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| Bucky is a horse I rode for Judi Quaife in 1994 or so. This photo was taken about the time of this post, March 2013 when he is 28. Proof positive that older horses and pensioners, when well-tended, don't have to look and feel old. |
This post reflects what I remember and some additional research on feeding horses. I did the research to make sure that what I write is up to date. A horse is a horse, yes? Is an oat still an oat?
Before feed can be feed, it is seed. If your horse has feed consisting of corn, soybeans or beet pulp it more than likely is grown from seed that is GMO (genetically modified organism).
What does that mean? Why should it be of concern? Well, a GMO is very different from say, a hybrid bred to resist bacteria or pests. A GMO is modifying something, changing it at its most basic level. I am not convinced that science has ironed out and identified that every result is one that is intended. I believe that in the lifetime of our girls, we as a public will come to the awareness, like invasive plants of English ivy, honeysuckle (in certain forms), and kudzu, not all invention for the home, heart and farmland, is a good thing. Some observe very interesting and devastating side effects of GMO. Perusal of some popular culture, such as the documentary Food, Inc., is good enough for me to do my utmost to feed our girls avoiding GMOs (although impossible really), as well as hormones and antibiotics. I'm not saying animals ought not get a steroid or antibiotic to fight inflammation or disease, I'm suggesting that I don't want to eat the ones that did. I'm also suggesting that when it comes to the delicate systems of the horse, we ought to proceed with caution. As a sidebar, I also theorize that the reason why some girls are larger younger or enter puberty at alarming ages like 9, is because the milk they drink, the most affordable and thus most pervasively offered to children, is loaded with hormones. We give the girls milk on demand, but it is all been organic and hormone free (to the extent that such guarantees are statistically valid, that is). [Lawyer much?]
So, as I begin to approach the topic of what to feed a horse, know that it is in the context of conceding that to my knowledge, not only are most of us, but so too with our horses eating GMOs. Money, Monsanto makes Roundup and they control most of the global farming industry. They sue farmers who seed save, an ANCIENT tradition, and drag them through the courts for violation of patents - on plants.
Europe was on to their game and banned all GMOs. Unfortunately, not so in the US, Mexico and Central America, India and Canada. Native corn plants are forever lost as homogenization, which spurs the need for pesticides, more antibiotics, leading to folded genes and infertility and oddities that impact the food chain... all of which start with a seed. So, well. Well, go read a little Joel Salatin of http://www.polyfacefarms.com/ for just a sample of one of the chief influences on my approach to land management and "grass" farming.
For the purpose of this post it is simply important to know that any feed or supplement that contains soy, beet pulp or corn in any form has to be presumed is GMO. The impact this has on horse's health - we are the guinea pigs, the canaries in the mine shaft. Even if you grew it yourself, because of seed propagation, your seed plus your neighbor's crops equals Monsatan knocking on your door. So, know that many of the foods we eat and the feed we give our horses here in the US, that wholesome whole-wheat bread, the hearty oat, the flake of sweet-smelling alfalfa, would not be available overseas at all because they are considered very dangerous. As a result, I turn a blind eye, hold my nose, and do the best I can.
Which means, when it comes time to choosing how to care for my own horses, I'll seek out the farmers and their vendors selling organic horse feeds. One example is Genesis, http://www.organic-horse-feed.com. Their site has links to other like-minded companies.
Now, all disclaimers as to the realities of today's horse feed aside, even for the non-horse-person tends to be somewhat familiar with what horses eat and how much. I'm hungry as a horse. That horse, he's feeling his oats.
What's not always known, or if known, not fully appreciated is that horses cannot vomit. Whatever they eat, must go all the way through the digestive system. And it's BIG. If a horse gets oats with molasses or moldy hay or a rusty nail - it must get through, and obviously, things go wrong if something can't.
My source for the basics is to turn to the Humane Society. According to their website, here are the basic rules: don't walk behind a horse, don't run anywhere, always feed treats on the flat palm with fingers outstretched (but be prepared, you may be encouraging a horse to nip imho). The basic rules for feeding are very important.
1- provide plenty of roughage. Horses don't need grain as much as they need good-quality hay and/or access to sufficient pasture.
2- Feed grain in small amounts and often. If you feed your horse grain, give it in multiple smaller meals rather than one large one. When a horse if fed too much at once, the food isn't digested as effectively. This is especially true for old horses whose teeth don't grind as well, and digestion is less effective.
3- Feed according to the horse's needs. Each horse is individual and one ought to consider the amount of hay and pasture access they get.
4- Change feed and feed schedules gradually.
5- Measure feed accurately and feed consistently. This means feed quality, quantity and when you feed.
6- Don't feed or water immediately before or after
7- Stick to a routine. Horses thrive on routine, and their amazingly accurate internal clocks make them much better timekeepers than their human caretakers. Most horses aren't harmed by a change in schedule, but for those prone to colic, such as a horse that already has coliced or an old pensioner, a change in routine may be more than an annoyance, but could trigger colic, to possibly fatal results.
