Burt Staniar, MS, PhD, assistant professor of equine nutrition at Virginia Tech’s Middleburg Agricultural Research and Extension (MARE) Center, says the best way to accomplish proper feeding is to look for a reputable feed company with a product formulated for young, growing horses. "There are some local feed companies (as well as large national companies) that do this very well, but you want to make sure that whatever company you select has a feed that has been formulated by an equine nutritionist with a degree who knows what they’re doing," he says.

Gary Baxter, VMD, MS, Dipl. ACVS, professor of equine surgery at Colorado State University, says there is a lot of information available from feed companies, and there are many grain mixes and supplements designed specifically for growing horses. "I think people should consider using these because these feeds have already been balanced for young horses," he says. "How much to use will vary, however, depending on the quality of your forage. It’s crucial to know how much supplement and grain to give in addition to the forage