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Skip Navigation LinksAll Horse Topics > Nutrition/Supplements > Grains


Articles ( * = TheHorse.com members only )Date Posted
Study: Horses' Diets Affect Gastrointestinal Bacteria   *
Horses fed a diet of only forage have greater bacterial stability and fewer "bad" fecal bacteria, such as Streptococcus spp, than horses that are also fed concentrates. This finding, reported by a group of Swedish researchers, provides opportunities for the industry to develop more targeted feeding strategies to support equine health and welfare. "Diets ... Read full story
 10/9/2009
Contaminated Feed Seized in Kentucky   *
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising horse owners to discard feed purchased at a Florence, Ky., feed store because it could be contaminated. The agency issued the advisory on Monday when U.S. Marshals seized $24,000 in livestock food products from the Bi-County Farm Bureau Cooperative Association Inc. The FDA inspectors discovered ... Read full story
 7/21/2009
Horse, Livestock Feed Seized from Kentucky Mill   *
U.S. marshals have seized horse and livestock feed stored under "filthy" conditions at the Bi-County Farm Bureau Cooperative Association Inc. in Florence, Ky., according to a statement released by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Bi-County manufactures feed and stores commercial feeds. "The FDA will not tolerate a company's failure to adequately ... Read full story
 7/20/2009
AAEP 2008: Aluminum Phosphide Poisoning   *
Aluminum phosphide is an indoor fumigant used to kill insects in most, if not all, of the stored grains we and our horses are exposed to. Like most pesticides, it can cause major problems in unintended species when used incorrectly. At the 2008 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention, held Dec. 6-10 in San Diego, Calif., a report of ... Read full story
 3/6/2009
Soy Safety: Depends on the Source, Nutritionists Say   *
Horses have varying protein requirements, depending on stage of life or performance level. Protein, the essential building block for new cellular growth, provides the amino acids necessary for maintaining all normal body functions in a horse, from synthesis and release of hormones to formation and repair of muscle and other soft tissues. Soy has long ... Read full story
 10/27/2008
Prices Down on Agricultural Commodities   *
Wheat prices have plummeted from historic highs to their lowest levels in 16 months amid the turmoil in the credit markets and huge wheat crops worldwide, analysts say. The sell-off of commodity futures contracts began in earnest in September as credit markets started to seize up, prompting speculators to sell to free up cash, said Mike Woolverton, ... Read full story
 10/21/2008
Tracking Young Horse Reactions on Different Feeds  *
Young horses might be easier to train if they temporarily lay off the sweets, according to a Montana State University (MSU) study that tracked behavior of 2-year-olds in training and compared it to their nutrition program. The extra energy provided by sweet feed during the early stages of training made the horses in MSU's study more disobedient and ... Read full story
 8/22/2008
Ethanol from Corn--Where's the Horse Feed?  *
Increased production of ethanol and other demands placed on traditional crops will force horse owners to look at feeding in a whole new light. We often tend to view the equine industry as a separate entity--one that stands apart from the overall economic infrastructure. After all, it is far different from manufacturing and the business world in general. ... Read full story
 8/1/2008
Midwest Flooding to Impact Corn Prices, Horse Feed   *
Just when horse owners became resigned to escalating corn prices due to ethanol demand, Midwest corn fields were swamped by floodwaters the Mississippi River's banks just couldn't contain. Now with acres of corn fields deluged, growers and consumers are wondering if the corn season can be salvaged enough to keep corn prices from growing out of control. ... Read full story
 6/20/2008
Excerpt from Revised Understanding Equine Nutrition: Energy and Carbs  *
If forages provide the "maintenance" energy horses need for the workings of everyday life--grazing, sleeping, wandering from pasture to pasture, maintaining internal temperature--then cereal grains are the turbo-charged portion of the diet. Their main function is to provide higher concentrations of energy, in the form of carbohydrates and starches, ... Read full story
 6/4/2008
Understanding Feeds for the Busy Owner  *
Providing a complete and balanced diet does not need to be complicated or a drain on time, energy, or finances. Feeding horses can be a daunting and time-consuming task, particularly if owners attempt to optimize and maximize their horse's diet by unnecessarily introducing concentrates, vitamins, or other supplements. But providing a complete diet ... Read full story
 5/1/2008
Feeds and Supplements  *
