- Water. Horses need clean, fresh water at least two times daily. If the horse doesn’t drink frequently, make sure it doesn’t take water immediately after feeding to avoid blockage.
- Grass. Horses are grass lovers. It’s a natural food for horses, and it keeps their digestive system healthy.
- Vegetables and Fruits. Fruits and vegetables usually add moisture to your horse’s feed. However, there are some vegetables and fruits you shouldn’t feed them.
- Haylage or Hay. Hays keep your horse’s belly full and its digestive system functioning effectively, especially when pasture is scarce in autumn and early spring.
- Concentrates. For young, pregnant, nursing, or old horses, your veterinarian can recommend feeding them with concentrates (grains like corn, barley, and oats).
- Salt. Many horse owners discover that horses love to eat salt a lot, particularly in summer and after long exercises.
Full Answer
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.
How to take care of your horse’s diet?
Make sure to measure the portions that you feed your horse to make sure that you are giving her the correct amount. [7] If the weather is hot, feed grain to your horse during the cooler hours of the day, such as early in the morning and later in the evening. Supplement your horse’s diet with feed to provide protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals.
What is the best grain to feed a horse?
Oats are the safest and easiest grain to feed with hay because it is high in fiber and low in energy, and higher in protein than corn. Corn has the highest energy content of any grain and can put weight on a horse quickly. It can be fed on the ear, cracked, rolled or shelled. Barley is an intermediate source of energy and protein content.
What do you feed a horse to get the most calories?
Although your horse will get most of its calories from hay and grass, you should feed your horse some fortified feed each day to help meet any nutritional gaps. Protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals are important parts of your horse’s nutrition, but they are not required in large amounts. [8] Supplement as needed.
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 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 are the 5 types of feeds for horses?
Wheat and milo are other grains fed to horses.Oats. 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.
What should I not feed my horse?
Here are some “people” foods you should avoid feeding your horse:Caffeine: Coffee, tea and cola contain the stimulant caffeine (trimethylxanthine) which can cause an irregular heart rhythm.Chocolate: ... Garlic and onions: ... Tomatoes: ... Fruit seeds and pits: ... Dog and cat kibble: ... Potatoes: ... House plants:
What is toxic to horses?
Weeds: Onions/garlic, ground ivy, milkweed, bracken fern, cocklebur, horsetail, white snakeroot, St. Johns wort, star-of-Bethlehem, sorghum/sudangrass, yellow sweet clover, blue-green algae, bouncing bet, larkspur, mayapple, skunk cabbage. Trees: Black locust, oak (green acorns), horse chestnut, boxwood, holly.
Are eggs good for horses?
Answer. Eggs are an excellent source of protein, as we all know. Protein quality is exceptional because eggs have an ideal balance of amino acids.
How often should horses be fed?
twice a dayWhen feeding the horse, there are three general guidelines one should follow. Feeds should be fed at least twice a day. Feeds should be fed in equally divided amounts. Feeds should be fed near to or at the same time each day and at even intervals throughout the day.
What food gives a horse energy?
Starch is a carbohydrate found in cereal grains such as barley, maize and oats and provides a good source of fast release energy, particularly useful for horses working hard for short periods.
Is corn or oats better for horses?
Oat starch is more digestible in the small intestine than corn starch, and this feature makes oats the safer feed choice when large amounts of cereal grain must be fed. Oat starch reduces the risk of hindgut acidosis, which is caused by starch entering the hindgut and undergoing rapid fermentation.
What is the best food for horses?
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.
Are bananas good for horses?
Almost any fruits, and many vegetables, are safe treats for healthy horses. Apples and carrots are traditional favorites. You can safely offer your horse raisins, grapes, bananas, strawberries, cantaloupe or other melons, celery, pumpkin, and snow peas.
Can horses eat banana peel?
Horses can eat banana peels, but not all of them will be interested in eating them, owing to their bitter taste. The peels are just as healthy for your horse as the banana itself, also containing potassium and vitamin B.
Are apples poisonous to horses?
Apples are a perfectly safe and healthy treat to feed your horse, and most horses love them! That said, moderation is key, as too much of a good thing can quickly turn bad and cause colic and other gastric problems.
Can horses eat meat?
Spoiler alert: horses are herbivores! Their entire digestive system is designed to process plant matter. Horses, as a species, do not eat meat.
Can horses eat apples?
Almost any fruits, and many vegetables, are safe treats for healthy horses. Apples and carrots are traditional favorites. You can safely offer your horse raisins, grapes, bananas, strawberries, cantaloupe or other melons, celery, pumpkin, and snow peas.
Can a horse eat too much grass?
Grass colic is a type of spasmodic colic caused by gas buildup in the intestinal tract. It can occur when a horse ingests too much grass to which he is unaccustomed. A horse is at risk of colic whenever his diet suddenly changes, whether the change is to grass, grain or another unaccustomed feed.
