What can I Feed my horse instead of hay?
Due to seasonal changes, other options like hay and concentrates should be used in their diets as replacements. When pasture supply is in abundance (such as in spring and fall), you can use grass to replace hay and also reduce the number of concentrates that you feed to your horse.
What is the best food for horses?
High-quality grass is essential for a horse diet. The horses are herbivorous animals, and they need high fiber in their diet than starch or energy to maintain their health. This can be provided by supplying quality horse grass with their daily ration. High-quality pasture grass is the best food for horses with everyday work.
What do you feed a horse with no front teeth?
However, if front incisors are missing, as in cribbers, or badly aligned, do not rely on pasture grazing for all nutrition. These horses must be fed complete feeds or loose hay and/or hay cubes since they can not graze effectively. The most difficult is feeding a geriatric horse with no teeth or with very severe tooth damage.
What do you feed a geriatric horse in winter?
Author’s Tip: Feed the geriatric horse a combination of chopped dried, wetted soft grass or young alfalfa, some soaked pellets which may be just forage pellets if the horse is no longer in work. An excellent feed to keep on weight especially during the winter is soaked sugar beet pulp.
Do horses need food other than grass?
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 is a substitute for hay for horses?
The mixed-grass or corn-plant/alfalfa cubes are recommended if fed as the sole source of forage to adult maintenance horses. Straight alfalfa cubes will contain more protein and calcium than the normal adult horse requires but will not harm the horse as long as its kidneys are functioning properly.
Do horses need grass?
Horses convert grass into energy and muscle. Horses need grass to meet their fiber requirements, which helps keep a horse's digestive system healthy. To ensure that your horses are getting enough, veterinarians and nutritionists recommend eating at least 2% of their body weight forage every day.
How much hay does a horse need without grass?
Response: An adult horse at maintenance will consume between 2 – 2.5% of their bodyweight in feed (hay and grain) each day. For example, a 1,000 pound horse fed a 100% hay diet would consume 25 pounds of hay each day.
Can a horse survive without hay?
Horses can adapt to balanced rations that do not contain hay or pasture, but the absolute minimum of fiber necessary has not been established. However, low fiber/high concentrate rations have been documented to increase the risk of colic, gastric ulcers, and wood chewing behavior of horses.
Can a horse go without hay?
Because we like to think our horses follow the same schedule that we do, many people think that horses need less hay at night because they're asleep (and therefore, not eating). However, that's a myth. Horses need access to forage at all times of the day.
Is hay better than grass for horses?
And sure — it'd be nice to have access to green pastures year-round, but feeding your horse hay is nearly as good (and sometimes better) than feeding grass. It's convenient to feed, helps your horse maintain a healthier digestive system, and can help keep him happy and occupied if he does have to be stall-bound.
Can horses live without pasture?
Horses with limited access to pasture or forage may consume the dirt or bedding around them to appease their desire for fiber, leading to “sand colic” or impaction colic. There is great benefit in using psyllium treatment for 6-7 consecutive days each month to help clear the intestines of ingested sand and dirt.
Do horses prefer grass or hay?
While most horses do well and thrive on a grass hay diet, other horses with different needs and medical conditions are better suited to being fed a diet of grass/alfalfa mix, or an exclusively all alfalfa.
What should a horse eat daily?
According to the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, a full-grown horse should eat about 12 to 15 pounds (5.4 to 6.8 kg) of hay a day. 1 That is 1.5% to 3% of its body weight, if it weighs about 1,000 pounds (450 kg).
What veggies can horses eat?
Horses enjoy celery, corn, lettuce, squash, sweet potatoes, and turnips. Vegetables are excellent sources of vitamins, too. For example, carrots are high in Vitamin A and celery is a good source of Vitamin K. Feeding these items in limited quantities is fine and your horse may actually enjoy the variety!
How many flakes a day should a horse eat?
Answer: A 5-year-old warmblood, who is worked moderately for an hour a day, needs more than three flakes of hay per day. A general rule is that a horse needs half a bale of hay per day to satisfy baseline dietary requirements. But depending on the horse and the hay, the amount may vary.
