Feeding Horses

By Gwenyth Browning Jones Santagate

During this summer I have seen many inquiries concerning what to feed a horse, how much to feed, when to feed, plus more. There is a saying for humans ... "we are what we eat." Well, I believe that horses are the same.

FEED & NUTRITION OF HORSES

The proper nutrition, coupled with the right conditioning for the discipline, causes one to have a healthy horse. If there is something lacking in the diet then the body cannot function at its peak and therefore problems arise not only in the physical realm but also in the behavioral realm. Many times I have typed out the general guidelines for feeding horses for those asking questions. It is really quite simple and anyone should be able to use this for a baseline then alter the diet according to their own horse's personal dietary needs. Follow along ...

For every 100# of live body weight of the horse, one should feed 2 - 2 1/2# of TOTAL feed during a 24 hour time span. This is for the average horse in average work.

Take a 1200 pound Quarter Horse such as my own (he's 16 hh) who is worked regularly 2 - 3 times a week. His teeth are fine. His overall care and management is fine. He has no vices other than cribbing which is controlled with a collar. So ... we have a normal, 1200 horse. At 2 1/2# per 100# of weight I figure he needs 30# of TOTAL FEED, that means grain and hay, per day. I feed 3X a day so divide the 30# by 3. So now we have 10# of total feed being fed 3x a day. Now, because he is ridden moderately he needs grain to supplement hay. If he were not worked, he would get 80% hay and 20% grain during the day or perhaps all hay. But in moderate work 75% of his total nutrients should come from HAY. The other should come from GRAIN ... preferably a "complete" feed or straight oats, the most digestible of all grains for horses.

Now we have to figure the percentages out to weight.

Follow this: 30# total feed X 25% = 7 1/2#. OK, he gets 7 1/2# of grain a day. Now divide that into 3 ... This equals 2 1/2# each feeding of GRAIN. So, now we have to see how much 1 quart of complete grain weighs. The grain I feed weighs 1.36# per quart. So divide 2 1/2 by 1.36 and that equals 1.83 quarts. Round it off to either 2 qts. if the horse is on the lean side or round it down to 1 3/4 qts. if he is on the chunky side.

The balance of the weight in feed needs to come from good quality hay.

One must know the weight of a flake of hay. Figure an average of 40# bales with 10 flakes in each bale. So now we know that 1 flake would weigh approximately 4#. Therefore, 75% of 30# of total feed would be what? ... 22 1/2# per day of hay, divided by 3 feedings, equals out to 7 1/2# per feeding. Because hay is the main staple of a horse's diet, we can easily, without worry, round up the weight to 8# which would mean 2 flakes of hay at each of 3 feedings.

OK, now I know this all sounds really complicated but it is not. Read it over again and follow step by step. If you can just remember 2 - 2 1/2# of TOTAL FEED per day for every 100# of horse body weight, you can go from there.

There are many brands and types of grain available on the market today. Only you can decide which is best for your horse. It would be wise to consult your vet if you have any nutritional questions.

As a postscript: Horses LOVE different fresh veggies, herbs and fruits. A couple of things that are NOT ACCEPTABLE for horses are tomatoes, raw potatoes, onions and some herbs that might cause adverse reactions. Do some studying into herbs and horses to see what might be beneficial not only for your horse's palate, but for his health. I like to add lettuce, broccoli, carrots, apples, oranges, bananas, celery, cauliflower, pumpkin seeds, melon seeds, fresh corn husks and corn, pears, pineapple, peaches, dandelion leaves, rose hips, comfrey, nettle, ... many other fruits and veggies to compliment the diet. An amount of 3# of select, mixed fresh veggies and herbs at least 3X a day will help ensure proper vitamin intake. Be creative - safe leftovers from preparing dinner and give them to your horse. Just be sure that you KNOW what you're adding is safe for horses.

Bon appetit!

About the Author:

My name is Gwenyth Browning Jones Santagate. I am a steward of horses and lover of all animals. I am also a writer and a graphic designer.

For over 38 years I've ridden and worked with horses. From training wild mustangs during my teenaged summer vacations to presently teaching good horsemanship, care and management to equine lovers of all ages, my life has been blessed. I remember as a young, young child grabbing ahold of any suitable fallen branch of a tree, galloping wildly and freely over the hills and dales of my own backyard. As I grew older I'd catch a 'live' ride when ever and where ever I could. My very own first horse didn't come to me until I was 38 years old. At that time our older daughter belonged to a 4-H Equestrian club sharing the love I feel for these wonderous animals. We'd ride day after day, exploring New England forests or simply practicing our bareback riding in the ring at the stable. We not only bonded with our horses but with each other during this time. The days were filled with joy.

Gwenyth may be contacted by email at caballus@charter.net.

Article courtesy of Suite101.com.