Digestion
In order to fully appreciate what to feed your horse, we must examine the how of what horses eat, and the dangers if they aren't fed properly.
Anatomy
Understanding how a horse digests can help you appreciate what they can and need to eat. Humans, pigs, and dogs are non-ruminants, meaning we can digest carbohydrates, protein and fat by enzymatic action. Cattle, sheep, and deer are ruminants and use bacteria in their fore stomachs to digest fiber by fermentation and use enzymatic digestion in the small intestines.
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| Source: Merriam-Webster http://goo.gl/KnoYc |
A horse can only hold about two gallons, which makes it hard for me to wrap my head around just HOW much a horse has to eat to stay healthy. Enter speed. A horse's stomach can empty as fast as 12 minutes after eating its fill. The rate food works its way through the foregut is is about one foot per minut. Food goes from the horses mouth to the hindgut in about an hour and a half. This is why horses are sometimes called "hay burners" - they can (and need) to eat fairly constantly.
Factor further into your consideration that pelleted or hay (often found in sweet feeds) move faster than loose hay.
Foals and youngsters don't have a developed cecal and colonic digestion. There is very little fermenting sort of digestion before three months - so a foal needs a low fiber diet. Foals are seen eating their mother's manure just might be doing so to get the bacteria needed to start the microbes necessary for their guts to properly digest.
Colic
A word even the youngest of horsemen learn to dread. It's usually gastrointestinal in nature and is most often due to a trouble in the hindgut. There are so many possible causes colic, whether bacterial, physical blockage, or even sand. However, the source of dread is that colic can have fatal consequences without surgical intervention. Colic surgery is expensive procedure and risky. Add to it, the aftercare is intensive. Among domesticated horses, colic is the leading cause of premature death.
The cecum has about 7-9 gallons of capacity to the stomach's 2 gallons. The exit and entrance to the cecum is about 2 inches. You can well imagine how this has potential to clog the pipes. This part of the the digestive tract can become impacted when there is a sudden shift from poor quality ration (which is digested slowly) to high quality (which is digested quickly). Impaction of the cecum and colon is most common. Add a shift in feed, a lack of adequate hydration or change in exercise, and a horse is predisposed to colliding. To prevent this type of colic (of which there are many more), it is best to allow one to two weeks when shifted from one type of feed to another.
Of note, there is an annual sudden change in feed when winter scrub grasses are replaced by fresh lush spring grasses. Those spring grasses are the horse equivalent to ice cream, and horses have all the will power of a toddler let loose on your freezer. They will eat and eat and eat until they are sick.
Why is that dangerous? Young lush fast-growing plants are low in fiber, contain about 22-25% protein, and large amounts of digestible carbohydrates. That sudden change from winter to spring grasses, changes the bacterial flora and the sudden death of less favorable bacteria - necessary for proper digestion. Death of large numbers of bacteria leads to release of endotoxin as the bacteria die or the cell disintegrates. Horses placed directly on pasture after being fed from a dry lot or hay can develop what's called laminitis due to this sudden shift.
If you suspect your horse or pony is suffering from colic, call your vet immediately.
Laminitis and Founder
Laminitis is the inflammation due to infection in the sensitive layers of tissue (the laminae) that connects the coffin bone to the hoof wall. It's the hoof equivalent of swelling in the brain. The brain swells, there is no place for the inflammation to go against the skull. Same thing with the hoof, there is no place for the inflammation to go against the hard wall of the hoof. The result is that the tissues separate, called delaminate. This doesn't tickle. It's extremely painful.
Founder occurs when the bond between the sensitive and insensitive laminae completely fails, causing the laminae to die. The means the coffin bone (a pedal shaped bone that allows the horse to stand inside that hoof) and the hoof to break down. Arteries and veins are damaged through the crushing force on the remaining living tissue around the coffin bone. The bone starts to rotate downwards and through the sola of the hoof on the ground. (Thus, the term "to founder" in maritime vernacular means to sink.)
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| the pink line shows where the coffin bone had shifted hoofcure.com |
Here's a good article from the website, www.hoofcure.com that hopefully will stay up on how to keep a foundered hoof trimmed. Note, a hoof where there is found can just look like a neglected hoof, one that's gone a few months too many without having hoof clippers and rasp taken to it. Unfortunately, what you see isn't what you get underneath.
If you suspect that your horse or pony is developing laminitis, it is imperative that you act immediately. Even a few hours can make an enormous difference in the outcome of laminitis and founder treatment. First, call the veterinarian and follow their instructions. Take your horse off the pasture immediately and make sure he does not have access to any grass. Even if your horse shows only mild symptoms, such as slight stiffness in the forelegs, you should make sure he is taken off grass as even a small amount will pose great danger to a horse with laminitis. Feel for heat in your horse’s feet. If possible, direct a spray of cold water from a garden hose over the affected feet to reduce inflammation. (Inflammation contributes towards separation of the laminae.) When the veterinarian arrives, he or she will be able to assess the situation and start treatment to relieve pain and reduce swelling, if necessary.
