Feeding horses is not easy. This is due to the many types of feed available and the variety of horse breeds. The amount and type of food to be fed will depend on the breed, age, weight, health condition and occupation of the horse, as well as the climate and local food available. Here are ways to feed horses.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Understanding the Nutritional Needs of Horses
Step 1. Provide a large amount of fresh and clean water for the horse
Every day, a horse needs 18-50 liters of water. If possible, make sure the horse has access to water at all times. Also, water your horse at least twice per day and set aside a few minutes of drinking time for him.
Make sure the horse's drinking water is always clean and not frozen. Keep the horse's drinking water clean by washing it every day
Step 2. Provide the horse with a diet containing structural carbohydrates
Structural carbohydrates found in certain foods, such as hay and grass, are essential nutrients for horses. In general, horses consume large amounts of hay and grass as their main source of food. In fact, since a horse must consume 7-9 kg of hay or as much as 1-2% of its body weight daily, its food supply must always be in large quantities.
Make sure the hay given as horse feed is free of mold and dust
Step 3. Provide adequate amounts of non-structural carbohydrates
Non-structural carbohydrates found in foods such as oats, corn, and wheat are also important nutrients for horses. Provide small amounts of these ingredients for the horse throughout the day. Every day, a horse can also consume 230 grams of wheat per 45 kg of body weight. Give the horse grain food three to four times during the day.
- Make sure the number of servings of food given is always appropriate.
- When the weather is hot, feed the horse with oats in cooler periods such as early morning and evening.
Step 4. Support the horse's diet with ingredients that contain protein, fat, vitamins and minerals
Although the horse will get most of its calories from hay and grass, provide daily support supplements to help cover any nutritional deficiencies. Protein, fat, vitamins and minerals are also important nutritional ingredients for horses, although the amount needed each day is not large.
Step 5. Give supplements as needed
If the horse is not getting the vitamins and minerals it needs from its diet, supplement it with vitamins specifically for horses. However, do not give too many vitamins for him. Vitamin excess and deficiency have the same detrimental effect on horses.
Step 6. Give snacks in moderation
Giving treats is a great way to bond with your horse. However, make sure that the amount of treats given is not too much so that the horse doesn't expect it all the time to rummage through your clothes looking for it.
Fresh apples, carrots, green beans, watermelon rinds, and celery are all good examples of treats for horses
Part 2 of 3: Determining the Food Needs of Horses
Step 1. Measure the horse's weight using a weight tape or weight bridge (horse scale)
If available, always use a horse scale as it is more accurate than a weight tape. Condition scoring is the best way to record changes in body weight. Weigh the horse every two weeks and plot the change in weight on a graph.
Step 2. Calculate the horse's total daily dietary requirements (green and concentrated feed)
Usually, the amount of food that horses need ranges from 1.5-3.0% of their body weight with an average of 2.5%. Use the following equation to determine the amount of food that should be given to the horse each day: Body Weight/100 × 2.5 = Total Daily Ration
Step 3. Decide what type of horse weight growth you want
Do you want a stable horse weight (maintenance diet)? Do you want to lose horse weight due to illness (weight loss diet)? Do you want to increase your horse's weight because of a recently cured disease or because of his thin body?
- The best strategy to use in developing a feeding plan for your horse is to base it on your desired body weight instead of your current weight. Example: a horse has a thin body and weighs 300 kg. If his ideal weight is 400 kg, do not feed him as much as 2.5% of 300 kg. Instead, feed the horse 2.5% of 400 kg.
- Use the same strategy for overweight horses. Give the amount of food based on the desired target weight rather than his current body weight. This means that the amount of food that will be given will be lower than the usual amount so that it will make the hip circumference smaller.
Step 4. Control energy levels in green foods by feeding different types of food or mixing grass species
Different types of grass will have different levels of digestible energy (DE). This will depend on the type of forage (grass, hay, straw, or oat hay) and the type of grass (rye, timothy, cocksfoot or orchard grass). Grazing time can also affect ED levels. Spring grasses have a higher DE than winter grasses. In cured grass, the timing of the mowing will also affect the DE. Grass that was mowed early in the season had a higher DE than grass that was mowed at the end of the season. Oat hay contains very low DE. The best way to find out the nutritional content of a given green food ingredient is to analyze it.
Step 5. Choose the right type of energy for the horse
Some horses have a tendency to become hyperactive (overexcited and excessive) so that the appropriate feed for them is food that releases energy slowly such as fiber and oil. This type of feed contains the safest form of energy and causes the least amount of disease. Some other horses can be lazy and less active so the type of feed suitable for them is food that releases their energy content quickly (example: starches contained in cereals/wheat such as oats and barley). However, studies have shown a correlation between starch and various types of disease, and therefore its use as a food ingredient should be limited to certain horses.
Step 6. Consult a feed expert to ensure the right amount of food for the horse
If you are unsure about the amount of food to feed, consult your veterinarian. Some horse food manufacturers also have services that can provide advice and input on the right amount of food.
Part 3 of 3: Adjusting the Horse Feeding Routine
Step 1. Adjust the amount of horse food intake according to his needs
A horse's nutritional needs will vary according to the amount of fresh grass consumed in the pasture and the amount of activity it engages in. Evaluate the horse's food needs every day to determine whether or not a change in the amount of food given is needed.
