Trace mineral supplementation of yearling horses.

The research article highlights two experiments conducted on Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse yearlings to understand the impact of trace mineral (TM) supplementation on their growth and bone mineral content. The research found that TM supplementation did not affect the growth and development of the yearlings but increased bone mineral deposition when the diet was supplemented with a complete TM premix. However, the addition of copper or copper and zinc did not show a similar effect, suggesting the role of other trace minerals in bone mineralization.

Experiment Design

• The research was conducted on 33 Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse yearlings over two experiments (18 in the first experiment and 15 in the second) to observe the impact of trace mineral supplementation on their growth and bone mineral content.
• The yearlings were randomly assigned, within breed and sex outcome groups, to one of three treatments in each experiment.
• For two feeding periods daily, they were individually fed assigned concentrates to appetite. Additionally, the horses’ group was also fed Coastal bermudagrass hay.
• In the first experiment, the concentrates included a basal diet, a basal diet plus a complete TM premix, and a basal diet plus copper. The second experiment constituted a basal diet, a basal diet supplemented with a complete TM premix, and a basal diet supplemented with copper and zinc.

Findings

• Contrary to expectations, trace mineral supplementation had no notable impact on the growth and development of the yearlings in either experiment. This suggests the growth and development could be independent of TM supplementation.
• Despite the lack of effect on growth, the horses’ weight gains matched or outdid the gains specified as rapid for yearlings of the same age and expected mature weight. This indicates sustained growth velocity even without TM supplementation.
• No noticeable skeletal abnormalities were found in the horses, pointing to a healthy overall skeletal development in all groups.
• Interestingly, there was an increased bone mineral deposition when the diet was supplemented with a complete TM premix. This shows the influence of a complete TM premix on bone health.
• The diet supplementation of copper or copper plus zinc did not show a similar effect on bone mineral deposition, indicating that these two elements alone might not significantly influence bone mineralization. This led to the suggestion that other trace minerals, such as iron, manganese, cobalt, or iodine, might play a crucial role in bone mineralization.