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Post by claire on Mar 1, 2017 4:17:31 GMT
I've been re-evaluating my feeding program and reading a lot about nutrition. What do you all feed and why? What have been your experiences through the years and what are your basic tenants of a good feeding program?
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Post by rideanotherday on Mar 1, 2017 12:21:48 GMT
I've been re-evaluating my feeding program and reading a lot about nutrition. What do you all feed and why? What have been your experiences through the years and what are your basic tenants of a good feeding program? Ohhhhhhhhhhh you just hit on my favorite topic!!! I minored in animal nutrition with an equine emphasis (yay agricultural college!). First and foremost, have good forage. Most horses do quite well on hay or pasture. Horses only need 10-12% protein (easy to supply in most grasses). If your horse is in heavy work, breeding or lactating, then supplementation with concentrates (grains) may* be necessary. It's worth it to test your hay or pasture to find out what you need to supplement for. |
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Post by rideanotherday on Mar 1, 2017 12:24:23 GMT
What made you re-evaluate your current program? What is the current program?
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Post by horseguy on Mar 1, 2017 15:05:33 GMT
When I was in my 20's working on a ranch an old cowboy explained nutrition to me in this way. "Horses need good air, good water and good feed, in that order". I have remembered these words over decades when I would visit a heated and air conditioned show barn with all the doors and windows shut tight and when I would visit a rural back yard barn with a cast iron bath tub half full algae covered dirty water. That quote has often given me a reference point when a discussion became obsessive about nutrition. It's the third priority in terms of what a horse consumes.
The other thing I have learned is often how a horse is fed is as important as what a horse is fed. Horses are grazing animals and need to eat unrushed in peace. If a horse starts kicking his stall door or weaving before feeding time, something is wrong. The feeding cycle has programed him to be anxious, for example.
Having said all that, I think equine nutrition is the area of horsemanship that has advanced the most over the past 40 years. Having feeds for young, mid age and older horses and performance horses is a great thing. Still, simple feed provided in a calm context, I feel, is the best. After that, correct feeding requires knowing the horse over time. Some horse need a seasonal adjusted diet, some need the same ol, same ol 365 days a year. Others, particularly performance horses need an intense diet that involves some risk. I am thankful that when I played polo the old timers helped me learn how to feed a horse that plays all out. Feeding is trick business and horse specific.
I therefore would add my interest to the question above, "What made you re-evaluate your current program? What is the current program?". What generated the reconsideration of a feed change?
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