Feeding practices vary from one locality to another—and among horsemen. The size of individual horses, the use to which they are put, the availability of feed, and the size of the enterprise also cause differences.
Fundamentally, the nature of horses remains the same. For this reason, successful feeding in one stable is not much different from successful feeding in another stable.
Skill and good judgment are essential in feeding horses. Horsemen may secure widely different results under similar conditions. Horses may be in the best of condition in one stable and have animation, nerve, speed, and endurance. In another stable, listless animals with dull eyes and rough coats testify to lack of judgment in their feeding and management. The unsatisfactory condition in the latter stable may not mean that the owner tried to economize on feed; horsemen who feed their animals the most economically may have the best horses.
The Digestive System
The alimentary canal includes the entire tube extending from the mouth to the rectum. The digestive tract of a horse is anatomically and physiologically quite different from that of a ruminant. The digestive tract of horses is much smaller, with the result that horses cannot eat as much roughage as cattle. Also, the primary seats of microbial activity in ruminants and horses occupy different locations in the digestive system in relation to the small intestine. In cows and sheep, the rumen precedes the small intestine; in horses, the cecum follows it.
Both the amount of bacterial synthesis and the efficiency of absorption of nutrients synthesized by the micro-organisms are likely to be lower in a horse than in a ruminant. In comparison to a cow, therefore, a horse should be fed less roughage, more and higher quality protein (no urea), and added B vitamins. Actually, the nutrient requirements of a horse appear more nearly parallel to those of a pig than a cow.
Recommended Nutrient Allowances
Unfortunately, little experimental work has been done on the minimum nutritional requirements of horses. However, presently available information indicates that the nutrient allowances should meet the minimum requirements for horses and provide a reasonable margin of safety. A margin of safety is important owing to (1) variations in feed composition because of the soil on which it was grown, stage of maturity when it was harvested, amount of weathering, and losses in processing and storage; and (2) differences in environment and individual animals.
Minerals
The classical horse ration of grass, grass hay, and farm grains is usually deficient in calcium, but adequate in phosphorus. Also, salt is almost always deficient; and many horse rations do not contain sufficient iodine. Thus, horses usually need special mineral supplements. But do not feed them either more or less minerals than needed.
On the average, a horse will consume about 3 ounces of salt daily or 1,33 pounds per week, although the salt requirements vary with work and temperature.
The salt requirements, and any calcium or phosphorus requirements not met by feeds, can best be supplied by allowing free access to a two-compartment box containing minerals. One compartment should have iodized salt and the other should contain a suitable mineral mixture.
It is important to have slightly more calcium than phosphorus in horse rations. Although the correct calcium to phosphorus ratio is not known, it is suggested that it be kept at between one to two parts calcium to one part phosphorus. A ration low in calcium and high in phosphorus may cause osteomalacia in mature horses. This condition may develop when rations with a Ca: P ratio of 0.8 to 1 are fed 6 to 12 months, and it will progress rapidly when the ratio is 0.6 to 1. Either a home-mixed or a commercial mineral may be used.
Vitamins
Certain vitamins are necessary to the growth, development, health, and reproduction of horses. Deficiencies of vitamins A and D are sometimes encountered. Also, indications are that vitamin E and some of the B vitamins (riboflavin and perhaps thiamine) are required by horses. Further, it is recognized that single, uncomplicated vitamin deficiencies are the exception rather than the rule.
High-quality, leafy, green forages plus plenty of sunshine generally give horses most of the vitamins they need. Horses get carotene (which the animal can convert to vitamin A) and riboflavin from green pasture and green hay not over a year old. Horses get vitamin D from sunlight and sun-cured hay.
Severe deficiency of vitamin A may cause night blindness, reproductive difficulties, poor or uneven hoof development, difficulty in breathing, incoordination, and poor appetite. There is also some evidence that deficiency of this vitamin may cause or contribute to certain leg bone weaknesses. When vitamin A deficiency symptoms appear, the horseman should add a stabilized vitamin A product to the ration.
