horses for yourself. I believe the younger a horse is started out on grain or pelleted feeds the more likely his system will need them to maintain condition. Most hard keepers I've ran into have come from situations where they were grained pretty heavy for most of their lives. I've got one right now that just simply cannot keep up on grazing alone even though the rest do fine with some just plain fat. So you can grain the hell out of her and never notice a change while one of the others may be a walleyed idiot for days. Like most things a keen eye and thoughtful mind will answer most things better then best intentions of folks that aren't dealing with the same animal.

slickfork wrote: I dont usualy grain any of my horses unless they need it, and never as a reward.

Casey

Casey,

Just out of curiosity, what do you have against usuing grain as a reward.

Bill