General Rules of Equine Nutritional Management

Although equine nutritionists have advanced the science of feeding horses, appropriately nourishing your horse is not meant to be an intimidating or frustrating experience. By following these basic guidelines, you are well on your way to properly managing the nutritional well-being of your horse. If a nutrition problem arises, by all means, consult an equine nutritionist or veterinarian about how best to proceed. In the meantime, consider these tips.

▪ Allow horses unlimited access to fresh, clean water at all times. A possible exception to this is following intense exertion, when water intake should be monitored closely with horses drinking small measures periodically until body temperature returns to normal.

▪ The diet of horses should be composed primarily of forage, either pasture or hay. Many horses stay in optimal body condition when kept on pasture full-time. When grazing is limited by space or season, horses can be given grass or legume hay, depending on life stage, to fulfill their fiber needs.

.▪ While an all-forage diet might be suitable for certain horses, many will need grain meals to provide energy and nutrients for growth, work, or reproduction. Keep grain meals small by not feeding more than 5 lb (2.25 kg) in one feeding (for a 1000-lb or 450-kg horse). Gastrointestinal disturbances may occur if more grain is fed at one time.

▪ If a concentrate must be fed, choose one that is appropriate for the horse. Most feed manufacturers create feeds for specific classes of horses. The nutrient specifications of these feeds differ depending on the requirements of those horses. A feed for growing horses, for instance, will likely be higher in vitamin and mineral fortification than a feed intended for a pleasure horse.

▪ All feedstuffs given to horses should be of high quality and free from dusts, molds, and foreign debris. This is true of grains and grain mixes as well as hays. When evaluating hays, choose bales with more leaves than stems. The leaves of plants contain the most nutrients and are easier to digest than stems.

▪ Monitor body condition at regular intervals. Condition scoring is the best way to evaluate caloric adequacy of a diet. Generally, horses that do not consume sufficient calories to meet physiologic demands become thin and those that consume more calories than necessary become overweight.

▪ Feed horses on a regular schedule. If horses do not have continual access to forage, it should be offered at least two or three times daily. Depending on the total amount fed, grain can be given once a day (if less than 5 lb or 2.25 kg) or split into two or three feedings.

▪ Make dietary changes slowly, ideally over a period of seven to ten days. Start by mixing a small portion of the new feed into the old ration, gradually increasing the new feed and decreasing the old until the changeover is complete. This practice allows the microbes in the hindgut to adapt to the new feed, minimizing the chance of colic or other digestive upsets.