How to feed a thoroughbred horse?
Here is a guideline for how you might approach feeding a thoroughbred that has come directly out of a racing stable: Month 1 – Put the horse out to pasture or give it access to ad lib good quality grass hay and feed 1 kg/100 kg BW of alfalfa/lucerne per day.
What is the best diet for an off-the-track Thoroughbred?
The more time you allow an off-the-track thoroughbred to readjust to a forage based diet the better the results you will get. A racing thoroughbred’s gut is adapted to eating a high grain diet. Ultimately you want your off-the-track thoroughbred to have a gut well adapted to doing well on a high forage diet.
What should I Feed my off the track racehorse?
Whatever your off the track racehorse is doing, if he needs condition, look for a high fibre conditioning feed eg beet pulp. This provides a concentrated source of non-heating calories and keeps meal sizes manageable. It also ensures feed is utilised efficiently with a smaller risk of digestive upsets or “crabby” behaviour.
What do thoroughbreds do off the track?
Many off the track thoroughbreds find new careers as riding and competition horses. When they first come to a new home, a new diet is one of the first major changes they face.
What is the best feed for a thoroughbred?
Racehorses should be fed 15-20 lb (7-9 kg) per day of clean grass hay such as timothy or oaten hay. Smaller quantities of alfalfa hay (2-4 lb or 0.9 to 1.8 kg per day) may also be offered. This level of hay intake will meet the racehorse's maintenance DE requirement and help protect against gastric ulcers and colic.
What is the best grain for a thoroughbred?
Grains for Horses and Their CharacteristicsOats. Oats are the most popular and safest grain to feed to horses. ... Barley. Barley is very similar to oats as a feed except for some characteristics that affect how it is used. ... Corn. ... Wheat. ... Milo (Grain Sorghum) ... Molasses (Dried or Liquid) ... Beet Pulp.
How do I fatten up my OTTB?
13 Ways to Put Weight on a ThoroughbredGet Your Horse's Teeth Checked. ... Have a Vet Check Your Horse for Worms. ... Make Sure You Are Feeding the Recommended Amounts. ... Adjust Your Feeding Regimen Based on Activity Level. ... Feed Your Horse Extra Forage. ... Add Grain to Your Horse's Diet. ... Add High Calorie Supplements to Your Horse's Diet.More items...
What does a thoroughbred horse eat?
The traditional sources of energy are provided by whole oats, with varying amounts of cracked corn or rolled barley, whole sunflower seeds, and occasionally cracked lupins and beans, depending on availability.
What to feed a skinny thoroughbred?
Maximizing forage intake for weight gain with free-choice, high-quality hay is ideal. The addition of alfalfa-timothy hay pellets, as you have done, is a good idea to contribute more forage to the diet.
How much hay should a thoroughbred horse eat?
The daily dry matter intake of an adult horse performing light work should be about 1.8% of its body weight each day. At least 65% of this amount should be forage. In other words, a 1,000 lb horse should be fed 18 pounds of dry matter each day.
How much grain should a thoroughbred eat?
The 2% Rule. Experts generally agree that all horses, regardless of activity level, should consume about 2% of their body weight per day in a combination of forage and concentrates (grains). Horses who are doing little to no work should eat closer to 2% of their body weight in forage, with little to no concentrates.
Does beet pulp help horses gain weight?
Beet pulp can be used to help underweight horses gain weight, as it provides approximately 1,000 kcals per pound (one quart of dry beet pulp shreds weighs approximately 0.5-0.6 pounds).
What does sunflower oil do for horses?
The additional fat may help improve coat condition. In addition, sunflower oil is a rich source of vitamin E, a potent antioxidant. For horses that are not allowed to graze fresh pasture, it is always best to supplement with a natural-source vitamin E product, like Nano-E.
What's the best hay for racehorses?
Grass Hay for Horses Kentucky bluegrass, orchardgrass and timothy are all examples of common grasses used for hay. Benefits: Grass hay is lower in protein and energy than legume hay — but it's also higher in fiber, which can make it a good choice for many horses.
Can horses live on grass alone?
In short, yes, all horses can live on grass alone. Healthy grass for grazing needs to be rich in nutrients to keep a horse healthy. Optimal levels of Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K) need to be present in the grass. Some areas don't have enough protein available.
