What Horses Eat That Keep Them Healthy
- Pasture Grass and Tender Plants. The natural diet of the horse is pasture grass and tender plants. Good pasture contains most of the nutrition a horse requires to be healthy.
- Hay. Many of us don't have the luxury of being able to let our horses graze on pasture throughout the whole year.
- Grains. Oats are a traditional grain fed to horses. However, horses may also be fed small amounts of other grains like corn.
- Concentrate Mixes. Concentrates are usually a mixture of things like grains, flaxseed, beet pulp, molasses for energy and flavor, bran, vitamins and minerals, and other ingredients.
- Salt and Minerals. Supplements such as salt and minerals may be included in a concentrate mix or may be offered separately.
- Treats. Many of us like to feed our horses treats. These tidbits may include things like apples, carrots or other favorite fruits or vegetables, handfuls of grain, sugar cubes or ...
- Water. Of course, a horse doesn't really "eat" water. However, water is an essential part of the equine diet.
- Plants Toxic to Horses. Brans, including wheat and rice bran, are not recommended as a major part of your horse's diet. All can cause mineral imbalances. 3
How much should I Feed my young horse?
There are several different ways to meet additional needs when feeding young horses. One of the most common is to feed a high protein concentrate stud/young stock feed with a protein content of 16%. The guidelines for feeding at 1% of body weight mean that half the daily ration is intended to come from this high cereal ration.
How do you supplement a young horse?
Different ways to supplement a young horse. There are several different ways to meet additional needs when feeding young horses. One of the most common is to feed a high protein concentrate stud/young stock feed with a protein content of 16%.
What is the best alternative to feed a young horse?
Feeding a high calorie, chopped fibre feed such as one that combines alfalfa with oil, is a safer alternative to a cereal based feed but can still provide sufficient energy for a youngster. Fibre feeds with about 10% added oil contain around 12.5MJ/kg DE which is the same level of energy found in a traditional stud mix.
What can you feed a horse for treats?
Treats Vladimir Godnik / Getty Images Many of us like to feed our horses treats. These tidbits may include things like apples, carrots or other favorite fruits or vegetables, handfuls of grain, sugar cubes or candies, or sometimes odd things like a bite of a hot dog or boiled egg.
What do you feed a 3 year old horse?
Alfalfa/grass mix hay works best. Good quality grass hays can also be fed successfully, but weanlings will likely need to be supplemented with more grain. The higher the quality of the forage, the less grain is needed.
What should I feed my growing horse?
A diet of oats and grass hay for a growing horse may not meet protein needs, and if fed, a protein/mineral supplement of some sort will be required. When the energy requirements of a young horses increase, often the inclusion of some alfalfa hay cubes or pellets in the diet can provide safe supplemental energy.
What is the best thing to feed a horse?
Many pleasure and trail horses don't need grain: good-quality hay or pasture is sufficient. If hay isn't enough, grain can be added, but the bulk of a horse's calories should always come from roughage. Horses are meant to eat roughage, and their digestive system is designed to use the nutrition in grassy stalks.
What are 3 things horses should not eat?
What Foods & Plants are Poisonous to Horses?Caffeine. While tiny amounts of caffeine probably won't hurt your horse, you should still avoid giving him any foods that have caffeine in it. ... Avocado. ... Fruits with Stones (or Pits) ... Cauliflower, Cabbage, Broccoli. ... Bran Products. ... Potatoes. ... Rhubarb. ... Meat Products.More items...
What is a balanced diet for a horse?
Provide high quality alfalfa or grass roughage with a complementing grain to balance the horse's diet. Feed by weight, not by volume. Always maintain at least half of the ration as roughage, such as hay or grass. Never feed moldy or dusty hay, grass or grain.
Why horses should not be fed grain?
One of the problems associated with grains and their high simple carbohydrate content is that diets high in this feed can lead to digestive issues such as stomach ulcers and even colic. Because of this, grain should be regulated. A good rule of thumb is for a horse's diet to contain no more than 25% grain.
What do horses love the most?
Horses love treats and snacks, as well as grass and hay. But make sure you don't overdo it.
Do horses need grain every day?
Re-evaluate your horse's feed plan, and if grain isn't really necessary, remove it. If your horse really does need the extra energy that forage alone can't provide, rethink how and what you are feeding for your horse's optimal digestive health and, in turn, his performance. Horses need grain = myth.
How many flakes of hay should I feed my horse per day?
horse five flakes every day. Remember to feed in as many small portions as possible.
Are carrots OK for horses?
Horses are programmed to eat small amounts of food on a continuous basis, so your horse will ALWAYS want another treat, but for his well-being, learn to say no. What to offer as treats. Almost any fruits, and many vegetables, are safe treats for healthy horses. Apples and carrots are traditional favorites.
How many carrots can a horse eat a day?
Feeding too many carrots in one day could also cause your horse to not eat their normal food, which is essential for proper digestion. Feeding one to two carrots per day is recommended by the majority of horse owners. I would not feed more than 2 per day and it is helpful if you feed them at different times.
Do horses like apples or carrots better?
Sliced apples without the core and carrots are always a good go-to, but do you ever wonder what other healthy snacks your horse might enjoy? Be sure to cut any large fruit or vegetable into manageable pieces, and do not give your horse any pits or cores, which could cause choke.
What should I feed my 1 year old horse?
Yearlings should be a fed high-quality hay and a grain ration, spread out into smaller meals throughout the day. Since yearlings don't have their adult teeth yet, it is best to feed processed grains or pellets instead of whole grains for proper digestion and utilization.
What to feed a growing thoroughbred?
Good feed sources are lucerne (3.0g/kg) and soyabean-meal (2.7g/kg). Copper, zinc and boron are trace minerals that play an important part in bone development. Studies have shown that copper supplementation of mares and foals can play an important part in skeletal development.
What should I feed my 2 year old horse?
Use a 12 percent protein commercial grain mix if two-year-olds are consuming an alfalfa or alfalfa/grass mix hay. If feeding grass hay, use a 14 percent protein commercial grain mix. Keys to sound growth: Feed a balanced ration.
What do horses need to live and grow?
Like all mammals, equines have three core needs: food, shelter, and security. In the grasslands of Eurasia, where the modern horse evolved, these needs were met quite differently than they are for most domesticated horses today.