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Healthy Horse Feeding
By Deepak | October 16, 2008
The good news is that most horses don’t need a lot of additional feeds provided they are getting good quality hay or fresh grass, lots of clean, fresh water and a reasonable grain ration if the horse is in competition, is pregnant or nursing a foal, training or is being heavily used.Horses are grazers by nature and spend literally hours a day eating grass when out on the pasture.
When horses are not on pasture and are in stalls, it is important to provide them with food that gives lots of nutritional value but also provides the fiber they need to keep their digestive systems healthy. Overfeeding grains, which are high in nutrients but low in fiber can lead to a condition known as colic. Colic can happen when gas is produced in the digestive system that cannot be released, leading to a build up of pressure, abdominal cramping and severe pain. Since horses cannot vomit or burp, this pressure continues to increase and the symptoms become progressively worse, often very quickly. Horses can die from colic so keeping your horse’s diet well balanced is essential.
Most adult horses need three to four flakes of hay a day when they are stabled and moderately used and exercised. A flake of hay is a section of a square bale that weighs about four pounds. This hay should be provided in three or four smaller meals per day so the horse has something to munch on throughout the day, more like natural grazing. Fresh water should be supplied at every feeding throughout the day and the water needs to be freely available at all times. The best hay for horses is first or second cut hay that is a mixture of alfalfa and timothy and is sold as horse quality.
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