The key to a good feed program is to start with the proper type of forage for the individual, then (if needed) pick the right concentrate or supplement. Most horse owners try to provide the best diets for their horses, yet there's often a difference between what they think the animals need and what they actually need, and there are also some ... Read full story
 3/1/2008
Carb Testing Program for Horse Feed and Hay Introduced   *
When it comes to horses, what does "low carb" mean? Lower than what? "There are several analytical procedures that measure sugar, and each one measures a slightly different fraction," said Kathryn Watts, owner of Rocky Mountain Research & Consulting, Inc. and Safergrass.org. "Samples analyzed by different testing labs may not provide a fair comparison ... Read full story
 10/30/2007
What's 'Sweet' in Sweet Feed?  *
All the rage these days in human diets is to take the sugars out of food and keep the carbohydrates to a minimum. This same principle, that of feeding a diet low in nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC), is being applied to equine nutrition. [Many horses do not require a commercial concentrate feed at all, if they can maintain their weight on forage and ... Read full story
 8/1/2007
Changing Carbohydrate Evaluations in Animal Diets  *
Nutritionists are doing away with "nonstructural carbohydrates" in favor of more specific measures. If you own a horse with laminitis or a metabolic problem such as insulin resistance or Cushing's disease, chances are you've heard recommendations to minimize his intake of nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC). However, many nutritionists and feed analysts ... Read full story
 4/15/2007
Food for Thought: Digestive Health  *
A favorite pastime of humans and horses alike is to eat. Our world view of eating revolves around fundamental expectations of the types of food we eat, how these foods make us feel, and how different foods are processed through our bodies. Unlike our human intestinal constitution, the horse has a unique intestinal structure and function for processing ... Read full story
 4/1/2007
Eating Like the Joneses  *
The majority of horses consume some sort of feed concentrate everyday, and most of that feed comes out of bags, according to a recent industry survey conducted by the USDA. More than 90% of equine operations reported feeding some sort of grain concentrate or energy source other than hay and pasture forage during the previous 12 months. Horses in ... Read full story
 12/4/2006
Progressive Nutrition to Offer Equine Nutritionist Blog  *
Progressive Nutrition has launched a new web site featuring the Equine Nutritionist Blog. Blogging is one of the newest tools in high-tech web marketing, now available to the horse community. The Equine Nutritionist Blog offers consumers an opportunity to communicate directly with the world renowned nutritionist, Don Kapper. The Equine Nutritionist ... Read full story
 3/17/2006
The Scoop On Feed
Sweet feeds, pelleted feeds, textured feeds, concentrate mixes, processed mixes...many novice (and seasoned) horse owners are confused over what these feeds are, the purposes they serve, and which horses benefit from them. Read on to learn how you can separate the wheat (or grain) from the chaff to see what is right for your horse. Sweet Feed Sweet ... Read full story
 2/1/2006
Cargill Opens New Feed Mill in Louisiana  *
Cargill Animal Nutrition (CAN) has opened a new 140,000-ton capacity feed manufacturing facility in Lecompte, La. The new mill will produce feed for the pet food, aquaculture, equine, beef, poultry, dairy, and wild game industries. According to the company, construction of the mill took nine months, and was overseen by Minnesota-based I.E. Ibberson, ... Read full story
 12/13/2005
Tennessee Feed Recalled  *
Tennessee Farmers Cooperative officials voluntarily recalled four lots of horse feed in early and mid-November after a horse's death was linked to the feed, which contained high levels of a livestock drug. The 10% Grain Mix (item #93638) was contaminated with rumensin (monensin sodium), a common cattle drug. John Niver, nutritionist at the Co-op, ... Read full story
 11/18/2005
Feed Label Laws  *
Oregon implemented a provisional equine feed label law on June 1 that would allow feed manufacturers to add non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) to the list of nutrient requirements already found on feed bags in that state. Adding NSC to the feed label would assist owners when choosing feed for horses that have metabolic problems or laminitis and cannot ... Read full story
 8/3/2005
Farnam/Purina Partner on New Feeding Program  *
On March 7, Farnam, known for its wide variety of equine products from equine dewormers to fly sprays to equipment, and Purina, one of the country's most recognized and respected manufacturers of animal feeds, announced they had become partners in the manufacturing and promotion of a new, premium line of horse feeds and supplements. Platform horse ... Read full story
 3/8/2005
Feeding Horses: Art, Science, or Both?