Feeds
There are three basic sources of nutrition for horses: pasture, hay and grains. Before we get into them, there are a couple of concerns that I'm more aware of today, and quite honestly with good reason, than I knew and for that matter, had to know that first time I filled a repurposed coffee can full of grain. We bought horse feed from the local feed store, one of which is now the location for a local famed bar-b-que joint called Mark's Feed Store - still has the metal feed signs on the walls.
Commercial feed companies operate as any large (huge, remember these guys supply feed to the slaughter industry) corporation, they are in business to make a profit. Not to aid in the health and well being of your animal, they are much more concerned with the health and well being of their shareholders, and they are very concerned with what will entice you to purchase their product. Again, they do not care if your horse eats the grain or supplement for 2 days or two years, if he drops dead, as a caring horse person you will buy another horse and purchase their feed again anyway
Pasture
The most natural food for horses is good quality pasture. Most mature pleasure horses doing light work will do well on pasture alone if they have sufficient grazing. However, horses are selective grazers and need a large area to meet their nutritional needs. Just because a field is green does not mean it contains sufficient grazing for a horse, and depending on where you live, for a large part of the year pasture is not available.
You can optimize the amount of grazing available by dividing your pasture into sections and rotating your horses through the different paddocks. That way, you give the grass a chance to grow back and can pick up the manure.
Hay
Hay is the basic food of domestic horses. Only feed good quality hay to horses. Inspect hay carefully before buying it, asking the seller to open a bale. Make sure the bales are green and dust and mold free. Stick your hand down into the centre of a bale to make sure it's not warm. Feeding moldy hay can cause colic and dusty hay can cause respiratory problems. To avoid dust, which harbors unhealthy bacteria and more undesirables, it's a good idea to pull the flakes apart and shake them out well before feeding. As a precaution, you can also soak hay before feeding.
The type of hay available varies according to the area you live in. Three basic types in Alberta are grass hay, alfalfa hay and grass/alfalfa mix. Common grasses are timothy and brome. Alfalfa has a higher protein content than grass. Many horse people consider a grass/alfalfa mix the best for horses, and timothy/brome/alfalfa is a common combination.
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| Alfalfa |
Alfalfa Hay
Alfalfa hay is high in fibre, protein, energy, and calcium. This hay is ideal for young or lactating animals as well as those that are recovering from surgery or illnesses. Once an animal reaches adulthood or completes recovery, Alfalfa hay should be replaced with other types of hay.
Alfalfa is also available in cubes and pellets. However, horses need chew time to be content, so except for veterinary reasons, most people feed some hay. Some horses have a tendency to choke on cubes. To be safe, you can soften cubes with water before feeding.
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| Timothy |
High in fibre, low in protein and calcium, Timothy hay provides excellent nutrition for all small animals. This grass hay has “solid cattails” that are irresistable to rabbits, hamsters and guinea pigs. This hay is ideal for matured small animals because of its high nutritional value and low fat content.
Timothy hay should always be available to your small animal. It increases motility of the gastrointestinal tract which helps to promote proper functioning of your small pet’s digestive system. Because the majority of small animals have teeth that grow continuously throughout their lives, the provision of Timothy hay will help to wear their teeth down. Aside from keeping their teeth from getting overgrown, Timothy hay also helps to keep their teeth clean. The diet of mainly Timothy hay should be supplemented with fresh vegetables, a small amount of pellets and, of course, fresh water.
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| Oat Hay |
Oat Hay
Oat hay is harvested differently – the oat is collected before it develops into a seed. The hay is high in fibre and low in protein and is a great preventative of GI Stasis. Oat hay contains savory husks full of both flavor and fiber, making it a favorite for many pets.
Like other long-strand grass hays, the soft-textured Orchard Grass Hay and Tall Fescue is high in fiber, low in protein and supports the health of small herbivores by stimulating digestion, preventing obesity and making mealtime more appealing. Orchardgrass and Tall Fescue are the primary grasses used for pastures and hay.
NOTE: Do not feed your horse grass clippings as they can cause founder. Also, hay alone often cannot provide enough nutrition for hard-working horses, pregnant and nursing mares, or growing youngsters.
Grains and Pellets
Horses often need to be fed more than hay to get the nutrition they need. However, hay should still provide the bulk of the diet. Feeding too much grain can cause problems.
The other feed available comes in three forms: grains (whole, rolled or cracked), sweet feed (grain mixed with molasses), and manufactured feeds (pellets, cubes, or extruded). You can buy bags of feed specially formulated for every stage of a horse's life from creep feed for foals to feed for senior equines.
