Early management of race-bred weanlings and yearlings on farms

A total of 58 Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse farms that managed 1,987 weanl ings and yearlings responded to a survey designed to better characterize ea rly management of racing prospects. Average age at weaning was 5.5 months a nd over half of all farms kept almost three-fourths of all weanlings to be placed in pre-race training. Variation in feeding practices was evident and while well over half of all farms provided balanced nutrient supply to you ng horses, 20% to 40% likely fed unbalanced diets. An obvious preference ex isted for semi-confinement in young horses with plenty of free exercise. Th e majority of farms reported that young prospects were fed and managed for a moderate rate of growth. Forced exercise occurred to a much larger extent with yearlings than weanlings and 40% of farms described the footing as so ft, but not deep. Response to the prevalence of developmental orthopedic di seases appeared somewhat guarded, and average injury rate was low on farms that attributed much of injury to horses playing too hard. Technological ad vancements such as photoperiod manipulation in broodmares were widely used, while valuable tools such as body condition scoring were utilized to a les ser extent.