How young horses are fed and housed can impact how osteochondral lesions evolve, and even help them heal. | Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt/The Horse

Researchers know that osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD) lesions can develop in foals as the result of management practices—how they’re fed and housed. But they’ve recently learned that how we manage foals during their first 18 months can also affect how their osteochondral lesions evolve, and even help them heal.

Specifically, foals consuming little or no concentrated feed had more OCD cases that resolved on their own between six and 18 months of age, said Luis Mendoza, DVM, of the Mont-Le-Soie Equine Research Center, in Vielsalm, Belgium.

However, this doesn’t mean breeders need to jump to extreme conclusions and stop giving concentrated feeds to their young herd, he added. It’s all about balance