DIRECTORY
[Types of Feed]	[Special Nutritional Aspects]	[Feeding Programs]	[Poisonous Plants]	[Questions & Answers]	[Links & Resources]

This Page Is Dedicated To Providing Information On Better Health & Diet For The Horses We All Cherish & Love. There Are Current Diet Programs For A Variety Of Equine Life Styles & Geographical Locations. Included Is A Question & Answer Section. Please Feel Free To Email Us With Any Questions, Answers or Opinions. All Answers & Opinions Will Be Researched & Then Posted. Please Be Advised That All Email Answers & Opinions Are The Soul Responsiblity Of Those Who Submit Them. With A Sincere Desire To Provide You With Quality Resource Equine Feeding Programs For The Betterment Of Our Beloved Horses,
*RaeKen Arabians & Pintos*


'TYPES OF FEED'
Grains
Various types of grain are a good source of energy. The more common types are discussed here.
OATS:    As this grain is the one most widely used to feed horses, every effort should be made to secure the best quality. Make sure that the grain is full and of good color. Oats may be given to the horse either as whole grain or as processed grain that may be crushed, rolled or bruised. The processed grain is no more digestible than whole grain and if kept for longer than two to three weeks, it will lose some of its nutitional value. Oats is the grain of choice for horses.
CORN(maize):    This grain has a greater energy content than most others. It's known as a HOT FEED. It is best used as a supplement to oats rather than as the main source of energy. It can be fed whole to the horse but it is more beneficial if cracked. Corn is widely known as a cattle grain rather than and equine grain.
BARLEY:    This grain has a greater energy content than oats but less than corn. It is of greater value if boiled before being fed to the horse. Often this grain is used to improve a horse's general condition, including weight and coat.
MILO:    This is a hard, small grain and to be of value it should be ground, rolled or boiled; otherwise, it cannot be properly digested.
SOYBEAN:    If this grain is made into a meal by removing the hull or husk, its digestibility is improved and it becomes an excellent source of protein.
WHEAT:    This grain is not recommended. If fed, it should be crushed or boiled and given in small quantities only. It has been known to cause laminitis(founder). Another significant cause of founder in horses is long, migrating toes. The coffin bone will then rotate down toward the center of the sole in the hoof by having constant angle pressure on the coffin bone and connective laminar tissue. Stalled horses unable to have adequate exercise are prime candidates for foundering. There has been an outstanding study done on founder by Gene Ovnicek in Penrose, Colorado founder and owner of the EDSS method You may learn more about these findings at "Equine Digial Support System"
I have learned much from this Authors and have gleened from these methods what I find works for me personally & my individual horses needs. Not all trims are cut in stone as a one and only pattern for each horse. Remember, Foundered horses have much different needs than a sound horse.

HAYS
Good quality hays can completely satify a horse's nutirtional requirements, provided that there is no additional demand such as that arising from growth in foals and work by racehorses, endurance horses or similiar training programs. Broadly speaking, alfalfa hay is a good source of protein, energy, fibre, calcium and vitamins. Any of the well-known hays can be fed to horses, but keep in mind that it is the quality, protein level, calcium & vitamin level of the hay, not the type, which is the most important consideration. The characteristics of good quality hay are that is shoud be leafy without too much stem, free from weeds, dust and mould, greenish in color (yellow or black should be rejected), succulent without being too damp or even too dry and sweet smelling. It should be more than six months old and less than eighteen months old. (The age of the hay at harvesting time is important, as young plants contain more nutrient and less fibre.)

CHAFF
Chaff is usually made from finely chopped lucerne, oaten, or wheaten hay. In the process, nutrients in the hay are destroyed to some extent. Lucerne chaff has greater nutritional value than the others whereas oaten and wheaten chaff contain more roughage and bulk.

MEALS
Linseed meal is high in fibre and low in digestibility. It is often fed to imporve the appearance of the coat, but its value is doubtful.
Cotton seed meal can be used as a source of protein. It need not be de-gossypoled.
Soybean meal as a source of protein is superior to the others because of its high digestibility and high quality protein.

ADDITIVES
Bran has very limited nutirtional value. It can be fed as a damp mash. Some people believe it has a laxative effect and if the horse is fed the right quantity (see diet chart), bran will maintain the horse's droppings (manure) at the right consistency (i.e., they break up as they hit the ground).

Molasses, being raw sugar, is a good source of energy. It also serves to make the feed more palatable.

Pellets can be used as a complete diet, depending on their formulation. They are recommended for use as an additive or supplement to avoid the possibility of some deficiency developing.

