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A76 Equine Feeding & Nutrition. Introduction Feeding Rates Hay Supplements Water Requirements. Equine Nutrition Feeding Frequency Horses on a Pasture Monitoring Body Condition Feeding Guidelines. Lesson Outline. Introduction.
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Introduction Feeding Rates Hay Supplements Water Requirements Equine Nutrition Feeding Frequency Horses on a Pasture Monitoring Body Condition Feeding Guidelines Lesson Outline
Introduction • Because of the horse's eating habits and digestive system, feeding practices common to other species of livestock often result in severe digestive dysfunction or even death for the horse.
Feeding Rates • As a general rule, a horse needs 2 pounds of total feed for every 100 pounds of body weight. A 1,000-pound horse would be fed about 20 pounds of feed per day (1/3 of a 60 pound bale of hay). • A good rule of thumb is to feed at least 1 pound of hay per day for every 100 pounds body weight of the horse. • Mature, idle horses in good condition, fed excellent hay in increased quantities (about 2 pounds per 100 pounds of body weight) may do well without grain added to their ration. • Growing or working horses, mares during late pregnancy and mares during lactation need grain and other concentrates in addition to the roughage. • A typical diet for a horse being ridden for one hour, five days a week, would be 2 to 5 pounds of grain and 15 to 20 pounds of hay a day, split into at least two separate meals.
Hay • Feed legume hay (alfalfa) to young, growing horses, lactating mares and out-of-condition horses. • Use non-legume hays (grass hay) for adult horses doing light work or no work. • Make sure the bales are green and dust and mold free. Stick your hand down into the center of a bale to make sure it's not warm. Feeding moldy hay can cause colic, and dusty hay can cause respiratory problems.
Supplements • Historically, oats have been the first choice of feeds. Oats produce medium energy, require little or no processing and have more protein than most grains. However, they can vary in energy content. • Oats with a light weight per bushel should be avoided because of their low energy and high fiber content.
Supplements • Corn is fine for feeding horses, but is highly concentrated in energy. Be cautious to not overfeed with corn. • Wheat and grain sorghum (milo) are less suitable for feeding horses. Wheat is especially dangerous because it causes colic by impacting in the gastrointestinal tract. • A 50:50 ratio of corn and oats combines the safety of oats with the economy of corn. It is often recommended for horses.
Water Requirements • Horses need lots of drinking water and an adequate amount of salt and minerals. Clean water should be available at all times except when the horse is very hot from exertion. • Offer plenty of good water, no colder than 45 degrees F. Free-choice water is best. Horses should be watered at least twice daily. • While horses can survive on snow in the winter, it is far from ideal. The horse's body has to melt a lot of snow to get enough water, thus wasting body heat. An insufficient amount of water is more likely to cause impaction colic. An inexpensive stock tank heater can keep the water trough ice-free.
Feeding Guidelines • A mineralized salt block should be available free-choice. You can also buy a variety of other vitamin, mineral and herbal supplements. Consult your veterinarian. • See that stabled horses get exercise. Exercised horses will eat better, digest food better and be less likely to colic. • Minimize fine ground feed in a prepared ration. If a feed is ground fine, horses will be reluctant to eat it and the chances of colic will increase.
Feeding Guidelines • Change feeds gradually. When changing from a low-density (low-grain), high-fiber ration to one of increased density, change gradually over a period of a week or more. • Horses on pasture should be started on dry feed gradually. Start by giving the animal small amounts of dry feed while it is still on pasture feed and gradually increase the dry feed to the desired amount in a week to 10 days. • Do not feed grain until tired or hot horses have cooled and rested. • Hungry horses should finish eating at least an hour before hard work.
Feeding Frequency • Feed all confined horses at least twice daily. • If you are feeding more than one horse, you'll have to make sure each horse gets enough food. Horses have a strong social order and the top horses will take more than their share. To give the bottom horses a chance, spread the hay out with one more pile than the number of horses.
Horses on Pasture • The most natural food for horses is good quality pasture. Most mature pleasure horses doing light work will do well on pasture alone if they have sufficient grazing. • You can optimize the amount of grazing available by dividing your pasture into sections and rotating your horses through the different pastures. That way, you give the grass a chance to grow back and can pick up the manure.
Monitoring Body Condition • As a responsible owner, it's up to you to adjust the amount you're feeding according to your horse’s needs. In winter, look with your hands as well as your eyes. A heavy winter coat can easily hide a thin horse. Feel under that hair. • While some horses will eat only what they need, most will eagerly overeat if given the chance. This can lead to founder or laminitis. Keep an eye on your horse's weight and adjust meal size as required. Don't feed concentrates unless your horse needs them. • If your horse is pastured, it may be necessary to confine him in a dirt corral for part of the day. In some ways, a fat horse is as unhealthy as a thin one.
Body Condition Score 1 • Emaciated: Bony structures of neck, shoulders and withers easily noticeable. The ribs, top line, point of hip and point of buttock all project prominently, with an obvious ridge down the back. Individual vertebrae may be identifiable. There is significant space between inner buttocks ("twist"). The animal is extremely emaciated; no fatty tissue can be felt.