What to feed an old horse who can't eat hay?
Worn molars cannot chew hay and the horses have a difficult time swallowing and digesting the hay. Alternative forges like hay cubes and pellets can be fed to horses with poor teeth. Sugar beet pulp and soybean hulls can also be fed to increase fiber intake.
Can alfalfa cubes replace hay for horses?
Alfalfa cubes are chopped and compressed but not pulverized like pellets. Therefore, they provide some benefits of long-stem forage and can safely replace hay in an equine diet.
Can I feed alfalfa cubes instead of hay?
The nutrient levels found in cubes tend to be more consistent than hay. Alfalfa cubes are sold with a guaranteed minimum nutrient content. Reduced dust. Cubes have little dust and are therefore a good alternative to hay for horses with certain respiratory problems.
Can hay cubes replace hay?
Forage cubes can be fed just like hay, at a 1:1 ratio of the like hay type the horse currently consumes. For example, you would replace five pounds of alfalfa hay with five pounds of alfalfa cubes and adjust the amount if needed to maintain the animal's proper weight.
How to slow down a horse's voracious eaters?
There is one useful method to slow down the voracious eaters: The use of a slow feeder or small-hole hay net. These feeding systems go by many names, but are either a container that is hung on the wall or a ground box or frame feeding system that forces a horse to work at getting hay out from between closely-knit netting or wire mesh. An alternative is to use one of the mesh sleeves that fit around a large bale of hay.
How to help a horse with gastric ulcers?
We’ve all heard the wealth of information on how to best control gastric ulcers and behavioral problems: Turn the horse out and allow him to eat frequent, small meals throughout the day by grazing on pasture. So how do you accomplish this if pasture is in short supply?
What to do if pasture isn't available?
If pasture isn’t available, there should be some form of turnout even if there is no grass. It might help to scatter hay in many piles or in slow feeders throughout the paddock so horses have to move around and make an effort to seek out the food rather than standing in one place to eat.
Can horses eat green grass?
One of the key ingredients that may be nutritionally deficient for horses that have no access to green grass is vitamin E. Without a sufficient intake of vitamin E, a horse can experience muscle, neurologic or immune system problems. In a Canadian study, horses that had pasture access in summer months had vitamin E concentrations in their plasma that were 63 percent higher than non-pastured horses that consumed only hay or pelleted feed during the same period. This is of concern for both young, growing horses as well as adult horses.
Do horses need vitamin E?
In addition, horses that are supplemented with high-fat diets to add calories may need supplementation with vitamin E as an antioxidant along with the fat.
Can horses eat hay?
In a perfect world, you’d be able to offer free choice hay and your horse would control his intake, eating only as much as he needs to maintain perfect body condition. But some horses are gluttons and just won’t stop eating, thereby exceeding their optimal calorie allotment so much that they become obese.
Is vitamin A good for horses?
Vitamin A (carotene) may also be inadequate if horses are fed older hay or hay that has lost its green color. Most commercial feeds contain ample vitamin A, so feeding some small amounts of pelleted feed should adequately supply this nutrient.
When to use grass for horses?
When pasture supply is in abundance (such as in spring and fall), you can use grass to replace hay and also reduce the number of concentrates that you feed to your horse.
Why is pasture grass important for horses?
Pasture grass is necessary as a primary component of every horse’s diet, as it is essential for the proper functioning of their digestive system . Due to seasonal changes, other options like hay and concentrates should be used in their diets as replacements.
How much time do horses spend on grass?
Since these animals are natural grazers, they spend a lot of time (as much as 16-18 hours a day) grazing on grass pasture and local forages.
Why is extended grazing good for horses?
Another benefit of extended grazing is that the field is perfect for your horse to exercise. Exercise also helps horses to maintain a sound digestive function ( 1 ).
Why is hay important for horses?
