A Horse, of Course with Don Blazer

If he eats like a horse, that’s good.

If he eats like a pig, that’s not so good.

Horses eat a lot, but they don’t devour their food. They are sort of gentile; they aren’t sloppy. They take small bites not chunks, and they chew their food properly. And if they had napkins, they’d use them.

When horses eat like pigs, gobbling their food down as fast as they can, slopping it all over the place, it’s a sure bet something is wrong.

Most often, the thing that is wrong is that the horse isn’t being fed like a horse. He isn’t getting enough to eat and he isn’t getting his food over a long enough period of time.

Horses are big and they are supposed to eat a lot. But horses are also grazing animals and so they are supposed to eat small amounts almost continually. In fact, a horse’s stomach is small for his size, so it should be receiving small amounts of food rather than being stuffed.

But most horses don’t get to graze all day and night, so if we want our horse to eat like a horse, we need to develop an eat-like-a-horse feeding program.

Throwing a flake of hay over the corral fence twice a day just won’t get it.

First we need to know how much nutrition our horse needs.

It’s pretty well agreed a horse doing light work will need at least two per cent of his body weight daily in high nutrition feed in order to maintain his condition.

A l,000 pound horse, doing light work, should be getting about 20 pounds of hay (alfalfa or grass) per day. This feed should be given in small amounts several times per day. The first feeding should be early--as soon as you get up. A second feeding can be made before leaving for the day’s activities. Try to get a third feeding in around noon, a fourth feeding at dinner time, and a final feeding just before you go to bed. It can be done, but if you choose not to, then feed as often as you think is possible.

A mature performance horse needs a protein level of about 12 per cent daily and he should get it from a normal feeding of alfalfa or clover.

Both are high in protein. If the horse is on a hay low in protein, then increase the amount of hay being given to insure sufficient protein.

Lactating mares, foals and young growing horses have a higher protein need. A mare and nursing foal should have a 20 per cent protein level, while weanlings should be on about a 15 to 18 per cent level. Two and three-year-olds need about 14 per cent protein level.

Horses getting more protein than needed will show it in a high energy attitude, or in high water consumption and frequent urination. Replace some of the alfalfa or clover with a lower protein grass hay.

It is nearly impossible for most of us to determine protein levels in hay, so do the next best thing, buy high quality from hay dealers you know and can trust.

What you decide to do about grains (or concentrates) will be determined by your horse and just how much performance energy he needs.

Determine the amount of grain to be fed by the amount of digestible energy desired. For example, corn can be fed in much smaller volume than oats because it has a much higher amount of digestible energy.

Some horses should be on low energy diets while others need to be on high energy rations. You have to make the determination.

Here’s a way to start. A 1,000 pound horse being worked lightly and getting 15 pounds of hay per day can get five pounds of oats per day.

After 15 to 30 days, you decide how satisfied you are with the horse’s energy level and desire to perform. Make your grain adjustments accordingly.

Buy good quality grains from feed dealers and producers you trust.

Before adding any feed supplements be sure you have a confirmed dietary deficiency.

Vitamins do not provide energy, but act as a catalyst, regulating the horse’s ability to utilize other nutrients. Most horses will get all the vitamins they need in a feeding program utilizing both hays and grains.

If, however, you think vitamins are needed, consult your veterinarian first.

Salt may be the only mineral you’ll need to add to your horse’s diet. The average horse needs 50 to 60 grams of salt per day, and will appreciate salt supplementation.

Plenty of cool, clear water rounds out the feeding program. Be sure your horse always has water available. If, on occasion, this is impossible, be sure to water before feeding.

Hey, small amounts of hay or grass often, and your horse will be eating like a horse.

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