Nutrition and feed for horses
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The nutritional needs of your horse are important to ensure he remains healthy and fit.
When you are learning how to care for his needs, you should pay great attention to his nutrition. Every animal needs specific nutrients to fit their diet and allow for a healthy life. Horses are no exception. Knowing what your horse needs to remain healthy means you can then find the right types of food to offer him.
Horses need different nutrients relating to their size as well as their activity level. It isn’t a question of one size fits all, any type of food etc should be carefully measured to accommodate your horse’s size, weight and the level of activity they are expected to do.
An overweight horse is an unhealthy horse, in fact some experts recommend a horse is slightly underweight than overweight.
So what type of nutrition and feed does your horse require? This will vary by season as well as breed of horse.
Horses can then be divided by light, medium or heavy work. Once you decide which category your horse fits into, you can then determine how much food they will need as well as what supplementary substances they will require.
How much hay does your horse get on a daily basis? Hay provides your horse with a large amount of nutrients. However if you give them too much every day, they can soon become over weight.
If you feed your horse a certain percentage related to their body weight, then if they are not working too hard the percentage is one to two percent of their weight and should mostly be from hay.
Every horse, no matter what type or body weight should receive mineralized salt. This is good for horses’ digestion as well as enables them to drink specified amounts of water.
Most horses will need to drink between five to ten gallons of water a day. Working horses need extra minerals and supplements.
They will especially be in need of extra calcium and phosphorous. If they are hardworking horses, you will also want to ensure they are receiving sodium and potassium chloride as well as other valuable minerals.
Extra supplements such as vitamins are also important for working horses. Vitamin A and E are the most important vitamins to give to working horses. If they are working lightly, you can also give them extra vitamin C.
For horses that are training, especially for horses in training, you may want to add selenium to their diet. Many people also recommend adding oil to working horses’ diets. This will give them extra energy and the carbohydrates which they need whilst working.
Garlic is also a good supplement to offer your horse whatever level of activity he is at. Garlic helps the digestive system, helps the coat remain glossy and also repels flying insects whilst out in the field.
Determining the basics of nutrition for your horse depends on the type of horse you have and what their daily activities are.
Making sure that they are given the right vitamins and supplements allows you to ensure they are able to continue working and can avoid serious problems. By knowing how much to feed, as well as what to feed your horse ensures he will have the energy and comfort needed to enjoy both his life and his diet.
Previous Articles By This Author
- Buying Your First Horse
- Equipment for Horses
- Basics of Horse Care
- Grooming your Horse
- The History of Horses