Hay is very rich in fibre, which is required by your horse because of its delicate digestive systems to avoid complications. However, it does not include all the nutrition that a horse needs. One of the major things missing from hay is moisture.
What to do if your horse is not getting enough salt?
Supplementing your horse’s diet with grain and minerals is a way to solve these deficiencies in vitamins and minerals , respectively. Hay also does not contain enough salt, so you should always make loose salt or a salt lick available to your horse.
Why is grass not readily available?
The reason for this is simple. Pasture grass is not always readily available because of seasonal changes which affect their growth and availability. Aside from this reason, grass does not meet all have all the nutritional requirements of the animal.
What to feed horses to help them grow?
Be prepared to supplement with hay and a multi-vitamin/mineral supplement. Watch your horse’s condition and for signs of weight loss. Again, each horse is an individual, so what works for one might not be suitable for another.
What do horses extract from grass?
All members of the equine family have evolved to extract their necessary nutrition from grasses. Horses and donkeys especially are able to extract nutrients from coarse grasses and plants that might not support a larger horse. Their teeth are suited to grinding the coarse plant fiber, and the long, slow digestive system efficiently extracts ...
How to keep horses from overgrazing?
Avoid overgrazing by limiting the number of horses on pasture and by rotating pastures, so the grass has time to recover after grazing. Horses will crop grass down to the soil level, which means in hot, dry conditions, grass may burn and dry out before it has a chance to grow. A lot of horses kept in a small area means the soil will become compacted, and that makes it very difficult for anything but the most aggressive weeds to grow.
What are the conditions that affect horses' pasture?
Unfortunately, very few owners, through no fault of their own, have top quality pastures. Overgrazing, drought, freezing, poor management, poor soil, and snow cover all affect the quality of the grass and the horse’s ability to extract adequate nutrition. Some of these conditions can be compensated for with good pasture management and soil amendments.
Why is my horse's muscle sore after working?
1 If your horse is prone to tying-up, which is a painful stiffness of the muscles after work, a lack of selenium may be part of the problem.
Is Selenium good for horses?
Selenium, in particular, is of concern to horse owners. This mineral is scarce in many areas of North America, and that means horses won’t be getting enough from grass or hay. A balanced supplement is ideal for replacing this essential mineral.
Can horses eat pasture?
The simple answer is yes. A pasture can potentially be the sole source of nutrition for a horse. Given the variability of a horse’s own metabolism and needs, though, pasture alone may not be sufficient for your horse. This is why keeping a careful watch over your horse’s condition is essential. Article Sources.
Why does my horse not grind his food?
When a horse does not properly grind his food because of molar loss or misalignment, the food enters the digestive tract in particles too large for proper breakdown by digestive enzymes in the small intestine and microbes in the large intestine and cecum.
How to help a horse with dental issues?
For the horse with serious dental challenges, add some high quality hay to promote intestinal motility . Although most senior feeds are high in fiber and can be fed as complete feeds, the horse needs enough bulk to maintain intestinal motility. Hay cubes or chopped forage can be soaked and mixed into the feed or fed separately. If the horse is able to eat high quality regular hay, separate the flakes and scatter them in small piles so that the horse walks from one pile to another. This will help the digestive tract and will provide a grazing effect for the horse.
What does it mean when a horse has a broken tooth?
In fact, these are signs of a serious, debilitating, painful disorder called “Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis (EOTRH), a condition that is being noted by many equine dentists.
Why does my horse's tooth wear out?
When a horse has missing teeth, not only is the horse's chewing ability compromised, the missing tooth causes an uneven wear pattern because the tooth opposite the gap grows too long and may interfere with jaw movement or bit action.
Why do horses chew their teeth?
In some cases because of the shape of the horse's jaws or mouth , a horse may have to chew unnaturally in an attempt to grind up his food. This action can often result in increased uneven wear on the teeth and in some cases generate significant excess pressure on one or more tooth which can result in serious complications including causing teeth to literally be worked loose.
What is the condition of a horse's teeth called?
