Horse Feed - Comparison dissimilar Types of Horse Food
The food which we feed to horses needs to meet seven underlying requirements. Five of these are:
Horse Feed - Comparison dissimilar Types of Horse Food
Horse Feed - Comparison dissimilar Types of Horse Food
Horse Feed - Comparison dissimilar Types of Horse Food
Horse Feed - Comparison dissimilar Types of Horse Food
Energy. It needs to supply enough energy (calories) to meet the requirements of the horse. If the weather becomes colder or the horse is used more actively, the whole of food will need to be increased accordingly. Likewise, as winter turns into summer or if the horse is less active, the whole of food should be decreased.
Minerals and Vitamins. Aside from energy, horse feed needs to supply a range of vital minerals and vitamins, in the required quantities.
Bulk and High Fiber. The equine digestive system has evolved to process grass, which is high in fiber and bulk. Food which is concentrated (e.g. Grain) may supply the required energy and minerals, but lacks the bulk which the digestive system needs, which greatly increases the risk of ulcers and other diseases. Studies on horses which a diet high in grain or other concentrated foods show that 50% to 90% of these horses have ulcers.
Digestability. Food which is poorly digested provides exiguous food value and can cause serious illnesses (e.g. Impaction colic). This is a particular qoute for the older horse, where dental wear reduces his quality to chew food and aging has reduced his quality to digest inescapable foods. See 'Feeding Senior Horses' below for details. In addition, horses may eat unsuitable items (e.g. Straw) which do supply food value but due to difficulty in digestion can also follow in problems.
Safety. Almost any food, given in an incorrect quantity or fashion, can follow in health issues. A list of the tasteless mistakes to avoid is in case,granted below.
To understand the other two underlying requirements, it helps to first understand the normal eating patterns of horses. Horses have evolved as foragers, which means that they eat for a exiguous while in one place, then move on in crusade of great food (e.g. More tender or nutritious) and eat somewhere else. One often sees this behaviour when the horse is in a large pasture, where they frequently move from place to place. The fancy for this behaviour is that they evolved in a landscape where the quality of food was variable (as opposed to the largely uniform grassland which we create in our pastures) so they needed to spend most of their time enthralling and eating, up to 18 hours per day. This has resulted in two dietary requirements:
Continuous Feeding. Although a horse does not eat permanently (e.g. It spends part of its time enthralling about and other activities), it needs to eat frequently. It needs a minimum of 2-3 meals per day to keep its digestive system healthy, but more frequent eating is preferable. Many small meals are great than a few large meals. This is one of the reasons that horses which graze on pasture during the day are commonly healthier than horses which have their food (e.g. Hay or grain) given to them once or twice a day.
Stimulation. A horse's main stimulation and vocation comes from finding for food and eating (typical forager activity). Restricting it to short and infrequent feedings will follow in a bored and unhappy horse, which is likely to found stress related behaviours such as cribbing or repetitive movements.
Grass and Hay
Grass is the most natural food for horses, as it is what they have evolved to eat. In general, horses will tend to be healthier on a diet which consists generally of grass than on any other type of food.
Hay is the second most natural food, being rather close to the dried grass which they might find after a hot and dry summer, or dried winter grass. It is less nutritious than fresh grass but good quality hay is a useful alternative when there is not enough fresh grass.
There are a large number of poisonous weeds which can be found in some pastures. Depending on the type of plant eaten and the quantity, the follow can be anything from minor to fatal. Some plants can also cause damage the skin or hooves if the horse rolls or walks on them. Consequently, before putting your horse into a pasture, a knowledgeable person should check the pasture for poisonous weeds. As some weeks are descriptive generally in spring and others generally in summer, a thorough walk straight through the pasture at least twice a year to check for suspicious plants is advisable.
With hay, one faces the same issues with poisonous plants, if the hay is made from a pasture with poisonous weeds. In fact, the situation with hay is potentially more hazardous since horses will instinctively avoid eating many of the the poisonous plants if encountered in a pasture, but when they are mixed in with hay and dried the horses are no longer able to recognize and avoid them since they have lost their distinctive smell and appearance. Consequently, one should take extra care that one uses hay only from a pasture which is safe or hay that is sourced from a trust worthy source.
The other major risk with grass is that grass which is overly rich in carbohydrates (e.g. Spring grass) or nitrates (e.g. Fertilised field) can cause laminitis or founder. See the preceding link for more data on how to avoid this. Excessively rich hay may have the same risk, but since hay is made at a time of year when the grass is naturally less rich, this is much less likely.
Another consideration is the quality of the hay. It can include harmful mold or fungus if it has not been properly dried before being cut, or has gotten wet either prior to or after bailing, or has been stored in plastic bags. Any bales which have mold or fungus should be thrown out rather than used. Hay can also be dusty, fluctuating from slightly dusty to very dusty, depending on the soil and weather conditions at the time it was made, as well as the way in which it was cut/turned/baled. Very dusty hay should not be used as it can cause respiratory problems in horses. Slightly dusty hay is fine, except for horses which are sensitive to dust. One can soak hay in water to take off the dust, but in this case one needs to clean out uneaten hay each day to stop the wet hay from going off. An benefit of industrial feeds over hay is that in normal they are unlikely to have dust, mold or fungus (unless they have been allowed to get wet as a follow of improper storage).