- If the horse is in the pasture all day and has been eating a lot of grass, the amount of hay it needs is not too much.
- If the horse has been working a lot, including being ridden, throughout the day, provide more food to help restore the number of calories it has expended.
Step 2. Schedule feeding an hour before or after the horse is ridden
Do not feed the horse right before or after strenuous activity because it will divert the blood flow from its organs and this can interfere with the digestive process. Schedule feeding according to the horse's activity routine.
If the horse is going to be carried on strenuous activity, feed it three hours in advance
Step 3. Make gradual changes to the horse's diet
If the horse's diet needs to be changed, don't just make those changes. Start by replacing 25% of the old food with the new. Within two days, replace 50% of the old food with the new. Two days later, replace 75% of the old food with new. Then, two days later, you can feed the horse 100% of its new food.
- In addition to making gradual dietary changes, horses should also be fed at the same time each day. With a regular feeding schedule, the horse will be able to move better.
- Changing the horse's feeding or feeding schedule very suddenly will result in colic and laminitis. Colic is a disease that causes horses to suffer from abdominal pain and may require surgery for treatment. Laminitis is a disease that occurs due to poor blood circulation and can result in dislodgement of the nails from the feet. This disease often results in death.
Tips
- If you have regular access to a load bridge, also measure its condition score. Weight gain in horses can not only be caused by increased fat, but also muscle growth.
- Feed little by little at short intervals. The horse's stomach is relatively small compared to its body size and cannot hold much food.
- Given that load bridges are sold at high prices, not everyone can own them. Ask vets, supply vendors and breeders if they have one or not, and if you have one, ask if you can use one. Changes in weight are very important to know.
- If there is a horse that actually does not need additional food because it is already grazing, while the other horses that live with it need additional food, provide a "dummy diet" consisting of low-calorie and balanced husks. This is so that the horse doesn't feel isolated while the rest of the herd eats.
- You may have to exceed the amount of hay given as feed. This is because a certain amount of hay will be wasted due to being trampled or trampled by horses.
- Weigh the food given; do not give food based solely on the number of passes. The weight of a “shovel” will be different for each type of feed.
- Feed it with green grass as much as possible. Take the horse grazing, provide hay, dry forage, or oats to keep his stomach filled throughout the day. This is intended to assist peristaltic movement, the flow of digestive enzymes, and avoid the emergence of physical and behavioral problems in the horse.
- Mix the feed ingredients daily and throw away any food that is not consumed. By mixing the feed daily instead of mixing everything together when the ingredients have just arrived, you will be able to ration and observe what kind of food your horse is eating. If your horse avoids certain types of food or becomes sick from it, you can eliminate these feed ingredients from their diet.
- Provide high quality green food and feed. Low-quality feedstuffs infected with mold or acid can cause colic. Cheap or bad food will also be avoided by horses and result in wasted expenses.
- Always make sure the food storage area is not accessible to horses. Secure with locks or bungee cords to prevent the horse from consuming too much food.
- For horses that swallow too fast, put a large stone or two in the feed bucket. While the horse is eating, the rocks will have to be shifted first to reach the food.
Warning
- Do not feed horses with wheat immediately after activity as this can cause colic. Cool the horse first before feeding it. The characteristics of a horse whose body has cooled are that its nose is no longer rising and falling rapidly and its breathing is not heavy either.
- Do not give too many supplements. Excess and deficiency of vitamins and minerals will have the same effect. Give supplements only when absolutely necessary.
- Don't let your horse push you while it's time to eat (and at any time, especially when it's eating).
- Feed the horse regularly. Do not change feeding times (eg if feeding is at 07.00 one day, do not change to 08.00 the next day. Feed at the same time every day).
- Like humans, horses can suffer from allergies. In general, horses can suffer from allergies to oats and alfalfa. The most common symptom is a rash. A veterinarian can help to diagnose it.
- There are several types of fiber that must be processed first before being used as feed. The sugar beets should be soaked and the linsid grass should be cooked. Otherwise, both can harm the horse's health. Often, cereals must also be ground or broken to make them easier to digest, although this is not mandatory.
- Some horse owners want to feel that the feeding has been done well. As a result, sometimes, the food menu that is given becomes too complicated and unbalanced. Menu variety is a good thing, but do it in moderation. Instead of providing access to different types of feed, provide horses with a variety of grasses, leaves, fruits and vegetables. Don't provide too much of any of them. Make changes/introduction of new feed gradually as described above.
-
Improper feeding can lead to various diseases and behavioral problems such as:
- Playing with the mouth (e.g., tightening the lips, sucking in hard air), eating wood or dirt, and gastric ulcers. Ensuring the availability of food ingredients can prevent these problems from arising.
- Laminitis, unsteady legs, hyperactive behavior. Limiting the amount of sugar and starch in the diet can help reduce these problems.
- Azoturia (also referred to as Monday Morning Syndrome). Feeding according to the amount of work and reducing energy intake on days of inactivity can reduce these problems.
- colic. Feed small amounts at short intervals, mix lots of fiber and high quality feed to help reduce this disease. Make changes to feed gradually as described above.
- Obesity and thinness. Regular condition assessment, weight recording, and control of energy levels can help to avoid both problems.