Foals sometimes develop rickets because of insufficient vitamin D, calcium, or phosphorus. This can be prevented by exposing the animal to direct sunlight as much as possible, by allowing it free access to a suitable mineral mixture, or by providing it with good-quality sun-cured hay or luxuriant pasture grown on well-fertilized soil. In northern areas that do not have adequate sunshine, many horsemen provide the foal with a vitamin D supplement.
Horses seem to require vitamin E. Most practical rations contain liberal quantities of it, perhaps enough except under conditions of work stress or reproduction, or where there is interference with its utilization. Rather than buy and use costly vitamin E concentrates indiscriminately, add them to the ration only on the advice of a nutritionist or veterinarian.
A deficiency of riboflavin may cause periodic ophthalmia (moon blindness), but it is known that lack of this vitamin is not the only factor in producing this condition. Sometimes moon blindness follows leptospirosis in horses and it may be caused by a localized hypersensitivity or allergic reaction. Periodic ophthalmia caused by lack of riboflavin may be prevented by feeding green hay and green pasture, supplying feeds high in riboflavin, or by adding crystalline riboflavin to the ration at the rate of 40 mg. per horse per day.
A thiamine deficiency has been observed in horses fed on poor quality hay and grain. Although sufficient thiamine may be synthesized in the digestive system, the amount absorbed may not always meet the full requirements. Other vitamins of the B complex may be essential. Healthy horses usually get enough of them either in natural rations or by synthesis in the intestinal tract. When neither green pasture nor high-quality dry roughage is available, B vitamins may be provided by adding to the ration distillers dried solubles, dried brewers yeast, or animal liver meal.
Water
Horses should have ample quantities of clean, fresh, cool water. They will drink 10 to 12 gallons daily; the amount depends on weather, amount of work done, and rations fed.
Free access to water is desirable. When this is not possible, horses should be watered at approximately the same times daily. Opinions vary among horsemen as to the proper times and method of watering horses. All agree, however, that regularity and frequency are desirable. Most horsemen agree that water may be given before, during, or after feeding.
Frequent, small waterings between feedings are desirable during warm weather or when the animal is being put to hard use. Do not allow a horse to drink heavily when he is hot, because he may founder; and do not allow a horse to drink heavily just before being put to work.
Home-Mixed Feeds
In selecting food rations, compare them with commercial feeds. If only small quantities are required or little storage space is available, it may be more satisfactory to buy ready-mixed feeds.
When home-mixed feeds are used, feeds of similar nutritive properties can be interchanged in the ration as price relationships warrant. This makes it possible to obtain a balanced ration at lowest cost. Among the feeds that may be interchanged are grains such as oats, corn, barley, wheat, and sorghum; protein supplements such as linseed meal, soybean meal, and cottonseed meal; and hays of many varieties.
More than one kind of hay provides variety and appetite appeal. In season, any good pasture can replace part or all of the hay unless work or training conditions make substitution impractical.
During winter months, add a few sliced carrots to the suggested ration, an occasional bran mash, or a small amount of linseed meal. Also, use bran mash or linseed meal to regulate the bowels.
The proportion of concentrates must be increased and the roughages decreased as energy needs rise with a greater amount of work. A horse that works at a trot needs considerably more feed than one that works at a walk. For this reason, riding horses in medium to light use require somewhat less grain and more hay in proportion to body weight than horses that are racing.
In feeding horses, as with other classes of livestock, it is recognized that nutritional deficiencies (especially deficiencies of certain vitamins and minerals) may not be of sufficient proportions to cause clear-cut deficiency symptoms. Yet, such deficiencies without outward signs may cause great economic losses because they go unnoticed and unrectified. Accordingly, sufficient additives (especially minerals and vitamins) should always be present, but care should be taken to avoid imbalances.
Commercial Feeds
Commercial feeds are feeds mixed by manufacturers who specialize in the feed business. Today, about 60 million tons of commercial feeds are marketed each year.
Commercial feed manufacturers are able to purchase feed in quantity lots, making possible price advantages and the scientific control of quality. Many horsemen have found that because of the small quantities of feed usually involved, and the complexities of horse rations, they have more reason to rely on good commercial feeds than do owners of other classes of farm animals.