GrainsGrains can be whole, rolled or cracked and are fed to horses, either on their own, or as part of a prepared horse feed. If the grains are hulled the percentage fiber will be lower and the other percentages higher.
It's important to know that the have different densities, so a quart of corn or wheat gets you twice as much as say oats or barley. So too is the amount of digestible energy vary grain from grain. The importance then is weight. Corn and wheat weigh twice as much per measure means that the horse gets about twice as much energy per measure compared to oats.
Another significance is the amount of carbohydrates per portion. Wheat has about three times the carbs as oats. This is because much of the energy in oats is found in fat and fiber.
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| Whole Oats |
Historically, oats has been the grain most often fed to horses. Of the common grains for horses, it is the most nutritionally balanced and best for the horse's overall health. Compared to other grains, whole grain oats are high in fiber (10.5% to 12%), lower in starch and are more easily digested. These benefits reduce the risk of colic and laminitis (flounder), making oats the safest grain to feed horses. In addition, the presence of 5% fat provides both nutritional value and additional energy in a safe form, as opposed to pure carbohydrates which can increase the risk of laminitis.
Whole oats has been standard horse feed for decades. Oats can also be bought crimped, crushed, rolled, steamed or triple cleaned. Cleaning removes all dust and weed seeds. Some people feel if the oats is bruised by crimping or rolling it will be more digestible. Often owners will see what looks whole oats in the manure and assume that the horse can't digest the outer shell and the oats have gone straight through. But if you inspect the manure a little closer, you'll see that nothing is left of the inside of the oat and only the hulls are passing through whole. Also, there is a chance that crimping, rolling ect... allows the grain to deteriorate faster and lose nutritional value.
Oats can sometimes make horses much more energetic. This has resulted in the expression 'he is feeling his oats' to describe someone who is much more energetic than usual. When most horses were worked hard (e.g. plowing fields, pulling carriages) this additional energy was considered an advantage. However, now that many horses are used for slow pleasure riding, an energetic horse which wants to run is often considered a disadvantage. With some horses, the extra energy provided by oats is quite pronounced, especially if they are fed large amounts and have little opportunity to burn off the extra energy (e.g. kept in box or small paddock much of the day), which can result in them insisting on running even when their riders command otherwise. Such cases have resulted in the myth that oats makes horses a little crazy and resulted in the use of other grains instead, although the same problem can occur (but is less likely) with other grains.
Barley
A common alternative to oats is barley. One advantage is that it is less likely to result in excessive energy. However, horses typically prefer the taste of other grains and some horses are reluctant to eat barley due to the taste.
Barley starch is also more difficult to digest and consequently more of it passes through the foregut to the hindgut, which may increase the risk of colic or laminitis.
Barley grains are relatively hard, so they typically need to be crushed (see discussion below).
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| Corn |
Corn can be a source of carbs for your horse. It is reputed to be a 'hot food' - meaning it gets horses hyped up, like a High Fructose Corn Syrup, or cane sugar does our little Greta Jo when against my better judgement she gets it. (side note - HFCS is in EVERYTHING - even cling peaches). Of note, corn kernels are hard, so for a horse with dental problems cracked corn such as this may be easier to chew. Corn is often mixed with other grains such as oats or barley.
Wheat
Wheat is similar to maize in that it is high in carbohydrate energy. However, aside from energy it has limited nutritional value. In addition, many horses find it more difficult to digest than other grains. Unless there is a strong economic (or other reason) to use wheat, one should use one of the other grains.
Crushed, Rolled or Crimped Grains
The hull of grains can be difficult to digest, especially as many of the grains are swallowed by horses without being chewed sufficiently to break the outside hull of all the individual grains. This can result in some of the grain simply passing through the horse, without being digested. Although this is likely not a problem health wise, it does mean that substantial amounts of food can be wasted.
To avoid this, it is common to break the hulls, typically by putting them through a machine with one or more rollers which crush the grains. The result is commonly called 'crushed', 'rolled' or 'crimped' grain (e.g. 'rolled oats').
The disadvantage of this process is that it reduces the shelf-life of the grains in two ways. One is that when stored, the nutritional value decreases at a faster rate. The other, which is a more serious issue, is that mold or fungus can establish itself quicker on crushed grains than on un-crushed grains, which can cause a number of different illnesses. Consequently, it is best not to store crushed grains for long periods of time. If you feed a lot of crushed grain to your horses, it may be more economical to buy a small grain crusher (from a horse equipment store) so that you can freshly crush yourself rather than buying crushed grain.
With oats, crushing is not necessary as healthy horses will normally digest most of the grain even if it is uncrushed. With barley and corn, crushing is more important, as these are difficult to digest if un-crushed and un-hulled.
