The feeding of horses is a vital component in helping them to have the best possible health. While horses and ponies do graze , which provides part of their diet, you will need to provide forage feed for them. Forage feed aids in proper digestion and will help your horses to be in the best overall health.

While food requirements for horses and ponies can vary depending on age and how active they are, in general it is best to have them take in an amount equal to 2 percent of their body weight each day. About 50 percent of the horses diet ought to be composed of forage feed.

Feeding the horse all forage feed would be the healthiest option. The owner should research the best forage feed for the horse and use only high quality forage feed.

The type of feed and necessary supplements will depend on whether the horse is working and its age. If the horse is a senior or is not a working horse, then it is not necessary to add supplements. If the horse is fed only grass, then it should receive a supplement of forage feed in the winter. Working, breeding or stabled horses should receive more feed in their diet.

It is important to remember that a horse or pony that has exercise and then rest days will need less food during the rest to prevent Azoturia. All changes in feed should be avoided at this time.

Routine is important in the feeding of your horses. Make sure you feed at the same time each day, and do not feed directly before or after exercise sessions.

If you exercise a horse who has just eaten, it can cause medical issues such as breathing issues and heart strain. Make sure to wait a couple of hours after exercise to feed.

Finally, water needs to be accessible for your horse at any time. As an owner you might wish to add to your horse's diet with supplements like seaweed, bran, or salt. Some owners give cod liver oil, fruit, or maize as well. If you follow the above guidelines for the feeding and care of your horse, you will be rewarded with a happy and healthy horse.

Posted under Horses

The most important aspect of a horse's diet is forage feed. It is essential to the proper functioning of its digestive system. A typical horse will consume about 2% of its body weight in feed on a daily basis. The percentage may be slightly lower or higher in some horses depending on its weight, age and level of activity.

Due to the importance of forage feed in a horse's diet, careful attention must be made to the quality. Forage feed should make up 50-100% of a horse's diet. Beets are a great example of an antioxidant-providing element of a horse's diet.

Since horses can consume upwards of thirty or forty pounds of forage feed (grass or hay) per day, they must have constant access to it. Grassy pastures are ideal. However, if there is not sufficent grass horses will need to depend on hay. This is especially important in the winter when they must keep a higher body temperature.

Some additions to a horse's diet include bran, chaff and barley. The easily digested bran, when wet, serves as an efficient laxative. Chaff can be added to the horse's feed to keep him from eating to quickly. Barley is also an important source of nutrition, especially in the winter when grass is less abundant. But barley should always be soaked in water for about two hours if it has not yet been crushed or rolled. This will prevent digestive problems including a swelling of the stomach.

One other consideration for your horse's nutrition is Oats. Oats are a common feed for horses because they are easily digested and a good source of energy. Oats are also an ingredient in Sweet Feed. Horses enjoy the addition of Sweet Feed to their diet. Typically, Sweet Feed is a mixture of chopped corn, pellets and oats. But, high sugar and starch content in these feeds can be the cause of behavioral issues and health problems. Even horses have a sweet tooth!

Mature horses with low levels of activity may thrive on high-quality forage feed alone. Horses turned out on grass may need only supplemental forage feed during the winter. However, working horses, horses kept in stalls, young horses and breeding stock generally require additional feed.

Water should always be available to both the grass kept and stabled horse it is particularly important that it is available prior to feeding. Horses should be fed at regular times and a horse or pony should be given a few hours between having a hard feed and carrying out strenuous exercise. Strenuous exercise on a full stomach can cause breathing problems and also put strain on the heart. A horse or pony should never be fed directly after hard exercise.

Ration balancers (also sometimes called diet balancers) are nutrient dense feeds meant to be fed in small amounts. They are an ideal base to most feed programs. Hopefully this quick look at the types of horse feed available has helped clear up some of the confusion at the feed store. Sweet feeds are feeds that have added sugar to make them more palatable to the horse. Usually the sugar is added in the form of molasses. The high sugar and starch content in these feeds can be the cause of behavioral issues and health problems.

Posted under Horses