Do race horses need oats?
Oats are often what a racehorse is used to eating and be palatable to them. However, oats are not fortified, so horses fed solely oats will need a source of vitamins and minerals added to their feed. Read more at The Horse.
What is the best support team for an OTTB?
Remember that OTTB is going through some major lifestyle changes. Both his mind and his body will need some time to adjust. It’s important to have a great support team, including a good veterinarian, feed supplier, and farrier. They can help you make decisions about his feed and care.
Can you feed an old racehorse?
Feeding a former racehorse is nothing to take lightly. If your OTTB left the track recently, he’ll need some extra care to make the transition to a pleasure horse’s diet.
Can you transition a thoroughbred horse to a pleasure horse?
It’s not an easy transition for most thoroughbred horses to make. At first, you may struggle to get weight onto your OTTB.
What to feed a racehorse to keep it in condition?
Whatever your off the track racehorse is doing, if he needs condition, look for a high fibre conditioning feed eg beet pulp. This provides a concentrated source of non-heating calories and keeps meal sizes manageable. It also ensures feed is utilised efficiently with a smaller risk of digestive upsets or “crabby” behaviour. The specific yeast probiotic in Fibregenix Prime Original Conditioning balancer can double fibre digestibility and improve the calorie and nutrient yield of what’s being fed. This will increase condition without needing large amounts of hard feed. TIP: If your Thoroughbred is prone to being a bit fizzy, feed a pellet rather than a mix. Pellet feeds (cubes) contain less starch than a muesli mix of a similar nutrient specification.
What to feed a horse after a long period of downtime?
After bringing horses in after a long period of “downtime” in the paddock, adjustments to diet must be gradual. Grass provides more calories, protein, vitamins and minerals than hay, so when substituting grass with hay, adjust the nutrient content accordingly of any other feed given. A high-spec Fibregenix balancer provides a boost of quality nutrients whilst ensuring a healthy gut environment during the transition period
How much Fibregenix Lami Low Cal should I feed my horse?
Balancers provide a concentrated source of nutrients in a small volume which can be beneficial when feeding at pasture. Just 500g per day is required for a 500kg horse at rest so Lami Low-Cal can easily be fed once a day. Where grass quality isn’t good or the horse needs more condition, you can provide extra calories with a small amount of hard feed or beet pulp. When feeding off the track thoroughbreds you can also feed Fibregenix Prime Original conditioning balancer.
What does it mean to feed a prebiotic?
Feeding a prebiotic should mean that harmful bacteria aren’t able to take advantage of the compromised condition of the digestive tract. The two specific prebiotics in Fibregenix Platinum Pro and Lami Low-Cal can help to reduce the incidence of scouring caused by the stress response or bacterial infections.
Why do horses need fibre?
Fibre helps keep the gut and mind healthy. Always provide your horse with plenty of fibre either in the stable or field to prevent boredom and relieve stress. All horses are herd animals, so try and provide company to prevent anxiety and stress.
Why is fiber important for horses?
Fibre takes longer to chew than grain-based hard feeds. When the horse chews, the resulting saliva produced helps neutralise the acidity of the stomach contents. Long periods of chewing helps avoid gastric ulceration to the upper region of the stomach which is vulnerable to ulcers.
What does it mean when a thoroughbred comes off the track?
This means when coming off the track, he must become accustomed not only to his new home but also to quite different feeding practices.
Below is a very long post, but a must read if you're bringing home an OTTB
For those unfamiliar, the term OTTB stands for off the track thoroughbred. Many of us out there, myself included, have found great athletic partners in these horses who have finished their racing career and need a new job.
To consider before buying your OTTB
1. Your OTTB has been eating a LOT of feed and hay. The feeding objective of a track trainer is to make sure the horse eats the feed so they have good body condition and the fuel to perform. Sweet feed high in molasses and oats are the way to achieve high intake.
Once you get them home
1. Allow your horse to acclimate slowly. Acclimate to pasture slowly, introduce to a new herd slowly, put on new feed slowly. Slowly = ~7 days if possible. If you have the hay and grain from the track: Mix the track hay with your barn's hay for 3+ days and then go to full barn hay. Feed only the track grain for 2-3 days during the settling process.