Hay Cubes or Bricks
Hay cubes (also known as hay bricks) is hay which has been cut and then compressed into a brick shape. This is a convenient way of storing hay as it uses up less space and can form convenient private portions. It does tend to be more high-priced to buy than baled hay and horses with dental issues may find it more difficult to chew. There have been cases of horse choke reported with hay bricks, but this is uncommon. Aside from these differences, it has much the same advantages and disadvantages as normal baled hay (see above).
Hay Pellets
Hay pellets is effectively hay which has been ground up, heat treated and converted to pellets. It tends to be more high-priced than hay (partly due to the supplementary processing), but is also more convenient and uses up about a third of the space as medium-density hay bales. As the pellets are effectively hay in someone else form, it has much the same nutritional value, except for those brands which add minerals or vitamins.
The pellets can be eaten quicker than hay in its unprocessed format, so supply somewhat less vocation and stimulation than unprocessed hay. They also tend to break down quicker in the digestive system, so provide somewhat less value in terms of absorbing stomach acids and protecting against ulcers.
A tasteless qoute with pellets is that many horses will try to swallow them without first properly chewing them, resulting in the horses choking. If your horse does this, you should soak the pellets in water for 10 minutes or so before feeding to the horse; this causes the pellets to break down into a soupy mix which the horses cannot choke on. The advantages and disadvantages of soaking are:
Choke. Soaking the pellets prevents the horse from choking on them.
Water Intake. This is a good way to increase your horse's water intake, as horses do not always drink enough. In particular, older horses sometimes do not drink enough (although there are some illnesses which have the opposite effect) and horses being portable often do not drink enough.
Winter Warming. during the winter, horses can come to be chilled (especially old, sick or shaved horses). If there pellets are soaked in warm water (but not hot water!) this can help them warm up, especially as compared to drinking cold water from an face bucket or unheated drinker.
Mess. Unfortunately, many horses lift their head away from their feeding bucket while eating, and in the case of soaked hay pellets this can follow in them dropping a fair bit on the floor. Furthermore, if they toss their heads while eating (e.g. If startled by a noise), it tends to follow in the hay soup being sprayed on the walls. All such mess should be cleaned up to forestall the increase of mold or fungus. Alternatively, one may wish to feed them from a bucket outside.
Grain and Musli
Grain and musli, when purchased in the form of industrial horse feeds, are high-energy foods which are truly digested. Musli is made from a choice of crushed grains and may have minerals or vitamins added, as well as sugar, fiber and filler.
An alternative to purchasing industrial horse feeds is to buy the grains yourself, which you can feed either individually or incorporate to make a musli. In this case, you will likely need to buy a grain crusher and put the grain straight through the crusher before feeding to horses. The fancy for this is that uncrushed grain is an large part undigested by the horse since many of the grains are swallowed whole (rather than chewed) and hole grains naturally pass straight through the digestive system. Most moderate-sized stables use this approach since it reduces the cost of grain feed by 50% to 75% as compared to the industrial bagged feeds. Of course, it takes a bit more time and consequently is less convenient than the industrial feeds, and one needs to spend in the crusher (a few hundred dollars).
Although a bag of grain or musli appears high-priced when compared to the same quantity of hay, grain is much higher in energy so the whole of grain required for a horse's daily energy needs is much lower than the whole of hay. Consequently, depending on local prices, they can be substantially cheaper than hay. Many brands of musli have added sugar (e.g. In the form of molasses or beetroot pulp), which supplementary increases the whole of energy.
These products are fed to horses used for sport, not only for the quick energy which they provide, but also because they follow in a much trimmer body. Hay and grass are not only bulky in themselves, but also follow in supplementary bulk in terms of digestive gases and food in various stages of digestion or elimination. Consequently, for activities such as racing or jumping, the diet of competition horses is normally high in grain or musli.
As the above discusses, the advantages of these types of feed include convenience, possible cost savings, and a slim torso for competition. In addition, horses which are old, sick or under-nourished can benefit from having their normal diets supplemented by these high-energy foods, especially during the winter when they wish supplementary energy to keep warm.
Against these advantages, there are a whole of disadvantages. These energy-dense foods do not offer the bulk, fiber or mental stimulation required by horses. If the foods are fed as a supplement to the original diet of hay and straw this is not an issue. However, when such foods from the bulk of the horse's diet, the lack of bulk and fiber can follow in various digestive issues (ulcers are tasteless in such cases) and the lack of stimulation can follow in stress and the improvement of undesirable habits (such as cribbing or repetitive movements).
One should also take note that if these high-energy foods are fed in excess, they can lead to carbohydrate overload, causing the serious disease laminitis. As some horses are more prone to this than others, due to breed type or old medical history, you should consult with your veterinarian before feeding large quantities. If your horse's current diet is already rich (e.g. Spring grass) then one should take pro advice before supplementing it with any grain or musli products.
