Appropriate feeds for foals and weanlings have 14-16% protein with controlled starch and sugar content. | Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt/The Horse

Feeding young, growing horses properly is vital to ensuring they grow into useful and productive adults. Good-quality hay is the cornerstone of their diets, but selecting the right concentrate feed is also key to ensuring nutrient requirements are met.

So, what’s in your growing horse’s feed? Look to the tag—it can help you figure out if the bag’s contents are suited for your horse. The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) requires companies to label their feeds with specific information that assures owners of nutritional quality. This tag, which is either printed directly on the bag or sewn into the bag’s closure, should include:  

Lot number

This should be on the tag or printed somewhere on the bag (probably the bag’s bottom or near the seam where you open it). Use this number to track the product if there is a recall