What is the best diet for horses?
Pasture Grass and Tender Plants. Jenifer Harrington / Getty Images. 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. It also contains silica, which is important for dental health.
Why do horses have a special diet?
Horses have very specific dietary needs because they are herbivores, and have a unique digestive tract quite different from ours. Their long digestive system requires a high-fiber diet that is consumed in small amounts over a long time period. 1 Rather than a few large meals like we should eat, horses eat many, many small meals.
What is salt for horses?
Supplements such as salt and minerals may be included in a concentrate mix or may be offered separately. A salt block or loose salt in a pasture or stall allows horses to help themselves when they have a craving. Some salt may come mixed with minerals. Some people offer free-choice minerals as well, or it can be added into the horse's grain or concentrate meal. Many people find that salt is consumed more during the summer months than in the colder weather.
What is concentrate in horses?
Concentrates are usually a mixture of things like grains, flaxseed, beet pulp, molasses for energy and flavor, bran, vitamins and minerals, and other ingredients. Commercial mixes may have a number of ingredients in them, or some feed mills will mix concentrates to your specifications (only practical when you have a large number of horses to feed).
Is pasture grass bad for horses?
Pasture grass isn't necessarily the problem; the type of horses we've developed and the lack of exercise are. Those of us with easy keepers need to limit the amount of fresh grass our horses have access to. Introducing lush pasture suddenly to a horse not used to it can cause serious problems as well.
Do primitive horses live on pasture?
Primitive horses can live on sparse rations and often have to make do with less than ideal pasture and living conditions. This is likely why problems like obesity, equine metabolic syndrome, and laminitis are rare in wild horses, but occur frequently in our modern horses.
Can horses graze on pasture?
Many of us don' t have the luxury of being able to let our horses graze on pasture throughout the whole year. When grass isn't available, hay is the next-best choice. Finding good horse hay can be tricky. It helps to have hay tested, so any shortfalls in vitamins and minerals can be compensated for with supplements.
How much do horses eat?
Coleman and Williams suggest that horses consume 1.5-2.5% of their body weight daily in forage, with “ easy keepers ” on the lower end of that range (the “air ferns” of the horse world) and “ hard keepers ” (those who have trouble keeping on weight) on the higher end.
What type of hay does a horse need?
Horse owners all have their own hay preferences, but Coleman says his top choice is a mixed alfalfa-grass hay that meets many different horse classes’ requirements, from growing to performance to senior horses. Williams prefers a grass hay that meets the needs of a horse in maintenance, which includes 8-10% protein and adequate levels of vitamins and minerals.
What is the difference between legume hay and grass hay?
For instance, a legume hay, such as alfalfa, is higher in calories, protein, and calcium than grass hay of a similar maturity. Grass hay usually provides all of the calories the “average” horse needs.
What are the factors that affect a horse's energy?
Weight, along with age, amount of exercise, climate, body condition, reproductive status, type of horse (light horse, for example), etc., all affect a horse’s energy and nutrient requirements—the amount of calories, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals he needs to consume. Forage is the basis of all feeding programs, ...
What is the first step in horse nutrition?
The first step in crafting a horse’s diet, says Rhonda Hoffman, PhD, PAS, Dipl. ACAN, professor of horse science at Middle Tennessee State University, in Murfreesboro, is knowing whether he is healthy. “First, and most importantly, horse owners must be able to look at their horse and assess whether it is at a healthy weight or too fat or too thin,” she says. “The eye of the feeder fattens (or thins) the horse.”
How much water should a horse drink?
A mature average-sized horse will drink 5 to 10 gallons per day. Of course, factors such as exercise, hot temperatures, humidity, sweating, pregnancy or nursing, and increased hay intake multiply the amount of water a horse needs, sometimes up to three or four times the normal amount.
What happens if a horse goes without water?
Without enough water, impaction colic becomes a big risk, and an extended time without water can even result in kidney failure, brain damage, or organ shutdown.
What type of food do horses need?
Typically the type of food that a horse needs is broken down into two groups, forage and concentrate.
What is the most important thing to remember when feeding a horse?
Written by Lucy Robinson in Horse Care. When it comes to feeding a horse the most important thing to remember, regardless of what sort of food they’re eating, is to feed them little and often. Most horse owners (and enthusiasts) will have heard this at some point or other but it’s said for a good reason. Horses have a unique digestive system that ...
What is molasses good for horses?
Being high in sugar molasses is often referred to as a source of fast energy for horses although it also has a lot of potassium so will help to keep your horse’s muscles working (and his heart-healthy). Molasses can also be used to bind food together as well as to make food such as barley more digestible. Horses are very similar to us when it comes to having a sweet tooth so you can also use a little bit of molasses to make your horse’s feed sweeter tasting and more appealing if they’re fussy eaters.
