Question
I have a yearling Appaloosa colt that weighs 750 lb (340 kg). Will his diet need to change after castration? His current diet includes corn, oats, brome hay, and mid-bloom alfalfa hay. Should his diet stay the same or does it need to change?
Answer
The diet for any growing horse should provide good-quality forage and supplemental sources of protein, vitamins, and minerals. The goal is to maintain a moderate body condition score (usually a 5 on the 1-9 scale) and to foster steady growth. These guidelines apply both before and after castration.
Now is a good time to evaluate if your yearling is receiving the necessary nutrients from his current diet. Although corn and oats are time-honored sources of calories, they lack proper nutrients when fed by themselves. The greatest concern involves the amount of calcium and phosphorus corn and oats contain, as they usually provide too much phosphorus and too little calcium. To correct this problem, I suggest adding a ration balancer pellet, which offers a concentrated source of protein, vitamins, and minerals at a low feeding rate of 1-2 lb (0.45-0.9 kg) per day. If his metabolic rate changes after castration, you may be able to decrease the amount of corn and oats, but you will need to maintain the amount of ration balancer pellet, as it will be the only source of vitamin and mineral fortification in the diet.
The current brome and alfalfa hays are appropriate forage choices. At his weight, he will need approximately 12-18 lb (5.5-8 kg) of forage daily to provide him with the recommended 1.5-2.5% of his body weight in forage each day. If he has access to healthy, good-quality pasture, this will contribute to the total.
In regards to the actual castration procedure, ask your vet to review surgery-related concerns. To help combat inflammation from the procedure, you may consider adding a supplemental source of DHA and EPA omega-3 fatty acids to his diet. KER developed the high-quality omega-3 fish oil EO•3 to help reduce body-wide inflammation and promote healthy immune function.