Currently, horsemen are much interested in complete, all-pelleted feed, in which the hay and grain are combined. Pelleted feeds may be prepared from concentrates alone, forage alone, or concentrates and roughage combined in a complete ration.
Compared to conventional long hay and grain concentrate fed separately, all-pelleted feed has the following advantages:
(1) It is less bulky and easier to store and handle, thus lessening transportation, building, and labor costs. Pelleted roughage requires one-fifth to one-third as much space as is required by the same roughage in loose or chopped form.
(2) Pelleting prevents horses from selectively refusing ingredients likely to be high in certain dietary essentials; each bite is a balanced feed.
(3) Pelleting practically eliminates waste; therefore, less pelleted feed is required. Horses may waste up to 20 percent of long hay. Waste of conventional feed is highest where low quality hay is fed or feed containers are poorly designed.
(4) Pelleting eliminates dustiness and lessens the likelihood of heaves.
(5) Pellet-fed horses are trimmer in the middle and more attractive because they consume less bulk.
The following points are pertinent to the proper understanding and use of all-pelleted rations:
(1) One-half-inch pellets are preferred for mature horses, and one-fourth-inch pellets for weanlings and short yearlings. Also, very hard pellets should be avoided; if horses cannot chew them, they will not eat them.
(2) The ratio of roughage to concentrates should be higher in all-pelleted rations than when long hay is fed. For most horses, the ratio may range from 60.5 percent roughage to 39.5 percent concentrate up to 69 percent roughage to 31 percent concentrate.
(3) Any horse feed should form a loose mass in the stomach to assure ease of digestion, fewer digestive disturbances, and less impaction. To this end, in a complete all-pelleted ration, such feeds as oats and barley should be crimped or steam rolled but not finely ground. The roughage should be ¼-inch chop or coarser. Otherwise, a couple of pounds of long hay may be fed daily to each horse.
(4) Young horses and horses at heavy work need more energy. They should be fed less roughage and more concentrate.
(5) When less roughage and more concentrate is fed, horses are likely to be overfed and get too fat if they are idle or at light to medium work. But if the total feed consumption is limited too severely to keep the weight down, the problem of wood chewing is increased because of a lack of physical filling of the digestive tract.
(6) When the roughage consists of high quality legume hay, a higher percentage of roughage may be used than when all or part of the roughage is grass or other nonlegumes.
(7) If more energy is needed for racing or young stock on an all-pelleted ration, it can be provided either by increasing the daily allowance of the all-pelleted ration, and/or replacing a portion of the all-pelleted ration with a suitable concentrate or supplement.
(8) Because waste is eliminated, less all-pelleted feed is required than conventional feed. For a horse at light work, give 14 to 18 pounds of all-pelleted feed daily per 1,000 pounds of body weight. Use a feed that contains 51 to 58 percent total digestible nutrients (TDN). Increase the feed allowance with the severity of work.
(9) As with any change in feed, the switch to an all-pelleted ration should be made gradually, otherwise such vices as wood chewing and bolting (eating feed too rapidly) may be induced. At first, continue to offer all the long hay the horse wants and slowly replace the grain portion of the conventional ration with the complete pelleted feed. Increase the pelleted feed by 1 to 2 pounds daily and begin gradually lessening the hay. After a few days, the horse usually will stop eating the hay and it can be removed completely from the ration.
(10) The feces of pellet-fed horses are softer than the feces of those not fed pellets.
Among many horsemen, the feeling persists that horses fed all-pelleted rations are more likely to chew wood than those fed long hay. This may be true to some degree. But some horses will chew wood regardless of what they are fed. This leads to the conclusion that the way to prevent wood chewing is simply to use metal, masonry, or other nonwood materials for all buildings, fences, and other equipment. Of course, this is not always practical.
Wood chewing can be lessened, although not prevented entirely, through one or more of the following practices:
(1) Increase the exercise.
(2) Feed three times a day, rather than twice a day, even though the total daily feed allowance remains the same.
(3) Spread out the pellets in a larger feed container or place a few large stones about the size of a baseball in the feed container, thereby making the horse work harder and longer to obtain the pellets.
