Only 20 miles from downtown St. Louis, Mo., is a 1,200-acre research farm owned by the nutrition company Purina Mills. On Oct. 3-5, 140-plus veterinarians and another 50 Purina Mills representatives gathered to tour that research facility and
Your young horse is growing up. From birth to age two, a horse will achieve 90% or more of his full adult height. But growing up too fast can cause problems, including an increased risk of developmental orthopedic disease (DOD), which includes which includes several skeletal problems in growing foals.
It is well-accepted that the foal losses and other problems seen in several states in the spring of 2001 were triggered by environmental factors, meaning weather. Farmers and livestock managers have known for years that weather conditions affect the
Genetics, exercise, and nutrition all play a role in the occurrence of developmental orthopedic disease (DOD) in young horses. There are, however, conflicting theories regarding the role of each. Breeds selected for rapid growth are at an
We don’t have all of the answers when it comes to feeding young horses. A nutrition program that doesn’t promote–and possibly helps prevent–developmental orthopedic disease (DOD), including osteochondritis dissecans (OCD), is critical at this
The horses were used to teach a class of inexperienced students horse care, and then were sold as yearlings in a private auction benefiting the Rutgers equine research program. The program was so successful the college currently is working with
On several occasions in the past year or two, we’ve discussed in this series the intricacies of feeding young horses for optimum growth. We’ve also walked you through the pertinent points of fueling the high-performance equine athlete, for
Foals born to mares which do not receive proper nourishment during gestation could be born weak.
The birth of a long-awaited foal is an occasion to celebrate. But what if the unthinkable happens?
Developmental orthopedic disease (DOD) remains one of the top concerns of breeders worldwide. Not one condition, but rather a series of related syndromes, DOD encompasses anything that contributes to poor skeletal development in foals: angular
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