Hulled Grains
One can either buy whole grains (with the hull) or hulled grains (hull has been removed). Whole grains are generally healthier as they are higher in fiber and the hulls may contain additional nutrients lacking in the grain kernel. However, whole grains may need to be crushed (see above discussion) for digestability. In the case of horses with a weaker digestive system (e.g. very young, very old, or sick), one may prefer to use hulled grains for better digestibility.
Allergies
If one uses straw bedding, one may wish to avoid using the same grain. For example, if one uses wheat straw it may be best not to feed wheat grain or if one uses barley straw it may be best not to feed barley grain.
The first reason for this is that horses sometimes develop allergies, and the risk of developing an allergy is higher with increased exposure. So if a horse is fed wheat and also has wheat bedding (which it not only lies on but also likely eats some of), then the risk of developing a wheat allergy is increased.
Related to this is the issue of what to do if a horse develops an allergy. For example, if it develops an allergy to wheat and one uses wheat bedding, it is advisable to switch to another type of bedding, since horses which eat food they are allergic to can develop a number of health issues (e.g. excessive water retention, poor digestion). Especially in a commercial stable, where alternative bedding types may not be available, this can be an issue.
Manufactured Feeds
These come in either pellets, cubes or extruded form.
Most pellets are a mixture of grains such as oats or barley, corn, vitamin and mineral supplements with molasses often used as a binder and to make it taste good. Some are made specifically for mature or older horses delicate system.
Beet Pulp Pellets
I wasn't even aware that many of the pellets I fed my pony came from beets. Only later, when I started to pay attention did I learn that beet pulp is a popular addition to many horse diets. Its a good source of carbohydrates and can be fed dry or wet, as part of a mash. Many owners like to feed a mash, especially in the winter time, to get a bit of extra moisture in their horses. It's a good feed for horses that are underweight or working very hard. Molasses is usually added to pelleted beet pulp as a binder and palatability. Shredded beet pulp is also available.
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| Hay cubes - here the type of hay is Timothy. |
Hay cubes (also known as hay bricks) is hay which has been cut and then compressed into a brick shape. This is a convenient way of storing hay as it uses up less space and can form convenient individual portions. It does tend to be more expensive to buy than baled hay and horses with dental issues may find it more difficult to chew. There have been cases of horse choke reported with hay bricks, but this is uncommon. Aside from these differences, it has much the same advantages and disadvantages as normal baled hay. The hay is dried, chopped and compressed, then sold by the bag. Some people replace a portion of their horse's hay with hay cubes and they are useful if your horse can't tolerate even a small amount of hay dust. These cubes are very hard, and while a horse's jaw is very strong, there is a chance of choke. Soaking and breaking up the cubes is one way to avoid this problem.
Hay Pellets
Hay pellets is effectively hay which has been ground up, heat treated and converted to pellets. It tends to be more expensive than hay (partly due to the additional processing), but is also more convenient and uses up about a third of the space as medium-density hay bales. As the pellets are effectively hay in another form, it has much the same nutritional value, except for those brands which add minerals or vitamins.
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| Pelleted feed |
little pellets especially for foals, although the size of the pellets would be fine for mature horses too. Pellets are usually a mixture of grains, corn, supplements. The grains are often steamed so they are more digestible. Molasses is often added as a binder and to make the feed taste good. Pellets can be eaten quicker than hay and grains in their unprocessed format, so provide somewhat less occupation and stimulation than unprocessed hay. They also tend to break down quicker in the digestive system, so provide somewhat less value in terms of absorbing stomach acids and protecting against ulcers.
A common problem with pellets is that many horses will try to swallow them without first properly chewing them, resulting in the horses choking. If your horse does this, you should soak the pellets in water for 10 minutes or so before feeding to the horse; this causes the pellets to break down into a soupy mix which the horses cannot choke on. The advantages and disadvantages of soaking are:
Benefits of Soaking. Soaking the pellets prevents the horse from choking on them. Water Intake becomes very important, so soaking them is a good way to increase your horse's water intake, as horses do not always drink enough. In particular, older horses sometimes do not drink enough (although there are some illnesses which have the opposite effect) and horses being transported often do not drink enough.
Winter Warming. During the winter, horses can become chilled (especially old, sick or shaved horses). If there pellets are soaked in warm water (but not hot water!) this can help them warm up, especially as compared to drinking cold water from an outside bucket or unheated drinker.
Mess. Unfortunately, many horses lift their head away from their feeding bucket while eating, and in the case of soaked hay pellets this can result in them dropping a fair bit on the floor. Furthermore, if they toss their heads while eating (e.g. if startled by a noise), it tends to result in the hay soup being sprayed on the walls. All such mess should be cleaned up to prevent the growth of mold or fungus. Alternatively, one may wish to feed them from a bucket outside.
