Good quality hay is essential, since hay constitutes a large majority of the horse’s diet. Several factors influence the quality of hay. Any of the common hays can be fed to horses, but what’s most important is nutrient value in relation to the cost of the hay. To evaluate the quality of hay, the following questions should be considered:
All concentrates do not weigh the same.
For example:
A 3-lb coffee can full of
Therefore, a coffee can full of oats is not the same as a coffee can full of pellet or sweet feed. This doesn’t mean you can’t use the coffee can method to feed your horses. Simply weigh out the appropriate amount of concentrate and mark the …
In a herd situation, horses establish a dominance hierarchy–a pecking order. In group feeding, you must keep this hierarchy in mind. Aggressive or dominant horses eat more than their share by chasing away others from the feed tubs, and timid horses do not get enough. For this reason, adequate feeder space should be available.
Young horses show little aggressive dominant behavior towards other horses during feeding. Mature horses, however, will show aggressive dominant behavior towards their pasture mates during …
When feeding the horse, there are three general guidelines one should follow.
Let’s look at the reasons why farm managers, nutritionists, and veterinarians follow these guidelines.
In the wild or out on pasture, horses eat frequently as they graze throughout the …
Horses should be provided the grain meal at the same time as feeding forages. Like hay, grain should be fed from a feeder instead of on the ground to decrease feed losses and contamination by urine and feces. Feeding grain on the ground also increases the horse’s consumption of dirt, which may accumulate in the large intestine and eventually cause sand colic or intestinal impactions. Grain can be provided in wooden, plastic, or rubber feed buckets, feed bags, …
The National Research Council (1989) has published a guide to feeding horses entitled “Nutrient Requirements of Horses.” These requirements are based on several factors, including:
Diet selection for each class or activity level of the horse will depend on the nutrient requirements for that particular class of horse and which ingredients are selected to meet those requirements. Horses should …
Horses that eat fast and aggressively should be encouraged to eat more slowly. Horses that bolt their food have a tendency not to chew it before swallowing. There are several management tactics to use to slow aggressive eaters:
Ashley Griffin, University of Kentucky…
Of the five basic nutrient groups – protein, carbohydrates and fats (energy sources), water, minerals and vitamins – water is the most essential to your horse.
Research has clearly shown that horses deprived of water for three to four days will not consume feed. A minor reduction in water intake or an increase in sweat loss will eventually cause dehydration, which can result in decreased performance, shock and possibly death.
This publication will clarify the water requirements of horses …
In order to provide a horse with the proper nutrients it needs to survive, we must first understand the horse’s digestive system and how it functions. This publication will walk you through each part of the horse’s digestive system and provides further feeding management guidelines.
Digestive System of the Horse and Feeding Management (pdf). Click on the title to download the PDF.…
The horse is a unique specie of livestock in that its primary purpose is for pleasure or work. Equine nutritionists have long been concerned with supplying the correct amounts and types of …
