When it comes to feeding horses, we have the famous “pasture Vs commercial feed” argument. It is true that horses (as well as cows, pigs, goats and other animals that are now domesticated) have survived for centuries only by eating grass and drinking water in the wild. However, the average lifespan of horses in the Wild is much shorter than the lifespan we would like our horses to have. In addition, certain animals (older, hardworking, injured, etc.) require high levels of protein (and / or vitamins), which can only be found in commercial feeds. In all cases, horses should have 24-hour access to clean water and dry grass.
A horse every day can eat dry grass more than 1% of its body weight. If you only have young, strong horses and if your field can produce a fairly diverse pasture all year round, you can base your horse’s nutrition on fresh grass and hay and avoid spending hundreds of dollars on commercial feed. With the term meadow, we define various plant species: grass, clover, alfalfa (Medicago sativa), lollium, beans, mustard greens, etc. Timothy grass, Alfalfa and Egyptian Clover (in fresh or dry grass) are a good basis for horse nutrition. Sorghum plant species are toxic to horses and should be avoided. Future horse owners should conduct research on locally known plants that can be toxic to horses.
The rules mentioned above are general and apply to the majority of healthy horses. However, no two horses are alike, nor do they have the same physical abilities and needs. For example, old horses usually suffer from dental and/or mobility problems. So, they may not be able to graze 15 hours a day in search of food. Therefore, we must always have in stock various types of commercial feed. Bran, sugar beets, pellet mixtures (pellets, cereals, corn), wheat, barley, Chaffed (chopped dry grass) and vitamins are used to supplement the nutrition of horses. Grains are mostly used when we anticipate weight growth. Although small amounts of grains are good enough, we must be very careful, because excessive amounts will result in life-threatening situations. As a rule of thumb, adult, healthy and strong horses can consume more hay and grass, while older, injured and hardworking horses need more protein and possibly vitamins.
If our horse is in heavy work or is old, we can give it a commercial mixed feed, which contains high levels of protein.
Chaffed products are usually given to older animals with dental problems.
Oat straw is very low in protein (about 5%) and very high in fiber.
The first part of the field soil containing Egyptian Clover and other related plants is an excellent source of fiber.
Dry wheatgrass is suitable for foraging material for adult rearing horses and pregnant mares. According to Bob Coleman, horse owners should test dry wheatgrass for nitrate levels to ensure that it is safe. The nitrate content in the total diet of horses should not be more than 0.5%.
In general, the horse’s stomach is small compared to its large size. Thus, horses should ideally have continuous but controlled access to small portions of food, so that they can enjoy their own meals at a small pace and often, rather than 2-3 large meals a day. However, keep in mind that just before and after hard training (for example, horse riding), you should not allow horses to eat, as they will most likely suffer from abdominal pain.
Finally, horse owners often place chunks of salt in horse boxes. In this way, horses will lick the Salt sceara free and they will meet their sodium and chloride needs. However, keep in mind that many chunks of salt . They also contain other minerals. Most horses get enough of that mineral from commercial feed or vitamin supplements. Thus, you can discuss with your local licensed veterinarian the diet of your horse and therefore provide chunks of mineral salts or not.
A person who is a horse owner for the first time should first consult with local experts, local veterinarians and/or agronomists in order to form a suitable annual feed program and be informed about poisonous plants and shrubs commonly found in the region. In many cases, the flora of the region and weather conditions are important parameters of the final equation. Veterinarians and horse owners should also check the horse’s physical condition and teeth. Under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian, the breeder can introduce some vitamins into a particular horse feeding program.
Feeding a horse every day is a very complex matter, especially if you have more than 3-4 horses of different ages, different backgrounds, different needs, some of them have dental problems etc. If you rely solely on your good memory and you feed them by heart without taking notes, you will soon become confused about every horse’s daily feed program. It is best to place a chalkboard in the room where you prepare and mix each horse feed. Creating a table with the names of all your horses and a column with the amounts of each different feed ensures that you will always maintain the daily and weekly feed program of each horse.
Although it may seem tedious and a waste of time, keeping this kind of record can become very useful in some cases: whenever there are alarming symptoms for the horse, the veterinarian will ask about the feeding of the horse for the last 3 or 4 days. In this case, you must be very precise and provide analytical information regarding the type of food, the ingredients and the exact amount, so that the veterinarian will have all the data to make the correct diagnosis. You can also read more about poisonous plants for livestock.