Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
With a horse industry made up of about 95,000, horses according to the latest survey, there are likely to be quite a few colts ending up in new homes across Saskatchewan this fall.
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food’s Livestock Development Specialist Jim Graham has a few tips to help make this transition to a new yard as stress-free as possible for both the animals and their new owners.
“Fall is the season for horse sales. This is the time many colts change hands, as well as trained horses. Freshly weaned colts need to be handled carefully. They find themselves in new surroundings, away from mom. Some make new friends, and others are kept by themselves. The big challenge is to get them on feed and water,” Graham says.
“Make sure the water is clean and good quality. Colts will just pick at feed to start, so it needs to be good quality and nutritious. Good quality hay; an alfalfa-brome mix; oats or a prepared supplement; minerals and vitamins are a must. Sixty-five per cent of a horse’s growth occurs in their first year, so this is the time to feed them well. Colts eat about three per cent of their body weight, so a 400-pound colt will eat about 12 pounds of hay and grain per day—this should be divided into two or more feedings.”
This is particularly important in light of the fact that many of these colts and fillies will have been weaned that same day, explains Graham.
“They are under quite a bit of stress as a result, and they will tend to do a lot of pacing, burning energy—they can put on a lot of miles the first three days in their new pen. It might be easier for them to be with another colt or even another mare just across the fence to keep them company,” Graham says.
“Putting some feed at different places around the pen will multiply the opportunities for colts to pick at it. Of course, providing them some shelter from the elements will ease the adjustment, as well.”
Graham points out that even just a human presence in the pen with them will have a beneficial effect, especially if the colts have been around humans since birth.
“These are likely to be the ones that are halter broken. Grooming them, working on their back and on their neck will also help. The wilder colts that haven’t been around people will take a little more work, but they too will benefit from a human presence in time.”
A few days after their arrival, Graham suggests de-worming the animals to make sure they are as prepared as can be for the winter ahead.
It is never too late for new owners to learn as much as they can to help their colts and fillies become healthy yearlings. “New owners can call on the Saskatchewan Horse Federation, one of the organizations that speak for the horse industry,” Graham says. “If you are looking for information, they are a good contact. They can be reached in Regina at 306-780-9244. The different breed associations are also good contacts for new people in the industry.”
For further information on resources available to current and potential horse producers, contact Jim Graham at the Agriculture Business Centre in Swift Current at (306) 778-8289.
For more information, contact:
Jim Graham
Livestock Development Specialist
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
(306) 778-8289
With a horse industry made up of about 95,000, horses according to the latest survey, there are likely to be quite a few colts ending up in new homes across Saskatchewan this fall.
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food’s Livestock Development Specialist Jim Graham has a few tips to help make this transition to a new yard as stress-free as possible for both the animals and their new owners.
“Fall is the season for horse sales. This is the time many colts change hands, as well as trained horses. Freshly weaned colts need to be handled carefully. They find themselves in new surroundings, away from mom. Some make new friends, and others are kept by themselves. The big challenge is to get them on feed and water,” Graham says.
“Make sure the water is clean and good quality. Colts will just pick at feed to start, so it needs to be good quality and nutritious. Good quality hay; an alfalfa-brome mix; oats or a prepared supplement; minerals and vitamins are a must. Sixty-five per cent of a horse’s growth occurs in their first year, so this is the time to feed them well. Colts eat about three per cent of their body weight, so a 400-pound colt will eat about 12 pounds of hay and grain per day—this should be divided into two or more feedings.”
This is particularly important in light of the fact that many of these colts and fillies will have been weaned that same day, explains Graham.
“They are under quite a bit of stress as a result, and they will tend to do a lot of pacing, burning energy—they can put on a lot of miles the first three days in their new pen. It might be easier for them to be with another colt or even another mare just across the fence to keep them company,” Graham says.
“Putting some feed at different places around the pen will multiply the opportunities for colts to pick at it. Of course, providing them some shelter from the elements will ease the adjustment, as well.”
Graham points out that even just a human presence in the pen with them will have a beneficial effect, especially if the colts have been around humans since birth.
“These are likely to be the ones that are halter broken. Grooming them, working on their back and on their neck will also help. The wilder colts that haven’t been around people will take a little more work, but they too will benefit from a human presence in time.”
A few days after their arrival, Graham suggests de-worming the animals to make sure they are as prepared as can be for the winter ahead.
It is never too late for new owners to learn as much as they can to help their colts and fillies become healthy yearlings. “New owners can call on the Saskatchewan Horse Federation, one of the organizations that speak for the horse industry,” Graham says. “If you are looking for information, they are a good contact. They can be reached in Regina at 306-780-9244. The different breed associations are also good contacts for new people in the industry.”
For further information on resources available to current and potential horse producers, contact Jim Graham at the Agriculture Business Centre in Swift Current at (306) 778-8289.
For more information, contact:
Jim Graham
Livestock Development Specialist
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
(306) 778-8289
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