(4) Provide 2 to 4 pounds of straw or coarse grass hay per animal per day, thereby giving the horse something to nibble on when he is idle.
How to Feed
Feeding horses is both an art and a science. The art is knowing how to feed and how to take care of each horse's individual requirements. The science is meeting the nutritive requirements with the right combination of ingredients.
Amount to feed
Because the horse has a limited digestive capacity, the amount of concentrates must be increased and the roughages decreased when the energy needs rise with more work. The following general guides may be used for the daily ration of horses under usual conditions.
Horses at light work (1 to 3 hours per day of riding or driving).—Allow two-fifths to one-half pound of grain and 1¼ to 1½ pounds of hay per day per 100 pounds of body weight.
Horses at medium work (3 to 5 hours per day of riding or driving).—Allow about three-fourths of a pound of grain and 1 to 1¼ pounds of hay per 100 pounds of body weight.
Horses at hard work (5 to 8 hours per day of riding or driving).—Allow about 1¼ to 1,33 pounds of grain and 1 to 1¼ pounds of hay per 100 pounds of body weight.
As will be noted from these recommendations, the total allowance of both concentrates and hay should be about 2 to 2½ pounds daily per 100 pounds of body weight.
About 6 to 12 pounds of grain daily is an average grain ration for a light horse at medium or light work. Racehorses in training usually consume 10 to 16 pounds of grain per day; the exact amount varies with the individual requirements and the amount of work. The hay allowance averages about 1 to 1¼ pounds daily per 100 pounds of body weight, but it is restricted as the grain allowance is increased. Light feeders should not be overworked.
The quantities of feeds recommended are intended as guides only. The allowance, especially the concentrates, should be increased when the horse is too thin and decreased when the horse is too fat.
Starting horses on feed
Horses must be accustomed to changes in feed gradually. In general, they may be given as much nonlegume roughage as they will consume. But they must be accustomed gradually to high-quality legumes, which may be very laxative. This can be done by slowly replacing the nonlegume roughage with greater quantities of legumes. Also, as the grain ration is increased, the roughage is decreased.
Starting horses on grain requires care and good judgment. Usually it is advisable first to accustom them to a bulky type of ration; a starting ration with considerable rolled oats is excellent for this purpose.
The keenness of the appetite and the consistency of the droppings are an excellent index of a horse's capacity to take more feed. In all instances, scouring should be avoided.
Frequency, regularity, and order of feeding
The grain ration usually is divided into three equal feeds given morning, noon, and night. Because a digestive tract distended with hay is a hindrance in hard work, most of the hay should be fed at night. The common practice is to feed one-fourth of the daily hay allowance at each of the morning and noon feedings and the remaining one-half at night when the animals have plenty of time to eat leisurely.
Horses learn to anticipate their feed. Accordingly, they should be fed at the same time each day. During warm weather, they will eat better if the feeding hours are early and late, in the cool of the day.
Usually the grain ration is fed first and then the roughage. This way, the animals can eat the bulky roughages more leisurely.
Sudden changes in diet should be avoided, especially when changing from a less concentrated ration to a more concentrated one. If this rule of feeding is ignored, horses have digestive disturbances and go "off feed." When ingredients are added or omitted, the change should be made gradually. Likewise, caution should be exercised in turning horses to pasture or in transferring them to more lush grazing.
Attention to details
A successful horseman pays great attention to details. In addition to maintaining the health and comfort of his animals, he also considers their individual likes and temperaments. Nervousness and inefficient use of feed are caused by excessive exercise to the point of undue fatigue and stress, rough treatment, noise, and excitement.
General feeding rules
Observance of the following rules will help avoid some of the common difficulties that result from poor feeding practices:
(1) Know the approximate weight and age of each animal.
(2) Never feed moldy, musty, dusty, or frozen feed.
(3) Inspect the feed box frequently to see if the horse goes off feed.
(4) Keep the feed and water containers clean.
(5) Make certain that the horse's teeth are sound.
(6) Do not feed concentrates to a hot horse; allow time for his feed to digest before he is worked.
