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> Hi,
>   There has been and are lots of babies at the barn where I keep my two
> boarded. Be really careful about the protien content. Too much will
> cause swelling  in the joints. I'd back off on the feed and keep lots of
> good hay and water in  front of the "stall bound" baby. Hope the little
> one recovers soon. Stall  time is also a great time to start getting the
> youngster used to being handled.  Best of luck, I hope this info helps.
>                                                             Kate J.
Actually, the single biggest factor implicated in causing degenerative
joint disease and epiphysitis in youngsters is too much carbohydrate. 
"Too much" protein can be an issue--but foals require 16% protein, and
yearlings can easily handle 14% protein.  The problem (particularly with
Arab foals!) comes when one tries to feed too much processed feed that
contains grains.  We get by far the best results with youngsters by
sticking to a straight forage ration that is a mixture of grass and
alfalfa, and feeding NO concentrates at all.  I'm sure our protein content
in our forage combination is over 14%--but with no excess carbs, they grow
at an optimal rate instead of at a maximal rate, and stay sound, healthy,
and in good weight.  We do feed a few bites of concentrate just as a treat
for catching and handling purposes, but not enough to really figure into
their diets.

Exercise is also important--we don't stall our youngsters at all, but do
"treat" them for coming up into a catch pen, where they can be easily
caught and handled.

Heidi



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