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| Sweet Feed |
A lot of people swear by sweet feeds -- its very easy to find inexpensive ones -- and a lot of people won’t ever buy them for their horses because of the negative health effects associated with them. Many feed companies make their own sweet feeds for owners who may only need small quantities. One precaution with sweet feed in hot humid weather: if the molasses content is high, and the feed sits for a long time, it can begin to ferment or mold. Some horseman make their own mix of sweet feed.
However, when discussing these feeds, it must be noted that they have a VERY large range of quality. There are some that are very bad for your horse, as well as some that will not do too much damage to his digestive system.
Anything that has added sugar is considered a sweet feed. This includes both textured feeds (those with particles that are visibly different) as well as pelleted feeds, such as beet pulp.
There is a common misconception that pellets can't be sweet feed, but that is just that, a misconception. Pelleted feeds can contain just as much (if not more) sugar than textured feeds.
Usually the sugar is added to feeds in the form of molasses. Molasses in and of itself is not bad. In fact, in small amounts, it can be beneficial, as it is a good source of copper.
Inexpensive (ESPECIALLY the ones that are less than $12-15 for a 50 pound bag) sweet feeds that are grain based are some of the worst feeds for horses. [Note, when determining the minimum one should budget for owning a horse, this is the feed I used for my calculation.]
Usually these feeds have high amounts of added molasses, at which point the negatives outweigh the positives for its addition. What’s the reason for the high amount of molasses? It is to cover up the taste of the low-quality ingredients that go into these feeds.
You get what you pay for in this world, and its also true for horse feeds. To make those bags of feed so inexpensive and still make money, the feed company must use the cheapest ingredients they can, which are usually very low quality.
In fact, a lot of times the ingredients in one bag might not even be the same as in the next bag! (Take a look at the ingredient list section of reading a feed tag for details...)
...now, back to the sugars.
Compounding the problem is the fact that these feeds are usually very high in corn and other grains...which are very high in sugar and/or starch themselves. This sugar and starch is not handled well by the digestive system of the horse. In addition to not being handled well, all the sugar and starch creates a sugar-high -- kind of like when you give a pre-schooler candy bars for lunch!
You wouldn’t give your pre-schooler a diet of soda and candy bars for snack right before lunch, or instead of lunch, so why would you do the same to your horse?
Yet that is exactly what these sweet feeds are. Hello. Look at their name.
As I mentioned with corn, often sweet feed also makes horses get “hot” on grain? The sugars and starches are the culprit. Not all horses react this way - just as some children can have that bowl of ice cream followed by popsicle (true story, and fortunately not my kiddos). Often "hot" horses can very successfully be fed alternative low-grain feeds (even low-grain sweet feeds) and remain calm and manageable.
Also, these inexpensive feeds are usually meant to be fed at rates of 6-10 pounds per day...which is a lot of feed. It is also a LOT of sugar.
Some of the higher end sweet feeds are not near as bad as the inexpensive ones. However, some of them are just as bad, if not worse. And for the price you pay for a bag of the high-end feeds, you could buy an alternative forage-based feed that would be healthier for your horse.
If you do decide to feed your horse sweet feed, make sure to look for the following to minimize the sugar/starch you are feeding him (and therefore its potential negative effects):
Water
We once kept our horses at a barn off Bardstown Road, down Watterson Trail (much of which is now claimed by the expansion of Hursbourne Parkway), that had no running water nor electricity. The price for renting the barn, as a result was just right. We would haul water in repurposed gallon milk jugs in milk crates. Note: at the time, we had five horses. That's 50+ gallons just to drink, plus more for baths to cool down, clean tack, scrub mangers and water buckets. When you want something badly enough, you make it work. When you don't, as someone recently said, you make excuses.
No matter the hassle to an owner of a horse, clean water should be available at all times. One of the main reasons we horsemen go to the barn is to water the horses. It must be kept clean, free from bird dropping, heck, even the horse's droppings.
The only exception when you have to deny a horse water because it is very hot from work. As long as a hot horse continues to work it can drink its fill, but a hot horse should never drink its fill and cease working. A hot horse that has ceased work needs to be cooled out (30—90 minutes) before you give it all the water it wants. As you cool out your horse, allow him to take several small drinks rather than giving him free access to water. While cooling out, continue to hand walk the horse and this coupled with the sips of water will help the cooling process. The danger to giving water to a horse hot from a workout is that they may suffer from colic and/or laminitis and even founder.
While horses can survive on snow in the winter, it is far from ideal. The horse's body has to melt a lot of snow to get enough water, thus wasting body heat. A horse not getting enough water is more liable to impaction colic. An inexpensive stock tank heater can keep the water trough ice-free.
Simple ways to give clean fresh water
1- Use hanging buckets. by raising the buckets, you keep waste (most), bedding, food and other debris, and therefore the unhealthy bacteria and such, from the water. Also, it helps prevent the horse from knocking it over and you having to refill it.
