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Healthy Habits
Thoroughbreds are one of the largest breeds in the horse kingdom, but more pertinent to the discussion of how to feed broodmares and weanlings is how rapidly the breed grows. Thoroughbreds reach their adult height and weight faster than most other breeds. To use an industry term, they are precocious. A Thoroughbred foal weighs on average 110 pounds at birth, or approximately 10% of its dam's non-pregnant body weight. A 12-month-old Thoroughbred can be expected to have reached 90% of its adult height, and to weigh 68-70% of the adult weight it will eventually attain. Since mature Thoroughbreds generally weigh between 1,100-1,300 pounds, a healthy 12-month-old can be expected to weigh between 750-900 pounds. Weanlings at this time of year are anywhere from six to 11 months old, and gaining between one and two pounds of body weight per day. A June foal that is now six months old would weigh 550 pounds, on average, according to data from McCauley Bros., a horse feed manufacturer in Versailles, Ky. "The Thoroughbred horse is in fact the most precocious horse," said Dr. John Lew, vice president of research and technical services for McCauley Bros. He said 830 pounds is the average weight for a 12-month-old Thoroughbred, according to McCauley Bros. data, but the range is much wider, and the company has seen 12-month-olds that weighed 1,000 pounds. Continue Reading [*PDF file, 1.05 MB download] *Adobe Reader is required to view PDF files. |
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