Vitamin and mineral supplements are valuable, especially for the performance horse. It is important that they contain the whole range of vitamins, minerals and trace elements in correct balance. When purchasing these supplements, read the label carefully. It is not sufficient for it to list what is included in the contents of the container; the precise quantity of each vitamin, mineral and trace element should also be included. Only then can you evaluate the quality and economic value of the product.

PASTURE
Pastures can vary greatly for many reasons, including season, management and soil suitability.
Good quality pasture is adequate for mature horses that only require food for maintenance. If possible, all horses, especially those being fed in stables, should have access to pasture for at least two hours every day. Not only is the fresh pasture nutritionally valuable, but the exercise that the horse takes while foraging in the paddock aids digestion.
Horses without access to pasture should be given a sheaf of freshly cut grass every day.

WATER
Water should be freely available at all times except immediately after the horse has taken strenuous exercise. It should be fresh, clean and cool.

*"The Complete Book Of Horse Care", pg.80-81* By:Tim Hawcroft B.V.Sc.,(Hons)M.A.C.V.Sc.
All Rights Reserved

'SPECIAL NUTRITIONAL ASPECTS' Energy and Calcium-Phosphorus Balance
Work denotes the expenditure of more energy. Grain is a very good source of energy; the most common grain being fed to horses is oats. All cereal grains contain high phosphorus levels, so that an increased grain diet increases the phosphorus level. Because the amount of grain in the diet is increased with a corresponding decrease in the amount of roughage, e.g., as contained in lucerne hay, there is a resultant decrease in the calcium level, for lucerne hay is a rich source of calcium. Young horses that have not reached their maturity need food for energy as well as for growth, so that if their energy food upsets their calcium requirements for growth, they need a calcium supplement. It is most important that the calcium supplement does not contain any phosphorus such as calcium phosphate because the imbalance is not rectified.

"Tying-Up" and Lactic Acid
High-grain diets also lead to a storage of glycogen in the body. Glycogen is used by the muscles when work is being performed and the waste product from the chemical change that takes place is lactic acid. If the lactic acid accumulates and is not expelled from the muscle tissue, it damages the muscle fibres, producting a condition called tying-up or, if large areas of muscle fibre are damaged or destryed, it causes azoturia(stiffness, pain & muscle tremor in hindquarters). In any case, this condition adversely affects a horse's training program and performance.
Often if a blood count is taken, certain enzyme tests are done to confirm the diagnosis of tying-up. The author has often found that, if serum enzyme levels in a horse's blood are very high just prior to racing, in most cases performances are disappointing, although in track work before the race there has been no sign of stiffness or soreness in their action.
Some horses that are not on high-grain diets tie-up because they are hypersensitive to lactic acid or have little ability to metabolise the by-product. These horses require medical treatment both orally and by injection to prevent tying-up ruining their career. Prevention also involves reducing the grain level when there is a reduction in the workload and, in some cases, keeping the grain level at a minimum all the time.

Founder
Founder, i.e., laminitis or inflammation of the sensitive laminae in the hoof occurs in all classes of horses. However, it is most often observed in overfed (high-grain diet or lush, highly palatable pasture grass diets, or high protein feeds such as rich alfalfa hays) and in hooves having no frog contact with the ground either due to long heels, improper shoeing or improper trimming. Underworked horses receiving little or no exercise causing poor blood flow to the hoof, especially confined horses & ponies are subject to founder. You can learn more about the foundered hoof through the outstanding work of Gene Ovnicek with Natural Balance trimming and the EDSS shoeing program addressing, yet not excluding other hoof diseases, severe foundered and navicular at "Hope For Soundness".

Hydration
Work is associated with sweat which is made up of fluids and electrolytes. If the fluid and electrolytes are not replaced, dehydration sets in and a poor performance results.
Electrolyte loss and imbalance can be evaluated on a blood count and treated accordingly. The usual method is to restore the electrolytes through the feed, a stomach tube or an intravenous injection.

Stress
Continual exercise on the track and racing leads to stress that depresses erythropoesis (red blood cell production). Exacerbating this problem is an increase in red blood cell fragility and destruction. Horses that cannot cope with stress become anaemic.
Stress can also occur in performing show animals, environment change & feed change do to sales, long haul transporting of an animal, etc.
It is important to have a blood count done to determine the type of anaemia so that the appropriate treatment can be carried out.
As a rule, all racehorses, endurance horses, performing horses, foals, broodmares should be on a selected vitamin and mineral supplement that is balanced, and the concentration of vitamins and minerals should be fully stated on the container.*Note: Check Links & Resources for "LMF Feed Supplement(Researched and Developed by Kentucky Equine Research & CACHE COMMODITIES INC.) An iron supplement that will directly influence the haemoglobin levels is also recommended. You will need to be careful, as some irons are not readily absorbed.