2- Clean waterers often. You must remove leaves, hay, insects, and debris daily. Regularly scrub out the bucket with vinegar and a bristle brush. Refill with fresh clean water.
3- Check for contaminants. Whether on city water or cistern, the EPA offers test results from their water sampling. It's especially important to test your water after floods, heavy storms, or any damage to plumbing or wells.
4- Keep free from manure. sounds like common sense, but if manure is up stream from the stream that feeds the pond where your animals drink… well, guess what's in the water? Generally, manure heaps or concentrations from where animals congregate need to be at least 500 to 1000 feet away from any pond, stream, well head or other water source. Fecal-born bacteria is particularly nasty… like Salmonella.
5- Limit chemical use - akin to how I opened this post with GMO, antibiotics there are pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers thatch leach into ground water and end up in the water. Even if you aren't using them… is your neighbor?
6- Fence off unwanted/unsafe water sources. Blue-green algae that blooms in many ponds, lakes and streams can be toxic to horses.
Supplements
Salt and Minerals
The most common supplement is a mineralized salt block should be available free-choice. You can also buy a variety of other vitamin, mineral and herbal supplements. Consult your veterinarian.
Other Supplements
There are hundreds if not thousands of dietary supplements. They are used for a variety of purposes. Some are simply concentrated forms of a nutrient such as vitamin E or biotin. Biotin has been shown to increase hoof quality in some horses so it is often found in hoof supplements. There are multi-nutrient supplements and single nutrient supplements. While we know that nutrient deficiencies are detrimental, there is not very much research support for feeding supplements that increase nutrient intakes above requirements. In today's commercial feed market, most mixed feeds are highly fortified with minerals and vitamins already.
There are lots of other dietary supplements...some are aimed at enhancing joint health (glucosamine, chondroitin, etc.); some are aimed at enhancing digestive health and capacity (probiotics and prebiotics); some are herbal/botanical supplements. Pretty much anything you can find in a dietary supplement store for people is in a feed supplement for horses. Do they work? Not much data. Are the safe? Maybe. Do some contain prohibited substances? Possibly. Are they harmful? In most cases no.
We've got the what - now HOW MUCH?
Drumroll please... IT DEPENDS? I know, you'd like me to put a chart here or something, but the amount of food a horse needs will depend on such things as size, breed, age, and activity. In cold weather, a horse living outside needs more food just to keep warm.
I will give you a general rule: a horse needs 2 to 2.2 pounds of feed for every 100 pounds of body weight. If you don't know how much your horse weighs, don't fret about bringing out the bathroom scale, they make a tape to measure how much your horse weighs by measuring the circumference of their barrel just behind the withers. For example, an average 1000 lb horse would need 20 to 25 pounds of feed a day. Most of that should be hay. A typical diet for a horse being ridden for one hour five days a week would be 2 to 5 pounds of grain and 15 to 20 pounds of hay a day, split into at least two separate meals.
You must be involved in your horse's life and have an ongoing awareness of its overall condition. If you have to make adjustments, again, I can't stress enough, make them over one to two weeks... gradually. I found it useful to use the weight tape on a regular basis and keep a record. If your horse is gaining or losing, change the amount or what you feed. If you find fluctuations, be aware that your horse's weight should remain stable regardless of how much work he is doing or how cold the weather is. In winter, you can't tell by looking. That fluffy (even if muddy) heavy winter coat hides a thin horse. Groom your horse regularly (you need to for healthy muscle tone and coat anyway, and while you're at it - feel your horse's body under all his winter woolies. If you are unsure about how much to feed your horse, ask your veterinarian for advice.
How often should I feed my horse?
I've already touched on this, but again, it's good practice to feed horses a little at a time and often. The more meals you can split the day's feed into, the better for the horse. For practical reasons, most people feed two or three times a day. Keep to a regular schedule and allow the horse an hour between work and feeding and watering.
Can a horse eat too much?
From the brief discussions on colic and laminitis, it's obvious that overfeeding can be a problem. While some horses will eat only what they need, most will eagerly overeat if given the chance. This can lead to founder or laminitis. Keep an eye on your horse's weight and adjust meal size as required. Don't feed concentrates unless your horse needs them. If your horse is pastured, it may be necessary to confine him in a dirt corral for part of the day. In some ways, a fat horse is as unhealthy as a thin one.
How can I can tell if my horse is the proper weight?
Go beyond the tape measure. What you'll want to be looking at is the amount of flesh on the ribs, on the base of the tail, between the hips and on the bony prominences. These are the bones that stick out from the spine behind the rib cage. A horse in good condition, the ribs ought to have a slight fat covering but you can feel them. The base of the tail has a smooth shape with slight fat covering. The neck is firm but, except for stallions, has no crest. Scroll back up top and look at 28 year old Bucky -- not bad, eh?!
