Feeding Horses: General Principles

Feeding programs should meet the individual horse’s needs, as these requirements vary with the amount and type of forage and grains fed, amount of pasture available, use of the horse and amount of exercise, and individual metabolism.
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Editor’s Note: This is from Understanding Equine Preventive Medicine by author and veterinarian Bradford G. Bentz, VMD. 

A complete review of equine nutrition is beyond the scope of this text; however, some basic principles that relate to preventive medicine are worth mentioning. It is always advisable to seek specific suggestions from a nutritionist in developing a feeding program. Feeding programs should meet the individual horse’s needs, as these requirements vary with the amount and type of forage and grains fed, amount of pasture available, use of the horse and amount of exercise, and individual metabolism and ambient environmental temperatures. Diets typically should be designed around forage (hay) and grass.  Analyzing the hay to identify the amount of energy in calories it provides as well as its mineral content can help achieve a well-designed feeding program.  Commercially available grain mixes and pelleted feeds vary to meet the energy and mineral needs of most horses that are used for various types of work or for horses with different needs (performance, broodmares, youth, overweight, geriatric horses).

Another critical component of a feeding program is access to a clean, fresh water source.

Because diets composed entirely of cereal grains are associated with higher risks of diarrhea, colic, acute laminitis, exertional myopathy (tying-up), hyperactivity, and obesity, it is recommended that a grain or concentrate mix make up no more than half (by weight of dry matter) of the total amount of feed.  Those horses that are less than one year of age or those being used for sprint-type exercise may be fed up to 70 percent grain mix, but a maximum of 50 percent grain by weight of dry matter of the diet is generally safer. This amounts to about one pound of forage dry matter (weight corrected for water content) per 100 pounds of body weight. Feeding inadequate forage to a horse that is not on pasture may significantly increase the risk of diarrhea, colic, founder, wood chewing, feces eating, and in young horses, mane and tail chewing

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Written by:

Brad Bentz, VMD, Dipl. ACVIM, ABVP, ACVECC, owns Bluegrass Equine Performance and Internal Medicine in Lexington, Ky., where he specializes in advanced internal medicine and critical care focused on helping equine patients recuperate at home. He’s authored numerous books, articles, and papers about horse health and currently serves as commission veterinarian for the Kentucky State Racing Commission.

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