Mash
Mash is similar to musli in that it is a high-energy food made from grain, although mash tends to be a higher energy food than musli. A key difference in the middle of the two is that musli is designed to be soaked in water, where it breaks down to form a mush or soup. It is often used as a supplement for old or sick horses, especially during warm weather where it can be made with warm (not hot!) water to help rewarm chilled horses. A supplementary benefit is that it contributes to the horse's water intake (unlike dry feeds), which is a benefit for horses which do not drink enough (a tasteless qoute with older horses).
Unfortunately, many horses lift their head away from their feeding bucket while eating, and in the case of mash this can follow in them dropping a fair bit on the floor. Furthermore, if they toss their heads while eating (e.g. If startled by a noise), it tends to follow in the mash being sprayed on the walls. All such mess should be cleaned up to forestall the increase of mold or fungus. Alternatively, one may wish to feed them from a bucket outside.
There are advantages and disadvantages to high energy foods; see the above consulation on grain and musli for an explanation of these.
Feed Variations
The above discusses the main types of horse feeds. Each of these types has a whole of sub-types. For example:
Grass. There are distinct types and qualities of grass. Furthermore, depending on the pasture, there will be differing amounts of other herbs (e.g. Clover). In addition, the nutritional value will be affected by the makeup of the soil, as well as the whole of sun and rain. Consequently, some pastures are far more nutritious than others; this is not always an benefit as overly rich pasture can cause laminitis.
Hay. As grassland varies in nutrition, so also does the hay which is made from it. Furthermore, hay varies depending on how it is made (e.g. How much it is dried, how long it is left in the field before baling) and how it is stored (temperature, moisture, sunlight) as well as how long it is stored.
Grain. There are many distinct types of grain, which vary in their nutritional qualities. Depending on the types and ratios of the distinct grains you use, either directly or in the form of musli or mash, the food will have distinct nutritional profiles. In addition, the nutritional values will be affected by the increasing of non-grain additives such as: minerals, additives, fiber, filler, sugar in various forms.
In particular, there are many distinct types of musli, which use distinct grain and additive mixtures to furnish feeds aimed at specific types of horses. For example, one can find musli products which claim to use an optimum mix for: senior (old) horses, foals, pregnant mares, nursing mares, sport horses, show and competition (gives an enthralling and shiny coat), faultless feeds (intended to be used as the sole food rather than a supplement) and so on. These speciality foods vary in terms of the ratio of macro-nutrients (e.g. Proportions of protein, fat, involved carbohydrates, simple carbohydrates), the types and amounts of micro-nutrients (minerals and vitamins) and the source used (e.g. Fiber from beet-root has distinct characteristics than fiber from alfalfa in terms of speed and ease of digestion).
Unfortunately, distinct manufacturers have distinct and conflicting views on what these specific requirements are. For example, senior food from one builder will use higher than normal amounts of sugar because it is an truly digested energy source for older horses with reduced digestive capability, while senior food from someone else builder will use lower than normal amounts of sugar to avoid problems of Cushings disease and insulin resistance which are more tasteless in older horses. Given these opposing and conflicting approaches, it can sometimes be hard to determine if a speciality food is truly great or worse for your horse. Consequently, it is advisable to discuss with a veterinarian your private horse's health and requirements before choosing on which of the speciality foods is most convenient for your specific horse.
Fruit and Vegetables
Although large amounts of fruit or vegetables are not a natural diet for a horse, small amounts as treats are suitable. Prior to feeding, they should be cut into small irregular pieces, as round pieces (e.g. A small whole apple) can come to be stuck in the throat and cause choking.
Acceptable fruits include: apples, bananas (peeled), pears. Acceptable vegetables include: beetroot, carrots, celery, parsnips, swede and turnip.
Do not feed onions, potatoes, rhubarb, tomatoes. Do not feed sour fruits. Be rigorous of large amounts of sweet fruit as immoderate sugar can lead to weight gain, laminitis, or blood sugar imbalance. If a fruit or vegetable is not on the thorough list, do not feed to your horse without first consulting a veterinarian.
Final Notes
You should be consistent in what you feed your horse. If you travel with your horse and are unsure that you will be unable to get the same type of food on your trip, try to take enough of his food to feed him until you return, or make arrangements to fetch his normal food during the time away.
If you need to convert your horse's diet, you should do so gradually. Likewise, if you are getting a new horse and plan to convert his diet, it is wise to fetch a quantity of his old food so that you can gradually convert him over. When changing a horse's diet, you should carefully watch his behaviour and operation to ensure that there are no adverse results (e.g. Colic, laminitis, food allergies).
Determining the best diet for your horse is an prominent and serious matter, particularly if it is weak (old, very young, sick, dental issues) or has a weight issue (over or under) or has a food related medical history (colic, laminitis, allergy, insulin resistance, etc.). It is advisable to found a convenient diet with a veterinarian or equivalent professional, based on a knowledge of your private horse's specific requirements and intended use. A diet which is as natural as possible (e.g. Grass) is commonly the healthiest for the horse, unless it has specific requirements for other types of food.
Horse Feed - Comparison dissimilar Types of Horse Food
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