06/15/2022
Do you feel like your pumping an endless amount of hay and / or grain, supplements and oil into your horses diet and they still donāt look the way you want them too?
Maybe a dull coat or a poor top line?
The general rule of thumb for most horses is that they are to consume 1.5-2% of their body weight per day. That means an average 1000 pound horse should consume around 20 pounds a day between grain, hay, and/or grass.
On another note, keep in mind that some horses may require the extra calories so adding additional oils or fat supplements may be necessary.
Regardless, making sure to feed the proper grain for said horse(s) and to follow the bags feeding instructions is very important.
For example, if you decide to feed less than what your bag of ācomplete feedā recommends,.. this could almost be a useless feed for your horse unless itās being used along with something such as a ration balancer.
Why would your grain be useless if not fed according to the bags recommendation?
All grain is fortified with a certain amount of vitamins, minerals, protein, fat, etc. With that said, if you underfeed the amount the bag recommends, the grain you are giving to your horse(s) isnāt giving them the proper amount(s) of what they need in their diet.
So is grain the right choice?
Some horses need the extra calories or maybe they just need the extra daily pounds they could be lacking between grass and hay consumption. In this case, yes, a complete feed may very well be necessary. However, FOLLOW THE BAGS FEEDING INSTRUCTIONS.
Do you have an easy keeper who just lives on hay?
That is great news! But your horse(s) still need vitamins and minerals they may not be getting from their hay. Look into a ration balancer. Most feed companies have their own form of a ration balancer. Again, follow the bags feeding instructions.
Older horse who canāt chew hay well?
Complete senior feeds are great! But again, most are meant for horses who donāt consume much hay. Therefore, the bag generally recommends a higher amount (lbs) to be given in order to meet their daily nutritional needs.
I personally recommend adding soaked alfalfa or Timothy cubes to my older horses diet as he canāt chew hay very well. This also helps horses who need the extra calories or just to add to their recommended (2% body weight) daily intake.
All aside, the best thing you can do for your horse is to check your hay quality and QUANTITY. Your hay may look, feel, and smell great but it may not be easily digestible resulting in your horse(s) not getting what they need out of it.
Hay quantity is also very important - between grain, hay, and grass your horse(s) should be getting 1.5-2% of their body weight per day.
So what should you do?
Get a hay analysis done! This is very simple to do AND cheap! Yes, I said it, CHEAP!
Also, weigh out your grain and hay! Donāt forget to factor in grass consumption as well.
Whatās next? Talk to an expert. Talking with a Nutritionist can be the best thing for you and your horse(s).
Whether you are just getting started or have an already established feeding program, all of us fellow equestrians or farm owners can benefit from educating ourselves by a professional.
Here at Rolling Acres, we work closely with a Nutritionist to make sure each individual horse is getting exactly what they need.
- Rolling Acres Ranch LLC
Mantua, OH