Horse how much feed

Horse owners should acquaint themselves with the Henneke Body Condition scoring system that ranges from 1 emaciated to 9 obese. The ideal body condition score is from 4 to 6. This will help the horse owner determine if the horse needs to gain or lose weight.

Next, you will need to know how much your horse weighs to calculate how much to feed him and what. Unless you take your horse to a facility that has a large-enough scale, such as a veterinary clinic or commercial farm, you will need to calculate his estimated weight using a weight tape. The formula differs depending on whether a horse is a young growing horse, a pony or draft breed, lactating or pregnant, in heavy work, underweight, or overweight.

However, the general calculation for the average light horse breed is:. Taking a measurement every two weeks should reflect any weight changes. That tells the owner where they are at and if the horse needs to gain, lose, or stay the same.

Weight, along with age, amount of exercise, climate, body condition, reproductive status, type of horse light horse, for example , etc. Forage is the basis of all feeding programs, as this is a primary source of the basic nutrients needed. Coleman and Williams suggest that horses consume 1. The pasture intake is hard to limit unless you either restrict access to the pasture or use a grazing muzzle. So how do you know how much your horse is eating when he is out to pasture? Williams says a 1,pound horse in light work can consume 20 pounds of forage—grass and hay—per day.

Offer as much as possible of this remaining amount as other forms of forage, such as hay, and then only add grain if your horse needs it to meet his energy needs.

Laurie Lawrence, PhD, professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Kentucky, says owners should remember that pastured horses are subject to dietary changes associated with pasture availability.

Therefore, additional hay might be necessary if pasture quality declines. He recommends owners learn about the nutrients that different forage types provide. For instance, a legume hay, such as alfalfa, is higher in calories, protein, and calcium than grass hay of a similar maturity. Hoffman suggests owners enlist their hay or feed dealer or local extension specialist to perform a nutrient analysis on their hay.

As well, it is easier to justify a higher calorie, higher protein, more expensive grain concentrate if your hay is lower in nutrients. Horses in the wild typically roam until they find good-looking grass and graze on it slowly. They then wander along, take a short nap, and repeat the cycle. Domesticated horses follow this pattern in pastures. Horses graze because they have small stomachs relative to their body, so to meet their dietary needs, they have to take in small portions over an extended period.

It is also essential that your horse has plenty of clean water at all times. Several dehydration symptoms like lethargy, muscle weakness, depression, and colic can show in a matter of hours. Though horses are predicted to survive weeks without eating anything, they will die in three to five days of no water. A neighbor recently over-fed his horse and the poor animal developed colic as a result. It made me think about how horses get over-fed and wonder why horses tend to overeat.

You can overfeed a horse in many different ways. Horses have constant access to food in the wild, so it seems to make sense that they would know when to stop eating.

However, grazing horses burn calories roaming around searching for grass, and then they slowly pull it from the ground before they can take another bite. This method of eating keeps them from overeating. Other minerals are likely to be present in adequate amounts in a normal diet. Concentrated mixes are cereal grains with supplements added to increase the specific nutrient content of the mix.

A complete feed is a grain mix that is high in fiber because it contains a forage or high-fiber byproducts feed such as hulls. Complete feeds are held together, usually by extrusion puffed up like dog food or by forming into pellets. If you are feeding a commercial complete feed, you will not need to feed hay follow the label for feeding recommendations. There are also feeds for specific classes of horses. Some feeds are specially formulated for young, growing horses weanlings and yearlings ; and for geriatric aged horses that are old and have specific nutritional needs.

Some commercial feed companies make pre-mixed, convenient, easy-to-use formulated feeds for horses that are on different hay diets such as grass or alfalfa.

You should not need to add any other supplements to the diet. These feeds may be more expensive than developing your own ration, but they are good for the owner who does not want to spend time to research their horse's diet. Nutrient requirements for different horse.

The nutrient requirements of a horse vary with its age, weight and the amount of work it performs. Good quality hay is sufficient feed for a mature horse that is ridden very little.

With an increase in work, grain should be added to its diet. Approximate Amounts 1, -pound horse , all hay and grain should be of good quality. Only a horse that is worked extremely hard would ever receive half of its ration in grain.

A racehorse in heavy training is an example of a horse requiring half of its ration in grain. So never feed your pleasure horse more than it needs. Younger horses require special rations, talk to your veterinarian. There are many books available to show you how to balance a horses' ration or contact your local Penn State Extension Educator for help.

When balancing or evaluating a ration, use the National Research Council tables as a guideline to determine available nutrients to meet your horse's requirements.

When you balance a ration: Determine the age, weight and level of activity or work of the horse, and determine the actual nutrient content of the available feed by sending your feed to a commercial feed-testing laboratory follow the direction in the article above. Contact your local Penn State Extension Educator for the name of the laboratory nearest you. The horse's daily nutrient ration needs will vary due to age, activity or performance level, health status, and, in broodmares, stage of pregnancy or lactation.

Estimates of dietary requirements can be found in a variety of publications, such as the National Research Council's Nutrient Requirements of Horses , 6th Edition NRC, , in extension websites. Once you determine a horse's requirements, then analyze your hay and feeds for what nutrients they provide.

This determines if you're feeding program meets or exceeds the horse's needs. There are a variety of websites that allow you to make the calculations automatically or provide step-by-step instructions. An example of one:. Always be careful not to create an excess of other nutrients when increasing feed ingredient levels. Excesses of some nutrients can inter-act with other nutrients.

For example, excess calcium can prevent complete utilization of phosphorus. Check National Research Council tables for calcium to phosphorus ratios; however, a good rule of thumb is a ratio. Metabolic disorders, such as laminitis, osteochondrosis and epiphysitis, stem from an imbalance in nutrients. Many disorders can be avoided by giving your horse a balanced ration. Remember, each horse has to be fed as an individual. Feed an amount that is adequate to maintain a body condition similar to that of an athlete.

The National Research Council requirements are suggested values; individual horses may require adjustments to these nutrients. Constantly assess the body condition of your horse. A properly conditioned horse will have enough fat so its ribs don't show, but you should still be able to feel the ribs when you run your fingers over them.

Some horses require more and some less feed than others. Other factors such as body condition, health history and environmental factors should be taken into account to best design a sound ration for your horse. Consult with your nutrition professional, county extension agent or veterinarian to help you formulate a ration designed to insure the health and longevity of your horse.

Because a horse's stomach is very small and cannot hold a large amount of feed at one time, it should be fed at least twice a day on a regular schedule. Some horses benefit from three or more feedings per day. But don't overfeed your horse; too much feed at one time can cause founder.

Multiply the girth in inches times itself heart girth 2 times the body length in inches and divide by Nutrient Requirements of Horses, 6th Revised Edition. Let's Stay Connected. By entering your email, you consent to receive communications from Penn State Extension. View our privacy policy. Thank you for your submission! Most hay is dispensed in flakes; however, the amount of hay in a flake can vary greatly, depending on the size of the flake and the kind of hay.

Ideally, you should wait an hour or so after your horse has finished a meal before riding them. In addition, blood flow is diverted away from the digestive organs during periods of exertion, so gut movement slows and colic may be a real danger. When feeding a horse after work, let them cool down completely—their breathing rate should be back to normal, and their skin should not feel hot or sweaty. Horses thrive on routine, and their amazingly accurate internal clocks make them much better timekeepers than their human caretakers.

Horses should be kept on a consistent feeding schedule, with meals arriving at the same time each day. The rules of feeding your horse. A guide to what, when and how to feed your horse.