Why do horses need hay?
You can (and should) have the hay regularly tested so that you know it’s exact vitamin and mineral values , this way you can compensate for any shortfalls.
How much concentrate should a horse have?
Horses don’t need as much concentrate as they forage which is why it only needs to make up around 20% of their daily feed .
What is the best grain for horses?
Grain mix. Sometimes called cereal grain, it’s classed as any grass that is grown for food but when it comes to horse feed it normally means corn, oats, and barley although it can also contain wheat, rice, and rye. They can be fed separately or as a balanced mix that contains a lot of the nutrition your horse needs.
Why do horses have mirrors?
It helps to prevent the feeling of isolation by giving the impression of other horses being around. Being herd animals horses can get extremely stressed when they feel that they’re on their own but with these stick-on mirrors, they believe that at least one other horse is with them.
What to feed a horse to help them with their diet?
Supplement your horse’s diet with feed to provide protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. Although your horse will get most of its calories from hay and grass, you should feed your horse some fortified feed each day to help meet any nutritional gaps.
What are the best foods for horses?
Nonstructural carbohydrates, like oats, corn, and barley, are also essential to a horse’s nutrition. Provide small amounts of grain to your horse throughout the day. Every day, horses can also have ½ pound of grain per 100 pounds of body weight.
How much hay should a horse eat?
In fact, horses should eat about 15-20 pounds or 1-2% of their body weight in hay every day, so make sure that your horse always has plenty of hay to chew on. [4] X Trustworthy Source The Humane Society of the United States National organization devoted to the promotion of animal welfare Go to source.
What causes a horse to have a founder?
Making drastic changes to your horse’s feed or feeding schedule can lead to equine colic and founder. Equine colic is a condition that causes severe abdominal pain and may even require surgery. Founder is a condition that causes poor circulation and can even lead to the separation of the hoof from the foot.
How to weigh a horse?
Weigh your horse by using a weight tape or weight bridge ( equine scales). A weight bridge is far more accurate and should be used instead of a tape if available. Condition scoring is the best form of recording weight changes. Weigh your horse every 2 weeks and plot the changes on a graph.
How to change feed for horses?
If you need to change your horse’s feed, do not just switch to the new feed. Start by replacing 25% of the old feed with the new feed. In two days, replace 50% of the old feed with the new feed. Two days after that , replace 75% of the old feed with the new feed.
What type of energy do horses need?
Some horses are prone to heating up (becoming over excited and spooky). Feeding these horses slow-release energy (fiber and oil) will help, this is the safest form of energy and causes the least amount of health problems. Other horses are lazy and lack “sparkle”.
How to feed a horse grain?
Feed grain in small amounts and often 1 Every horse has different needs. Consider both their size and the amount of work they do when deciding how much they need to eat. 2 Consider the amount of hay or pasture your horse gets: Horses who are grazing on good pasture the majority of the day don’t need much hay, if any. Horses who don’t get much turnout or aren't on good pasture will need more hay, whether they are inside or out. 3 During winter or drought, supplement pasture grazing with hay. When the grass is thick and lush, you can cut back or eliminate hay rations completely, depending on available pasture. 4 With grain, less is always more, so start with a minimal amount and adjust as necessary. You’ll find the right balance of pasture, hay, and grain for your particular horse’s needs. 5 If the amount of work your horse is doing changes, be sure to adjust their food ration.
How much should a horse eat?
A horse should eat one to two percent of their body weight in roughage every day. Horses who spend much of their time in stalls aren’t doing much grazing, but their natural feeding patterns can be replicated by keeping hay in front of them for most of the day.
What happens if a horse eats too much?
When a horse is fed too much at once, the food isn't digested as effectively . Every horse has different needs. Consider both their size and the amount of work they do when deciding how much they need to eat. Consider the amount of hay or pasture your horse gets: Horses who are grazing on good pasture the majority of the day don’t need much hay, ...
Why is it bad for horses to eat after work?
When feeding a horse after work, let them cool down completely—the ir breathing rate should be back to normal, and their skin should not feel hot or sweaty.
How to measure horse feed?
Start off measuring your horse’s feed by weight using a kitchen or postal scale, or by using the scale at your local feed store. Once you figure out how much your horse’s typical ration weighs, measure that portion at feeding time using a scoop, coffee can, or whatever suits your needs.
How long should you wait to ride a horse?
Ideally, you should wait an hour or so after your horse has finished a meal before riding them. If you’re going to do something really strenuous, it should be closer to three hours. A full digestive system gives the horse’s lungs less room to work, and makes exercise much harder on them.
Can you cut back hay rations?