The condition involves proliferation (out-of-control growth) of the outer covering of equine teeth, called cementum. In addition, many horses also have destruction of the internal structure of the teeth through resorption.
What happens when a horse's teeth are broken?
When a horse has crooked or broken teeth, his food tends to collect around broken or misaligned teeth, and gum or tooth infections can result leading to not only loss of nutritional value of feed, but also lose of additional teeth.
What do horses eat?
Horses thrive in the wild on a diet of grass and other plants. From these foliages, they extract the nutrients needed to grow healthy and strong. Domestic horses are no different; eating grass is essential.
Why do horses need grass?
Horses need grass to meet their fiber requirements, which helps keep a horse’s digestive system healthy. To ensure that your horses are getting enough, veterinarians and nutritionists recommend eating at least 2% of their body weight forage every day.
How much forage do horses eat?
2% may not sound like a lot, but when a horse weighs 1,200 lbs or more, that’s pushing close to twenty-five pounds of forage they eat per day. Horses use this effectively.
Why do horses get diarrhea?
Horses are most likely to get diarrhea from eating grass when they are turned out after extended stall confinement and are suddenly exposed to a richer diet. This sudden increase in rich food is troublesome for heavily worked horses but excellent for broodmares and young horses.
How can cattle improve horse pastures?
Cattle can improve horse pastures by fertilizing the soil and keeping the grass cropped, allowing the horse to consume the easily digestible and more nutritious young grass .
When do grasses grow?
The different types are broken down into two groups warm-season and cool-season grasses. Warm-season perennial grasses grow during the spring and summer, and cold-weather annual grasses grow during the cool fall and spring months.
Can Kentucky bluegrass be used for horses?
Kentucky bluegrass. Kentucky bluegrass can withstand drought and grows well in light, sandy soil. Since it’s palatable to horses of all ages, many horse owners like it even though it needs fertilizing more often than usual for optimal growth throughout the year. Perennial ryegrass.
What to feed a geriatric horse?
Author’s Tip: Feed the geriatric horse a combination of chopped dried, wetted soft grass or young alfalfa, some soaked pellets which may be just forage pellets if the horse is no longer in work. An excellent feed to keep on weight especially during the winter is soaked sugar beet pulp. Time of feeding is crucial.
What to feed a horse with tooth loss?
When tooth-loss has occurred to a large extend then feeding soft chopped dried but rehydrated forage (so soak it shortly in water or add water just before feeding) is the best first option, as horses still require some particle matter to keep their digestive tract moving. Feeding a senior horse feed which is pelleted is useful, but once again this needs to be soaked until it turns into a thick mash to avoid choking.
Why do horses have teeth?
Horses, like so many herbivores, are hypsodont which means their teeth continue to grow (erupt) throughout their lives. This is because their natural diet, grasses, contain a lot of silica which wears down tooth enamel. As horses get older eventually they reach the limit of their dental depth and teeth may fall out or become diseased ...
How to care for a horse in winter?
These horses need to have access to water at all times as well. In the winter they will drink considerably more if the water is slightly warmed. Also use warm water to provide feed mashes as a lot less chewing occurs before swallowing. Their body condition will tell you how well they are doing. If you absolutely do not have the resources or are prepared to look after these animals well, it may be necessary to find someone who is willing to do this, or kinder to euthanize than to allow them to suffer. This is the hardest decision any horse owner has to make, and it is easily circumnavigated by selling a horse prior to this, but ask yourself – should you have horses if you are not prepared to care for them until the end?
Why does my horse keep dropping feed?
If you notice your horse dropping feed out of its mouth while chewing – called ‘quidding’ – it may have dental problems. Other tell-tale signs may be tipping of the head sideways when eating or refusing to eat certain types of foods and eventually weight loss.
What happens if you don't adapt to feed?
If feed is not adapted the most likely consequence is colic, through compaction within the digestive tract. Before this, gaps between teeth widen and lead to feed particles becoming trapped and this may cause rotten breath and mouth ulcers with infections.