Loss of Weight
Decrease in protein intake due to poor appetite associated with hard work can cause weight loss. A more subtle cause of weight loss can be the increased amount of grain being fed to provide energy for hard work. Grains, e.g., oats, are a poor source of protein. Hard work causes muscle fibre fatigue which, if prolonged, leads to muscle fibre breakdown. This puts the horse in a negative nitrogen balance.
Poor teeth, being infected with parasites(worms) plus feed deprivation causes weight loss.
Serum protein levels evaluated on the blood count can determine whether a high protein feed additive such as soy bean meal, cotton seed meal or dried powdered milk, is required. Beware of some high protein feeds such as linseed meal which is very low in digestibility.
Certain anabolic steroids that can be used to stimulate appetite assist in efficiently converting protein in the diet to muscle and other kinds of tissue, offsetting the muscle fibre breakdown and putting the horse into a positive nitrogen balance.

Studs
Stallions are often overfed and under-exercised spending most of their lives stalled. Poor quality diet leads to testicular degeneration and atrophy, diminished sexual drive, decreased number of spermatozoa and increased abnormal forms of spermatozoa. If the poor diet is prolonged, these changes can be irreversible.
Vitamin 'A' is essential for sperm production. Green pasture is a source of carotene which is converted to vitamin 'A'. Exposure of lucern hay, clover and green herbage to sunlight and air, as well as the physical destruction of leaves during drying, destroys carotene, the source of vitamin 'A'. Good hay is a source of vitamin 'A' for six to twelve months.
Vitamin 'A' can be stored in the liver for six to twelve months. A stallion's requirements are 2000 to 5000 I.U. vitamin 'A' per 50 kg body weight. Ten times the amount mentioned can be toxic.
It has been claimed that vitamin 'E' is important for increased libido and semen quality, the requirement being 20 I.U. per 50 kg body weight. There is no scientific evidence to support this claim.

Feeding Brood Mares
A mare's chances of becoming pregnant are better on a rising plane of nutrition. It is not desirable for a non-pregnant mare approaching the stud season to be overfat as she has less chance of becoming pregnant. Allow the non-pregnant mares to lighten off during winter and restore them to a gaining weight phase as they approach the stud season.
The volume of food given during the first two-thirds of pregnancy does not have to be markedly increased. It is important to make sure that ample quality feed is available in the last three months of preganacy to satisfy the demands of the rapidly growing foetus. The environment three months before birth often coincides with very poor pasture so the diet needs to be supplemented.
For good early fetal development, it is important that there should be no nutritional deficiencies. A well-balanced vitamin-mineral supplement in a good nutrition program is essential for early fetal formation.
There is a increased demand for protein during lactation. Good sources of protein are lucerne hay and soya bean meal. To raise the total protein level of the diet by adding a high protein supplement, one must be aware of the existing amino acid deficiency in the basic diet. For example, milk is high in the amino acid lysine while grain is low in that amino acid, so that the addition of skim milk improves the protein value of grain feed.
There is an increased demand for calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. Lucerne and molasses have high calcium levels. As already mentioned, grains are an important source of phosphorus.
One has to contend with the ninth day foaling heat. If the nutrition is poor, coupled with the stress of lactation and the effect of parturition(birth) on the mare's metabolism, she may not come on heat at the normal nine- to ten- day post-foaling heat period or in some cases for months afterwards.

Food for Foals and Yearlings
Foals and yearlings need to grow in terms of muscle and bone development. This growth phase is concerned with protein and calcium, phosphorus and vitamin 'D'. The quality and quantity of mare's milk are not adequate to satisfy the nutritional requirements of the foal. All foals should be creep fed with high quality grains and hay; they thus develop more rapidly.
Adequate levels of calcium and phosphorus are very important, as well as the ratio of calcium to phosphorus. An imbalance of calcium and phosphorus associated with bone disorders has been recognised for a long time.
Yearlings stabled in dark barns without adequate direct sunlight are susceptible to vitamin'D' deficiency. Vitamin 'D' is important for calcium absorption and utilisation. Exposure of the skin to direct sunlight brings about natural production of vitamin 'D'.
Some geographical areas are deficient in iodine, an element that is important for the function of teh thyroid gland which play a role in the horse's overall metabolism. Deficiency results in goitre(hypothyroidism). The symptoms are weak foals, contracted tendons, poor muscular development, delayed ossification of teh bones and leg fractures. Iodised salt licks or Lugolll's iodine is a good form of therapy. If in doubt, a well-balanced, quality-controlled vitamin-mineral supplement will ensure that the diet is not deficient in vitamins, minerals or trace elements.
*"The Complete Book Of Horse Care", pg.82-83* By:Tim Hawcroft B.V.Sc.,(Hons)M.A.C.V.Sc.
All Rights Reserved