Poisonous Plants
I've talked about what they should have (save avoiding the apparently unavoidable GMOs), what about what horses ought never have, or should avoid having in large copious quantities? Below are some common weeds, trees, plants and shrubs are toxic to horses and ponies. If you suspect poisoning from any plant or substance call your veterinarian immediately. Learn to identify these plants in your pastures and yards:
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| Deadly nightshade |
The leaves are dark green and smooth textured somewhat similar to that of a tomato plant. (It is in the same family as tomato, potato and pepper plants which is why you don't want your neighbor pitching his garden scraps over your fence.) Nightshades can be difficult to eradicate.
Horses are unlikely to eat nightshade or any other toxic plant unless there is no other feed available or it is baled into the hay and eaten accidentally. Signs of nightshade poisoning may include:
- colic like symptoms
- loss of muscle control
- disorientation
- dilated pupils
- death
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| Buttercups |
- irritation of the mouth area
- colic like symptoms
- diarrhea
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| Bracken Fern |
Symptoms of bracken fern poisoning may include:
- loss of coordination
- depressed heart rate
- arrhythmia
- weight loss
- eventual death if not promptly treated
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| Horse Tails |
Symptoms of Horsetail poisoning are:
- weakness
- stumbling
- arrhythmia of increased pulse
- death
- irritability
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| Lamb's Quarters (or Pigweed) |
Lamb's Quarters: In some areas this plant is called pigweed or lamb's quarters. The plant I've photographed here is what we call lamb's quarters. It has smooth, light colored leaves and a woody red stem. The 'flower' looks rather like small pale green cauliflower cluster. A horse would have to eat a large quantity of lamb's quarters for the toxin to take effect. Unless there is no other feed available it is unlikely a horse will eat this plant. If a horse consumes a large quantity of lamb's quarters symptoms may include:
- weakness
- lack coordination
- respiratory distress
- coma
- kidney failure
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| Lily of the Valley |
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| Milk Weed |
Milkweed is a very common pasture plant. Elliptical shaped leave branch off of a central stem. When any part of the plant is torn it will ooze a white, sticky sap. The flowers grow in a ball shaped cluster and when in full bloom are a lavender color. The pods develop to about 3" and in fall split open to release brown seeds that float through the air on downy fibers. All parts of the plant are toxic. Living and dried plants (accidentally baled into hay) are toxic. Like most toxic plants horses will avoid milkweed unless they have no other food source. Signs of milkweed poisoning are:
- disorientation
- loss of muscular control
- spasming
- rapid and weak pulse
- respiratory paralysis
Milk weed poisoning is rarely fatal.
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| Pigweed |
Pigweed: can be very toxic if eaten in large quantities. Horses are unlikely to eat this plant unless there is no other food available. This weed seems to grow everywhere--from pastures to vegetable gardens, roadsides to barnyards. It is still toxic if dried and baled into hay. Pigweed, and its relative lamb's quarters can cause kidney failure. Other symptoms of pigweed ingestion may include:
- respiratory distress
- weakness
- lack of coordination
- coma
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| Red Maple |
Red Maple: This tree offers beautiful fall colour, but the bark of red maples is smooth and grayish. The twigs are reddish brown.
The fresh leaves are considered relatively safe, but wilted and fallen leaves can be toxic--but tasty, to horses. The toxins affect the red blood cells. Three pounds of ingested red maple leaves is considered lethal.
Leaves can remain toxic for several weeks after they've fallen. Don't dispose of red maple leaves in manure piles or compost heaps that might be in reach of your horses. Red maple leaves can cause problems if baled into hay.
Red maples grow throughout eastern United States and Canada.
Symptoms of red maple poisoning are:
- depression
- dark brown urine
- rapid pulse
- increased respiration
- coma
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| Red Oak |
Red Oak: The leaves of red oaks are toxic to horses. Thankfully they are far enough away from the paddocks that the horses can not reach them.
While I've had my horses snatch a mouthful of oak leaves while riding with no apparent harm, a large quantity can be dangerous.
Various varieties of oaks live throughout North America. Horses will eat the leaves if there is no other food available. Water may be contaminated by fallen leaves. Acorns are also toxic if eaten in quantity.
Signs of oak poisoning are:
- colic symptoms
- diarrhea
- darkened urine
- depression
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| St. John's Wort |
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| Pond Scum |
This microscopic organism, commonly known as pond scum, can produce a neurotoxin that can kill your cattle, horses, your dog (or you child, for that matter) in minutes. The algae blooms usually occur in late summer or early fall, but can occur at any time.
Want more? Here's a handy quiz:
Sources:
For feeding and anatomy - memory and too many to list
Types of hay: http://www.petsmagazine.com.sg/articles/24-types-of-hay
Feed grains: http://horses.about.com/od/feedingyourhorse/ig/Horse-Feed-Gallery/
Poisonous plants: http://goo.gl/o4xz1
pond scum: http://goo.gl/HrXL0
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