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Getting Informed…
www.enloequarterhorses.com
The best indication of food intake amounts is a visual inspection of your horse. Horses in ideal condition do not visibly show ribs or a spinal cord. The hips should be rounds and filled with muscles and fat. There should be a small creased layer of fat on each side of the spine causing a slight ridge down the horses back. A large belly is not necessarily an indication of weight. It could be caused by parasites or lack of exercise. A dull hair coat, not shedding off properly or shedding later then other horses may be an indication of a nutritional or worming problem. Younger and aged horses tend to shed their winter coats later than horses in their prime (ages 4-19). Horses typically carry excess weight along the neck and spine. Overweight horses should have their feed intake reduced as excess weight is also considered a health risk.
Roughage (Hay)
Adult horses generally eat 1.5 - 2.5% of their body weight in hay, depending on the quality of hay and the individual variants between horses. Growing foals can eat up to 3% of their total body weight. If supplemental grains are provided, one may be able to reduce the roughage feed. It is necessary to note the importance of roughage, as it keeps the digestive tract flowing and may reduce the incidence of foundering and colic. You can not tell the "quality" of hay from visual inspection.
Hay can be fed several times a day, or by free choice. While there is more control for monitoring in individual feeding, we generally feed our horses free choice of top quality horse hay. If you feed free choice, you must pay extra close attention to each individual horse to ensure its nutritional needs are being met. Our definition of "horse hay" is no mold, no mildew smell, between 9-15% moisture, 12-16% protein and a relative food value (RFV) of 105 - 130. RFV is an indication of the palatability and digestibility of the hay. Typically, in Minnesota that means 25-40% alfalfa with the remainder made up from different grasses that are not too course. An RFV that is too high can cause a horse to founder or colic. Typical RFVs for solid alfalfa dairy quality forage can easily be as high as 180 or more, which we believe is too much for a horse to digest. Although some horse people feed straight alfalfa, we strongly recommend against it.
During an average year, Minnesota gets 3 hay cuttings and we prefer the 2nd cutting because the hay is more tender then the first cutting and not quite as rich as the 3rd cutting. 1st cutting tends to have a longer growing season and more weeds. The last cutting tends to be more alfalfa because it has become to warm for the grasses to grow. The amount of moisture and temperatures effect the growing season and the RFV values greatly.
Hay Tips
Hay should be stored inside or covered in order to be feed to horses because of the extreme risk of the development of "Heaves". This condition causes stress on the respiratory system much like allergies. If a horse inhales the dust caused by molds it can lead to serious effects including death. If you choose to feed round bales that are stored outside, ALL the moldy portions of the hay should be removed from the horse eating area and burned. Also be sure to remove any twine from the bale to avoid horses eating the twine or getting tangled in it, potentially causing serious injury or death.
Buy based on quality and weight, not by the bale. Small square bases range in weight from 25 lbs - 125 lbs. If each bale costs $2.00, that's a difference of $160/ton vs. $32/ton.
Hay loses food value if it is stored for multiple years.
Most agriculture universities and some feed stores do forage testing at a very low cost (usually under $20). Money well spent to know what your getting!
If hay has been rained on after it was cut but before it was baled, the longer it has been laying on the ground when it rained, the more severe the effect on the RFV and the chance for mildews and molds to develop. For example, if the forage is cut on day 1 and it rains several hours later, there will be a much less chance of damage than hay that has partially dried and then is rained on.
Horses do not like "tough" hay. If the forage was allowed to stand too long, the stocks become large and tough. This is typically seen in 1st cutting hay, but can occur in any cutting.
Some fescues can cause mares to abort!
Blister beetles are found in some hay and they are lethal to horses. Check with your extension office to see if there is a threat of this bug in your area.
Additional Resources For Forage
http://www.agro.agri.umn.edu/forages/index.html - University of Minnesota
http://www.minnesotafarmguide.com/articles/2003/11/06/ag_news/production_news/prod08.txt - Minnesota Farm Guide
http://www.foragetesting.org/ National Forage Testing Association
Your local University Extension Offices
Grains
Although it is not required for all our horses, all receive twice-daily grain rations consisting of a 12 or 14% protein sweet feed. Daily allowances vary depending on each horse's needs. Growing and older horses generally need more, non-working mature horses less to none. We increase broodmare grain levels during their 3rd trimester. We feed sweet feed because of the pellet supplement and because the horses eat it very well. Too much grain can be dangerous and cause founder and colic. Interestingly, some oats can carry 14% protein alone without the corn! Contact your veterinarian for suggested rations for your particular horse.
Consult Your Veterinarian For Details Regarding Horse Feeding!
Disclaimer: This article is written in the context of quarter horses, and is written specifically for Enloe Quarter Horses. Kristy is not a veterinarian and the information contained in this article is opinion and for reference use only. Each horse consumes different amounts of feeds, so be sure to check with your veterinarian for assistance in determining what is right fo your horse based on the area you live.
Comments about this article may be sent to:
Kristy Enloe at
dkenloe@enloequarterhorses.com
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