Keep your horse happy and healthy with feed and treats.

Horses are known for their astronomical care and feeding costs, not to mention the effort required to keep them in top form.

Whether you’re considering buying a horse or already have one, make sure you know what’s required to keep your pet healthy and happy.

Horse Feed

Horses eat between 2 and 3 percent of their body weight every day. That’s a lot of food! But more than quantity, it’s the quality of horse feed that matters. Much like humans, horses need a balanced diet full of vitamins and nutrients, and it’s up to their owners to make sure they get it.

An equine diet should consist of hay, grains, protein, water and perhaps supplements. Although specific ratios and requirements will depend on the horse’s age, weight, activity level and overall health, hay will generally account for roughly three-quarters of a horse’s diet, with the rest consisting largely of grains.

Hay, also called forage, comes in two forms: grasses (e.g., orchard or Timothy) or legumes (e.g., clover or alfalfa). Grasses tend to be low in protein and many nutrients, including calcium and vitamin E, but high in fiber. Legumes, on the other hand, are rich in nutrients and provide more energy, but are also higher in calories. Legume hays are also more likely to develop mold, which can have serious effects on your horse’s health.

No matter what type of hay you choose, be sure to inspect it before you feed it to your horse. Good hay will be crisp and bright in color. Dark patches, white or gray fuzz and dust are all indications of mold, which can have serious effects on your horse’s health if ingested.

When it comes to grains, popular choices include barley, oats and corn, as well as wheat (usually wheat bran). Oats have high fiber content and are considered a bulky feed, which makes it more difficult for a horse to overeat or get colic. Oats can also be easily eaten and digested whole.

Barley, on the other hand, should be rolled before feeding, and should be mixed with a bulky feed like wheat bran if it’s crushed or ground, in order to prevent colic.

Corn can take many feed forms—it can be served on the cob, shelled but whole, cracked, steamed and rolled, or crushed or ground. There has been some debate over whether corn is “too hot” a food for horses (that is, whether it contains too much energy), but the general consensus seems to be that as long as corn is given with the horse’s energy requirements in mind, it is a safe horse feed.

Horse Supplements

Like a human, when a horse cannot get all of the nutrients it requires from its diet alone, it should be given a supplement. This may be a specific vitamin or mineral supplement, or it could be a general supplement similar to a multivitamin for humans. Whether your horse needs supplements, which ones and how many are questions you should take up with your vet.

One popular group of horse supplements are those that maintain or improve joint health. Whether they’re racehorses, show horses, work horses or just pleasure riding horses, horses require a lot of their joints.

Over time, the cartilage can lose its ability to absorb shocks and cushion the bone, leading to pain and stiffness. Glucosamine and chondroitin are two popular supplements shown to aid in the protection and repair of connective tissue. Although most popular as a combination, and sometimes also combined with manganese, which aids in the formation of bones, glucosamine and chondroitin can be taken separately. Keep in mind, however, that horses generally have a hard time absorbing chondroitin when it’s taken by itself.

Horse Treats

Everyone enjoys a tasty treat, and horses are no different. As with human snacks, though, it is important to keep horse snacks nutritious when possible. The classic apple and carrot still make great horse treats, but you can also try a variety of fruits and vegetables, such as watermelon, grapes and tomatoes.

Sweet things also make horses happy, so sugar cubes, peppermints or even a handful of sugar cereal like Froot Loops can be sweet treats for horses. Just remember that these treats should be kept to a minimum—like humans, horses need a balanced diet full of nutrients to remain healthy, and too much sugar can cause weight gain and other health problems.


Article written by: Bonnie Hope
Assistant Editor: www.pluspets.com





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