(7) Feed horses as individuals. Learn the peculiarities and desires of each animal because each one is different.
(8) See that horses get enough exercise. It improves their appetite, digestion, and overall well-being.
(9) Do not feed from the hand; this can lead to "nibbling."
Horses fitted for show or sale should be let down in condition gradually. Many horsemen accomplish this difficult task, and yet retain strong vigorous animals, by cutting down gradually on the feed and increasing the exercise.
Signs of a well-fed, healthy horse
The signs of a well-fed, healthy horse are listed as follows:
Contentment.—The horse looks completely unworried when resting.
Alertness.—The horse is "bright eyed and bushy tailed," and he will perk up his ears at the slightest provocation.
Good appetite.—The appetite is good, as indicated by neighing and pawing before he is fed and attacking the feed with relish.
Sleek coat and pliable, elastic skin.—A sleek coat and a pliable, elastic skin characterize a healthy horse. When the hair loses its luster and the skin becomes dry, scurfy, and hidebound, usually trouble is ahead.
Pink eye membranes.—The eye membranes, which can be seen when the lower lid is pulled down, should be pink and moist.
Normal feces and urine.—The consistency of the feces varies with the diet. For example, lush pasture usually causes looseness, and pellets generally cause moist feces. Neither extreme dryness nor scouring should exist. Both the feces and urine should be passed without effort and free of blood, mucus, or pus.
Normal temperature, pulse, and breathing.—The average rectal temperature of horses is 100.5° F., with a range of 99° to 100.8°. The normal pulse rate is 32 to 44 beats per minute, and the normal breathing rate is 8 to 16 breaths per minute.
In general, any marked and persistent deviations from these normals are signs of ill health.
Pastures
It is becoming difficult to provide good pasture for horses, especially in suburban areas. The use of a temporary pasture grown in regular crop rotation is recommended instead of a permanent pasture that may become infested with parasites. Legume pasture is excellent for horses because they are less subject to bloat than cattle or sheep. The specific grass or grass-legume mixture will vary from area to area according to differences in soil, temperature, and rainfall. Your county agricultural agent or a specialist at your State agricultural college can furnish recommendations for pastures.
Horse pastures should be well drained and not too rough or stony. All dangerous places such as pits, stumps, poles, and tanks should be guarded. Shade, water, and suitable minerals should be available in all pastures.
Most horse pastures can be improved by seeding new and better varieties of grasses and legumes and by fertilizing and management. Also, horsemen need to give attention to supplementing some pastures with additional feed. Pastures early in the season have a high water content and lack energy. Mature, weathered grass is almost always deficient in protein, with as little as 3 percent or less, and low in carotene, the precursor of vitamin A. However, these deficiencies can be corrected by proper supplemental feeding.
Feeding the Broodmare
Regular and normal reproduction is the basis for profit on any horse breeding establishment. However, only 40 to 60 percent of mares bred produce foals. There are many causes of reproductive failure, but inadequate nutrition is a major one. The following pointers are pertinent to feeding a broodmare properly:
(1) Condition the mare for breeding by providing adequate and proper feed and the right amount of exercise prior to the breeding season.
(2) See that adequate proteins, minerals, and vitamins are available during the last third of pregnancy when the fetus grows most rapidly.
(3) Lessen and lighten the ration at and after foaling; give less feed and add some wheat bran to the feed. During cool weather, it is important to take the chill off water at foaling time.
(4) Provide adequate nutrition during lactation, because the requirements during this period are more rigorous than the requirements during pregnancy.
(5) Make sure that young growing mares receive adequate nutrients; otherwise, the fetus will not develop properly or the dam will not produce milk except at the expense of her body tissues.
Feeding the Stallion
The ration exerts a powerful effect on sperm production and semen quality. Successful breeders adhere to the following rules:
(1) Feed a balanced ration, giving particular attention to proteins, minerals, and vitamins.
(2) Regulate the feed allowance because the stallion can become infertile if he gets too fat. Also, increase the exercise when the stallion is not a sure breeder.
(3) Provide pasture in season as a source of both nutrients and exercise.