Your Cal-Gro Questions Answered: New Pelleted Format

Why has Cal-Gro changed from a powder to a pellet and is there anything else that has changed?

Cal-Gro has always been an incredibly popular product with breeders to help optimise bone health. However, at Foran Equine we continually develop our supplements based on customer feedback and the latest scientific research. We are delighted to re-launch a new and improved Cal-Gro with the following changes:

-New pelleted format to make it cleaner and more efficient when feeding horses outside. It also increases palatability when supplementation is required while horses are on low feed rates

-Added Vitamin D to help with the absorption of minerals such as calcium and phosphorus

-Added Vitamin K has been included to help support bone mineralisation

If I’m already feeding a balanced diet, should I add Cal-Gro as well?

A balanced diet is very important and should meet all your breeding stocks requirements. However, consider supplementing with Cal-Gro if:

-You are worried about mineral availability such as copper in grassland

-Your fields get very wet and heavy in the winter, potentially eliminating the effective absorption of some minerals

-You have had issues with developmental diseases in youngstock in the past

I want to give my foal the best possible start but I’m not quite sure the best way to do it. Should Cal-Gro be fed to the mare or the foal?

The best-case scenario would be to feed it to both the mare and the foal. Skeletal development is initiated whilst the foal is in-utero so supplementing the mare, particularly during the final trimester of pregnancy, will help to increase the amount of essential nutrients transferred to the foal. Feeding minerals such as copper, zinc and manganese to the mare in late pregnancy has also shown to increase liver stores in the live foal. Therefore, supplementing the mare helps to give the foal a better start in life. Continuing to supplement the mare with Cal-Gro during lactation is also important as this will help to support the nutritional value of her milk. For foals, we recommend supplementing with Cal-Gro from 2 weeks of age onwards to support bone health during the critical early growth stage.

We seem to get a lot of DODs with our breeding stock, how common is it to get DODs on other stud farms?

You are not alone in the cases of DODs with youngsters and it’s a query we get asked a lot with breeders thinking they are getting more incidences than other farms. However, it’s more common that you would maybe think. In a recent study looking at Thoroughbred stud farms across Ireland and the UK, incidence rates of DODs were reported to be 28% of foals with over half of the cases occurring in the first six months of life. DODs are multifactorial, but we know that nutrition plays an important role in minimizing the risk. We recommend you contact our nutritional team who will be able to give your specific advise for your individual horses. As part of this advice Cal-Gro will almost always be recommended to help support healthy skeletal development.

I understand that sales preparation puts extra stresses and strain on developing foals. Should I consider supplementing Cal-Gro during this period?

When youngsters are being prepped for sales, there is additional pressure placed on their skeletal system which leads to bone remodelling and increased risk of skeletal issues. Therefore, providing Cal-Gro to youngsters during prep will be beneficial. However, we would always recommend feeding it from 2 weeks of age to help maximise bone density and health.

Want to know more about supplements that support skeletal growth and mobility? Speak with one of our equine nutrition experts.

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Your Cal-Gro Questions Answered: New Pelleted Format