Feedstuffs for Horses

  1. Horses are excellent grazers, and in dry lot situations will do very well on good quality hay.
  2. Forages
    1. In general, feed 1 – 2% body weight
    2. Moldy or dusty hay may cause colic
    3. Bromegrass, orchardgrass, timothy & bermudagrass make excellent hay for horses
    4. Legume hays are difficult to cure (more dust & mold)

                                                               i.      Horses may overeat alfalfa

                                                             ii.      Alfalfa has a laxative effect in horses

    1. Pastures are excellent

                                                               i.      Exercise

                                                             ii.      Need management strategies because they are selective grazers (patches)

  1. Forage Alternatives (when forage is not available or economical)
    1. Straw
    2. cottonseed hulls
    3. peanut hulls
    4. rice mill feed
    5. high cellulose paper
    6. Beet pulp is the most common

                                                               i.      Maintains normal intestinal activity (& microflora)

                                                             ii.      Fiber is highly digestible (greater than most hays)

                                                            iii.      Free of dust (good when respiratory problems exist)

                                                           iv.      Low in some vitamins

  1. Concentrates
    1. Grains

                                                               i.      Oats is the most popular – primarily because of its fibrous hull that forms a loose mash in the GI tract

1.      fed whole but is often rolled,

2.      causes less trouble with compaction

                                                             ii.      Corn is also very popular (2nd)

1.      widely used by mixing with oats (usually less than 50% of mix)

2.      should be cracked, coarsely ground or rolled

                                                            iii.      Barley can be used also

1.      primarily in areas where there is dryland farming (Western US)

2.      should be rolled or cracked because of hard kernel

                                                           iv.      Wheat & Milo - not routinely used

                                                             v.      Wheat Bran - rich in minerals, vitamins, & protein.

1.      Valuable in horse rations because of its bulk, palatability, nutritive value and mild laxative action

2.      Usually used at 5 – 15% of diet

  1. Protein Supplements
    1. Linseed meal - many feel it produces "bloom"

                                                               i.      usually more expensive & inferior in amino acid composition than SBM

                                                             ii.      Can be dusty, so pelleted LSM is prefered

    1. SBM

                                                               i.      primary protein source for animal feeds

                                                             ii.      Can be substituted 1:1 for LSM

    1. Milk protein

                                                               i.      Dried whey, or other commercial products used in foal diets

                                                             ii.      Excellent quality protein

  1. Other Feedstuffs
    1. Cane molasses

                                                               i.      sweetens the feed

                                                             ii.      increases palatability (and therefore increases intake)

                                                            iii.      decreases dust

                                                           iv.      added at 5 – 10%

    1. Dehydrated alfalfa meal

                                                               i.      Good source of vitamins, minerals, & protein

                                                             ii.      Probably the best substitute for green pastures during the winter

                                                            iii.      Usually added at 5 – 10% diet

    1. Fats and oils

                                                               i.      Fats and oils are added to increase energy

                                                             ii.      Vegetable oils are more palatable than animal fat

                                                            iii.      Supply linoleic acid (essential fatty acid)

                                                           iv.      Reduces dustiness

                                                             v.      Increases “bloom”

                                                           vi.      Usually added at between 5 and 10%

  1. Commercial Feeds Available:
    1. Complete Feed:  formulated and mixed by manufacturer; usually pelleted, cubed, or wafers.  Most commonly used when only 1 to 2 horses are owned.  Do not have to work with several feeds.  Typically they contain 12 to 14 % CP, and roughage, concentrate, and supplemental vitamins and minerals.

                                                               i.      Pelleted feed is beneficial because:

1.      reduces sorting of protein, minersl, etc. (especially in weanling and yearling horses).

2.      Pellets should contain at least 60 – 70% coarsely grouind hay to prevent colic

3.      small amounts of unprocessed hay may be beneficial to prevent wood chewing or mane and tail chewing

    1. Concentrate:  Horse breeders who raise their own hay may purchase the rest of the diet in a concentrate mixture.  The mixture is usually ground mixed grains, supplemental protein, and minerals.  The CP is typically 14 to 15 %.
    2. Protein supplement:  Used to supplement both hay and grain.  The protein content is usually about 25%, with directions to add .5 to .75 pound to the grain and hay daily.
    3. Sweet Feed:  Usually a mixture of low-grade roughage (such as oat hulls), molasses (~10%).  It adds a pleasant aroma to the diet.

 

Feeding Management               

  1. Remember, at least 1% of the horses body weight should be hay. The rest of the diet may consist of additional hay or concentrates to meet the horses energy and(or) protein needs.  Some concentrates widely used for horses are:
    1. Oats
    2. Corn
    3. Barley
    4. Grain sorghum (milo)
    5. Wheat bran
    6. Linseed meal
    7. Soybean meal
    8. Cottonseed meal