When the grass is thick and lush , you can cut back or eliminate hay rations completely, depending on available pasture. With grain, less is always more, so start with a minimal amount and adjust as necessary. You’ll find the right balance of pasture, hay, and grain for your particular horse’s needs. If the amount of work your horse is doing ...
Why do horses have mirrors?
It helps to prevent the feeling of isolation by giving the impression of other horses being around. Being herd animals horses can get extremely stressed when they feel that they’re on their own but with these stick-on mirrors, they believe that at least one other horse is with them.
Why can't horses sweat?
This can be very dangerous because the horse isn’t able to regulate his temperature and can overheat. For many years beer has been used as a successful treatment for this.
Is coconut oil safe for horses?
It doesn’t really matter how you use coconut oil around horses it’s going to benefit them in so many ways, just as it does with us. I won’t go into all of the ways coconut oil is good for your horse because I’ve covered the subject in more detail here but I’ll quickly summarise how good it is to feed it to your horse daily.
Can you feed coconut oil to horses?
When to feed: Coconut oil is so versatile that you can either add it to your horse’s daily feed or give it to him as a lick. If you prefer you can also use it as an occasional treat.
Is a horse friendly?
As a rule, horses are gentle , mild-manner ed creatures that , despite their size, are generally friendly and affectionate towards humans but sadly this isn’t always the case. The good news though is...
Do watermelons help horses?
They have vitamin A that can help with eyesight (not that horses need much help with that ), vitamin C that can not only help to improve your horse’s immune system but also speed up the healing of wounds, and vitamin B1 and B6 that can help to give your horse ‘cool’ energy.
Can horses eat all their food?
While the nutrition al needs of a horse are dependant on things like their age and workload some foods can be consumed by all horses regardless of any particular needs they have, whether as part of their daily diet or as occasional treats .
What should I feed my horse?
What I suggest you feed your horse is oats. For the optimum health and performance of your horse, I hope you'll consider what's in the bag and certainly what's not in the bag as well. We have some answers. We have some answers that are working for horses around the country... thousands of horses.
How long does a 25 lb bag of hay last?
It is fed "FREE CHOICE", so its easy. And although you let them eat all they want, its economical too! Typically a 25 lb bag will last from 100 200 days for one horse but will vary depending upon the individual needs.
Can you feed hydrogenated fat to a horse?
So they don't have many choices, but you have choices as the horse owner and as a person in your diet to not feed your horse or yourself these hydrogenated fats.
Is oats good for horses?
Oats are oats. They are consistent from bag to bag to bag for the most part, and it's the most natural thing there is as far as I'm concerned as far as health for horses. It's a seed head. Something they might even get in the wild for instance (seed heads obviously).
Can you put fat in horse feed?
The horse industry as a whole has kind of overlooked the issue because quite frankly, they don't have any options. It’s the only type of fat that they can put in the feed that will allow them to put the feed bag in a truck, haul it across the country, and store it in a feed room for weeks at a time without it going rancid.
Can horses eat oats?
Or if you have a horse that needs to eat a lot then he can eat a lot of oats for his metabolism, but you put the vitamins, minerals and enzymes and so on, on those oats so that he gets what he needs every day.
Do horses eat out of a bag?
So could there possibly be a common denominator there between horse diets and people diets. Now, of course, horses get their feed out of a bag, but we get our feed out of a box for the most part or rather a fast food place. That's kind of what bag is... it's kind of like fast food for horses. There's a better way for all of us to eat.
What do horses eat?
They need to eat often, but little per time. In basic terms, horses eat hay and grass. However, concentrates, vegetables, salt, or fruits can enhance their diets, and these are contingent on the available horse feed and required work.
How Much Food Can I Give My Horse?
An adult horse consumes dry matter (the remains of a feed after evaporation of the water) that weighs about two to three percent of its entire body weight. But it depends on the food quality and the activity of the horse.
How long do wild horses graze?
They mostly live close to freshwater. Wild horses are estimated to graze for about 15 to 17 hours each day.
What fruits can cause choking in horses?
Offering stone fruits, such as mangos and apricots to your horse (without pitting them first), can cause choking.
How long does it take for a horse to change his diet?
If there’s a need to change the horse’s diet, ensure to do this gradually over two to three weeks. You can consult an equine nutritionist for help in the dietary change plan.
Can you feed a horse a carrot?
Giving these to your horse can result in obesity, colic, and other serious health issues, including laminitis (painful foot issue). Do not feed the horse with more than one fruit wedge, such as one carrot or apple per day. Also, ensure your horse does not graze close to a fruit or orchard tree that is fruiting. Place signs around the fences, informing the public not to give treats to your horse.
Does horse food affect health?
The food your horse consumes will affect its health (positively or negatively). So as you monitor the quantity of food your horse takes in, also ensure to avoid giving the following to your horse:
