Nutrient Requirements and Balancing Rations for Horses

Author: L.A. Lawrence, Extension Animal Scientist, Horses, Virginia Tech

Publication Number 406-473, July 1996

Table 4

Daily Nutrient Requirements for Growing Horses

                                              Crude
                    Weigh  Daily Gain   DE*  Protein  Lysine  Calcium  Phosphorus
Animal               (lb)    (lb)     (Mcal)   (g)     (g)     (g)       (g)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Growing Horses
  Weanling, 4 mo     319*    1.87    13.5        675      28      33        18
                     385**   1.87    14.4        720      30      34        19
                     440***  2.20    16.5        825      35      40        22
  Weanling, 6 mo
    Moderate growth  396     1.21    12.9        643      27      25        14
                     473     1.43    15.0        750      32      29        16
                     539     1.65    17.0        850      36      34        19
    Rapid growth     396     1.54    14.5        725      30      30        16
                     473     1.87    17.2        860      36      36        20
                     539     2.09    19.2        960      40      40        22
  
Yearling, 12 mo
  Moderate growth    583     0.88    15.6        700      30      23        13
                     715     1.10    18.9        851      36      29        16
                     825     1.43    22.7       1023      43      36        20
  Rapid growth       583     1.10    17.1        770      33      27        15
                     715     1.43    21.3        956      40      34        19
                     825     1.76    25.1       1127      48      41        22
  
Long yearling, 18 mo
  Not in training    726     0.55    15.9        716      30      21        12
                     880     0.77    19.8        893      38      27        15
                    1045     0.99    23.9       1077      45      33        18
  In training        726     0.55    21.6        970      41      29        16
                     880     0.77    26.5       1195      50      36        20
                    1045     0.99    32.0       1429      60      44        24

Two year old, 24 mo
  Not in training    803     0.33    15.3        650      26      19        11
                     990     0.44    18.8        800      32      24        13
                    1188     0.66    23.5        998      40      31        17
   In training       803     0.33    21.5        913      37      27        15
                     990     0.44    26.3       1117      45      34        19
                    1188     0.66    32.3       1372      55      43        24
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*   Expected mature wt. 880 lb
**  Expected mature wt. 1100 lb
*** Expected mature wt. 1320 lb

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