Feeding Primer

Feeding horses is not difficult, but a lot of people do not understand what a horse needs. First of all, always feed to proper condition. Barring health issues, if a horse is thin, it needs more calories. If it is overweight, it needs less calories. You also need to realize that changes in amounts of exercise will require a change in feeding. A long weekend of riding will use a lot of calories, and a horse can appear visibly thinner after a long exertion. Plan to feed accordingly.

Most important in a horse’s ration is fiber. Fiber most usually comes from grasses or hays. Horses in light work and good pasture frequently do not need anything additional except salt. Fiber should make up at least 70-80% of the horse’s total feed. If there is not pasture available, fiber must come in the form of hay (also available bagged, chopped, or pelleted from feed stores), or there are complete feeds available that can provide the fiber needed. Another handy source of fiber is beet pulp. In times when hay is not plentiful, beet pulp can replace some (but not all) of the horse’s fiber needs.

When feeding horses, you should also remember that horses can get sick from eating moldy or insect-infested feed. Their hay should be clean and smell fresh. Grass hay should be leafy with few stems or seed heads. When you grab a handful, it should feel relatively soft – not hard.

If a horse cannot get the calories he needs from grass/hay, then a pelleted or “sweet” feed can be added. In this arena, not all feeds are created equal. Be sure to pick one that has some research behind it. The generic grain-n-molasses mix is not going to provide the same nutrituion as one that has been researched and balanced. There are many good ones out there. Some of the brands that can be found across the southeast with good feeds are Purina, Nutrena, and Southern States. There are others in other areas.

Horses should be fed as close to the ground as possible. They evolved as grazers, and a low eating position is more natural. The caveat to this is if your ground is sandy. Horses ingesting sand can get sand colic. A psyllium preparation can be fed to help move the sand out of the gut. In these areas, you can place clean rubber mats down under the feed pan. This will reduce sand ingestion.

Horses also evolved to eat small amounts over long periods of time, while moving several miles. To simulate this in a smaller pen, you can place small piles of hay in multiple areas. There is also an interesting concept in a book called “Paddock Paradise”. Basically, it illustrates how small areas can be set up to stimulate a horse to keep moving. As moving stimulates healthy feet and a healthy gut (also keeps them in shape) this is a good thing. Many small meals are much better and more easily digested than two larger meals.

I also want to mention alfalfa hay. Caution must be used when feeding large amounts of alfalfa, as it has an incorrect calcium/phosphorus ratio. It has also been shown to create enteroliths – stone-like accretions of minerals that can cause colic and death. If there is a choice in hay, an alfalfa mix or straight grass hay can be fed with less worries.