'FEEDING PROGRAMS'

DIET CHART #1
TYPE OF HORSE Pregnant Mare	A.M. 9 lbs. alfalfa hay	NOON	P.M. 1 lb. grain supplement vitamin combination 9 lbs. alfalfa hay
Weanling to 12 months	3.5 lbs. alfalfa hay		1/2 lb. grain supplement vitamin combination 3.5 lbs. alfalfa hay
Yearling/Light Work	8 lbs. alfalfa hay		1 lb. grain supplement vitamin combination 8 lbs. alfalfa hay
Performance/Dressage	9 lbs. alfalfa hay		1 lb. grain supplement vitamin combination 9 lbs. alfalfa hay
Racehorse/Endurance/ Intense Work	2 lbs. grain supplement vitamin combination including oats & corn 5 lbs. alfalfa hay	1 lb. oats ten-minute pick of fresh grass	2 lbs. grain supplement vitamin combination including oats, corn & soybean meal 5 lbs. aflalfa hay
Normal Maintenance/(Mature Horse)	8 lbs. alfalfa hay		8 lbs. alfalfa hay 1 lb. grain supplement vitamin combination

'POISONOUS PLANTS' [Foxtail Barley][Common Burdock] [Rhubarb] [Azalea, Rhododendron=Cardiac effects] [Castorbean] [Tansy] [Ergot] [Fox Glove=Cardiac effects] [Tobacco] [Jack-in-the-Pulpit] [Milkweed=Causes Sudden Death] [Water Hemlock] [PoisonHemlock] [Buttercup] [Stinging Nettle] [Cocklebur] [Marijuana] [Jimsonweed] [Spurges] [Pokeweed] [Kleingrass=Colic,Liver Damage] [Bouncing Bet] [Nightshades] [Buckeye & Horsechestnut] [Choke Cherry=Respiratory arrest] [Red Oak][Oleander=Cardiac effects, diarrhea, sweating][Caley Pea] [Dumbcane(Aroids)] [English Ivy] [Catnip] [Christmas Plant(Poinsettia)] [Easter Lily] [Lupine] [Hoary Assylum=swelling] [Fescue] [Yellow & White Sweetclover] [Alsike Clover] [Red Maple] [Larkspur] [Dutchman's Breeches] [White Snakeroot] [Bracken Fern] [Senecio, Ragwort] [Green False Hellebore] [Horsetail] [Pigweed] [Locoweed] [Mustards] [St. Johnswort] [Star of Bethlehem] [Johnsongrass] [Black Walnut] [Black Locust] [Black Nightshade] [Fiddle Neck=Colic, swelling]


'QUESTIONS & ANSWERS'

Question:
From: Chyrese Nielsen, Utah
I've heard that there can be a possible Phosphorous & Calcium deficiency in horses that are fed grass hay and then supplimented with a bran mash instead of grain. I've heard that bran mashes block phosphorous & calcium absorbtion. Is this true?
Answer:
From: Kentucky Equine Research/Dr. Stephen Duran, Idaho
At The Kentucky Equine Research Center we research all feeds, grass, alfalfa, & grain suppliments. We have found that bran can be a phosphorous/calcium blocker. If fed with grass hay only it is possible that a horse can have a deficiency of these minerals. The studies indicate that grass hay is a low source of proteins and minerals, thus a grass hay and bran diet would very probably not be a suitable program. If you are feeding alfalfa hay, high in protein, you could use a bran mash occasionally.


Question:
From: Julie Whittle, Utah
The Bran mash issue is very interesting to me. I've used bran mashes daily for years. I've thought them to be beneficial as a laxative. I also thought them to be a preventative for colic. Are bran mashes a laxative and a preventative for colic?
Answer:
From: Kentucky Equine Research/Dr. Stephen Duran, Idaho
Bran mashes really do nothing towards being a laxative. Good alfalfa hay serves as the laxative ruffage that horses require. It's the ruffage that keep their bowels working properly. As far as a preventative for colic, the best preventative for colic is regular feeding times, consistant diet program, water intake, and a regular worming program to control parasites.


'LINKS & RESOURCES'

"The Complete Book of Horse Care by:Tim Hawcroft B.V.Sc., (Hons)M.A.C.V.Sc. HOWELL BOOK HOUSE INC.

Cache Commodities Inc. LMF Feeds 860 W 24th St. Ogden, Ut 84401 (801)392-2490

Kentucky Equine Research %Dr. Steve Duran Boise, Idaho (208)549-2323

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