When feeding horses, two seemingly opposing aspects hold true: It's a little bit of art, and a little bit of science. On one hand, tradition reigns supreme when it comes to horse feeding. Many techniques have been passed down from generation to generation and, in some cases, remain in place despite new knowledge based on scientific research. On the ... Read full story
 10/1/2004
Basic Concepts in Nutrition   *
The options and opinions on what to feed your horse are numerous. My goal in this article is to review the differences between the "simple-stomached" creatures (such as ourselves, dogs, cats, etc.) and the horse. In addition, we will take a look at how domestication has impacted the horse's digestive system and subsequently how that impacts their general ... Read full story
 9/1/2004
Processed Feeds 101   *
Perhaps you've never thought about why your horse's grain looks the way it does, whether it's a molasses-bathed mix of cracked corn and crimped oats, alfalfa-enriched pellets, or chunky nuggets. If you're like most modern humans, you're accustomed to buying prepared and processed foods for yourself--from fast food meals on the fly to the pre-made soups ... Read full story
 6/1/2004
Speed Limit  *
The racing Thoroughbred is trapped between a rock and a hard place. The rock is speed, which evolved slowly by natural selection for 50 million years, then rapidly by human hand the last 500. The hard place is where we find our ward today, beset by vulnerable feet, a grain-bothered gut, hot behavior, bleeding lungs, a sloping vulva, gastric ulcers, ... Read full story
 3/5/2003
AAEP 2002: Recent Developments in Equine Nutrition  *
A lot has happened in the field of equine research in the last five years. Ginger Rich, PhD, of Rich Equine Nutritional Consulting in Eads, Tenn.; and Leslie Breuer, PhD, of LH Breuer and Associates, updated veterinarians and others who attended the Current Concepts in Equine Nutrition in-depth session at the 2002 American Association of Equine Practitioners’ ... Read full story
 2/4/2003
Mycotoxin Binders Not Labeled Legally  *
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says the claims made by some feed products that they contain mycotoxin binders is illegal. In Kentucky last year, many feeds and supplements were touted as having mycotoxin binders in the face of mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS). Kentucky feed regulators now are encouraging manufacturers to discontinue those ... Read full story
 4/12/2002
Does Feeding Affect Behavior?   *
Next time you visit your local feed and tack store, peruse the horse supplement section. Chances are you will find at least one that claims to have a "calming" effect on horses. Whether or not these supplements live up to these claims is debatable, but what is clear is that behavioral problems are of prime concern to owners, and they are more than ... Read full story
 1/1/2002
How to Read a Feed Label  *
How long has it been since you really looked at the content of your horse's concentrate feed? If you're like many of us, you probably stand in line at the feed store, ask for "three bags of the 12%," heave the feed into the back of your truck, and drive on home without as much as a second glance at the ingredients or the nutrition in that ration. It's ... Read full story
 10/10/2001
Grains of Glory  *
It's five p.m., and up and down the aisle of a large boarding stable, the nickering and rumbling begin. What's the cause of the excitement? Nothing more than a metal scoop digging into a bin of grain, a sound that tips off every equine resident that it's dinner time. Hay seldom receives this sort of reception, of course--it's grain that horses really ... Read full story
 10/9/2001
Modified Munchies: Genetically Altered Feeds  *
It's the end of another long day. The stalls have been mucked, the horses fed, the barn swept, and the lights turned out. Now you're finally able to relax on the couch, put your feet up, and watch some TV. Flipping channels, you land on CNN, where the news anchor is describing in solemn tones an unearthly scenario: Hundreds of protesters, some dressed ... Read full story
 10/1/2001
Dietary Needs: Striking a Balance  *
You can't watch TV for more than half an hour these days without viewing at least one ad preaching the virtues of a balanced diet. Public service announcements emphasize the value of getting enough servings of fruits and vegetables. Cereal companies tout their boxes of sweet flakes and squares as "part of a balanced breakfast." Vitamin manufacturers ... Read full story
 10/1/2001
Taking Stock: A Close Look at Supplement Research  *
When horses roamed the countryside, their diets didn't require supplementation. As horses migrated, they fed on diverse species of plants in various soils and climatic environments. Different species of plants accumulate soil minerals differently based on their physiology, soil type, and climate, and this variety probably covered all of the horse's ... Read full story
 2/1/2001
The Contented Colon  *
If you have a veterinary textbook somewhere on your shelves, chances are you've seen one of those photos of a sick horse's innards-miles and miles of wet, purplish loops of intestine, spilling out in all directions. The poor equine posing for that photo had no doubt expired by the time the flash went off, and chances are he only ended up being an intestinal ... Read full story
 1/1/2000
NAHMS Infobite: Equine Management Practices   *
(From NAHMS Equine '98 Study) Percent of Operations that Fed the Following Grain/Concentrate Sources (Feed Type), 1997 Unpelleted Sweet Feed: 57.2% Unpelleted Grain: 42.9% Grain Mix With Pellets: 21.9% Complete Feed Pellets: 18.7% Geriatric Feed: 7.6% None: 5.6% Other: 8.3% ... Read full story
 12/7/1999
Just Ruminating  *
Ever had your feed store deliver a bag of cattle feed to your farm by mistake? If you opened that bag, you probably noticed, on first inspection, that the mix inside looked a whole lot like the sweet feed you thought you’d ordered. Corn, barley, oats, molasses—all the basic ingredients are the same, and even the protein level might not differ that ... Read full story
 9/1/1999
AHC Opposes 100% Tariff On European Oats   *
Because of a trade skirmish with the European Union involving bananas and beef, American horse owners and breeders may be paying more for their horse feed in the near future. The American Horse Council (AHC) reports that the United States Trade Representative, which negotiates import-export issues with U.S. trading partners, has announced it intends ... Read full story
 6/4/1999
When Should You Supplement?  *
Look around any barn and you'll see the evidence. Do you know a feed room that doesn't have a collection of jugs and buckets, pails and little plastic scoops, pellets and powders in a rainbow of colors? The ingredients range from high-tech chemical formulas, to "all natural" mixtures of herbs. And their presence next to the bags of grain and bales ... Read full story
 2/1/1999
Buying and Storing Feeds  *
Feed is a major expenditure for any horse owner, and we all want it to be money well spent--both in terms of nutrition and quality. Getting the best value often means buying and storing feed in bulk. But unless that's done properly, you might find you lose a major portion of your investment to mold, insect infestation, or water damage, any of which ... Read full story
 10/1/1997




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