Condition Score 2 • Very Thin: Bony structures of the neck, shoulders and withers are faintly discernible. Ribs, top line, point of hip and buttock are prominent. Noticeable space between inner buttocks. Animal is emaciated.
Condition Score 3 • Thin: Neck, withers and shoulder are accentuated, but not obviously thin. Tail head is prominent. Slight fat cover over ribs, but the ribs are still easily discernible. Point of hip and point of buttock are rounded, but easily discernible. Twist is filled in, but without noticeable deposition of fatty tissue.
Condition Score 4 • Moderately Thin: Neck, withers and shoulders are not obviously thin. Ribs are faintly discernible. Point of hips and buttocks are not visually discernible. Fat can be felt around the tail head, prominence somewhat dependent upon conformation. There is a slight negative crease (a ridge) along the top line, especially over the loins and hindquarters.
Condition Score 5 • Moderate: Neck, withers and shoulder appear rounded and blend smoothly into the body. Ribs cannot be seen but are easily felt. Back is level, with neither a ridge nor a gully along the top line. Fat around tail head is beginning to feel spongy. Slight amount of discernible fat deposited between buttocks (twist).
Condition Score 6 • Moderately Fleshy: Fat beginning to be deposited along the neck, withers and shoulders. Fat over the ribs beginning to feel spongy. Ribs cannot easily be felt. Fat around tail head feels soft. May be slight positive crease (gully) along the top line. Noticeable fat deposition between buttocks.
Condition Score 7 • Fleshy: Fat deposited along neck and withers and behind shoulder. Individual ribs can be felt, but with noticeable filling between ribs. Slight positive crease down back. Fat around tail head feels soft.
Condition Score 8 • Fat: Noticeable thickening of neck. Area along withers is filled with fat. Area behind shoulder is filled in flush with body. Ribs cannot be felt. Noticeable positive crease down back. Fat around tail head is very soft. Significant fat deposited along inner buttocks.
Condition Score 9 • Extremely Fat: Bulging fat along neck, shoulders and withers. Flank is filled in flush. Patchy fat appearing over ribs, with obvious positive crease down back. Obvious fat deposited along inner buttocks.
Equine Nutrition • The Five Classes of nutrients • Carbohydrates • Fats • Proteins • Vitamins • Minerals
Carbohydrates & Fats • Energy, the fuel for various body processes, must be digestible and provided efficiently in the forms of carbohydrates and fats. Energy is measured as Digestible Energy (DE) which is expressed in calories (or Mega Calories - 1,000 calories) and represents the amount of energy actually available to the horse in a digestible form. • Energy intake above the amount needed to fuel the body for maintenance, production and growth will be deposited as fat. Horses in good body condition receiving insufficient daily energy intake will burn that stored energy. • Horses in poor body condition receiving insufficient daily energy intake, however, can quickly develop serious health problems which may lead to death.
Protein • Proteins are essential to all life. Proteins form the greater part of the muscles, internal organs, cartilage, connective tissues, outer tissues (skin, hair, hoofs, etc.) and the nervous system. • Proteins are made up of amino acids, including lysine, the most important amino acid for growth in young horses. • Diets for growing horses must include lysine levels of .6 - .7 percent of the total diet. Commercial feeds containing urea, a non-protein nitrogen source, should not be fed to horses, as they cannot utilize non-protein nitrogen as effectively as cattle. • Excess protein (the amount fed above the requirement) is broken down into energy and a nitrogen by-product called urea, which is excreted in the urine causing increases in both urination and water intake.
Vitamins • Vitamins are necessary for growth, reproduction, lactation and general health. Most vitamin requirements are supplied by the forages and grains in horse diets, although it is often standard practice to include a vitamin premix in horse diets. • A major vitamin of concern in horse rations is vitamin A. While most of the horse's maintenance requirements for vitamin A are met by forage consumption, additional vitamin A many be needed for horses during production and growth. • Excessive supplementation of certain vitamins can be harmful. Therefore, vitamin premixes should be fed only at recommended levels on the label, and horse owners should account for any supplements added to grain mixes before top dressing with additional vitamin supplements.
Minerals • Minerals -- Minerals are present in very small amounts and are absolutely necessary for growth and the functions of the skeletal system, blood and the body's soft tissues. • Calcium and phosphorus are the two most important minerals for skeletal development and maintenance. The suggested calcium to phosphorus ratio is 1.5 to 2:1. There should never be more phosphorus than calcium in horse rations. • Salt aids the body in fluid and temperature regulation. During hot weather, body temperature is controlled by sweating; therefore salt and other minerals lost through perspiration must be replenished. It is vital for horses to have salt available, either as block, loose or mixed in the feed in the form of trace mineralized or iodized salt. • Most grain mixes contain between .5 and 1 percent salt, sufficient amounts for most horses. However, pastured horses or those which do not receive a concentrate mix containing salt must have access to free-choice salt.
