horse feeding guide
How Much to Feed My Horses?
I am new horse owner so bear with me. I have a mature Arab mare, roughly 900-1000 pounds and a fat quarter horse something cross, he looks to be 1200 easy. I live in Alaska were the temperatures will likely drop to 0 this winter, and we did not have a good hay year.
What and how much should I feed to maintain a horse during winter? They will be keep outside with shelter of course, but no barn or stable.
Is there a range of pounds of hay a horse should get a day, or some sort of feeding guide online I can review?
My Arab was badly underweight in May when I purchased her, and she looks fantastic now. I followed my vets advice to allow her more protien, plus she was pastured this summer!
Help, and thanks!
Ok, you gave me a few things I need to know but I am still missing some details to help you come up with a feeding program.
You gave me the horses estimated weight (using a weight tape would be best to get a more accurate weight) and want to feed for winter.
I don’t know what work you are doing with your horses so I will assume light work. I don’t know what they are currently on, the age, what you want the feed to do, or whats available to you. So this is just a general suggested feeding for winter, with horses having light work, at the weights you stated, to maintain their weights.
for the arab -1000 lb weight
Needs 20,000 calories
12 pounds of hay
AND one of the following concentrates depending on if you want a pelleted or sweet feed
7 pounds of strategy
6.5 pounds omolene 200
5.5 pounds of ultium
7 pounds of horsemans edge
OR if you want a complete feed because you said they hay was not a good quality you could choose one of the following:
18 pounds of equine adult
16.5 pounds equine senior
14.5 pounds of complete advantage
For the 1200 pound QH cross:
24000 calories needed
14.5 pounds hay
AND one of the following concentrates depending on if you want a pelleted or sweet feed:
8.5 pounds of strategy
7.5 pounds omolene 200
6.5 pounds of ultium
8.5 pounds of horsemans edge
OR if you want a complete feed because you said they hay was not a good quality you could choose one of the following:
22 pounds of equine adult
19.5 pounds equine senior
17 pounds of complete advantage
Remember, the complete feeds have forage built in, so you don’t need hay. Just be sure you are spreading out the feedings and no more then 5 pounds of concentrates at a time. And dont forget fresh clean water and salt and make changes gradually.
Now, for winter feeding it is important to feed a ration that gives off a lot of heat. High quality hay is best for this purpose and is preffered over grain. This is because roughages are digested by bacterial fermentation in the cecum and colon, which produces a great deal of heat. However, you stated that your hay was not good this year. So you will have to result to grain. All grains are satisfactory, but corn has certain advantages. Corn generates twice as much energy as an equal volume of oats. Thus less needs to be fed. Your complete feeds will have corn in it.
Depending on what is available to you and your area and having bad hay I would lean more towards the complete feeds since the roughage is built in. If you wanted to use the complete feeds and hay then you will reduce about 1 pound of the grain for every 2-3 pounds of hay fed. If you notice your horses putting on weight, then feed less of the complete feed. If you notice them losing weight then add more of the complete feed. Mainly, the best way to determine if your horses are getting the right amount of food is to monitor them and watch for any changes in weight. If you must add some corn or oats for the extra energy in the winter then i would start with no more then a half pound of either to start.
Good luck and hope it helps.
Essential Guide to Horse Care Webisode: Feeding
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Storey’s Guide to Feeding Horses by Melyni Worth NEW SC $18.95 |
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Storey’s Guide to Feeding Horses: Lifelong Nutrition, F $12.95 |
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Storey’s Guide to Feeding Horses by Melyni Worth Storey $6.99 |
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FEEDING YOUR HORSE FOR LIFE, EQUINE NUTRITION GUIDE,NEW $6.98 |
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Understanding Equine Nutrition: Your Guide to Horse Health Care and Management (Horse Health Care Library) $10.44 Feeding horses wasn’t supposed to be so complicated. At least that’s not what Mother Nature intended. All horses in the wild really needed was a good source of grass and water and a natural salt lick of some kind. But as man began using horses for specific purposes, such as working fields, riding for pleasure or performance, or for breeding, so too did the kinds and amount of feeds owners gave to … |
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Storey’s Guide to Feeding Horses: Lifelong Nutrition, Feed Storage, Feeding Tips, Pasture Management $8.96 The one issue on which all horse owners agree is that proper diet and nutrition are the most essential aspects of horse care. In Storey’s Guide to Feeding Horses, equine nutritionist Melyni Worth addresses the many ways in which diet impacts a horse’s health, temperament, and performance. Worth covers the basics, discussing the details of the nutrients every horse needs, and how to calculate ra… |
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Understanding the Older Horse $11.54 The older horse has very specific needs. Here is information on feeding the older horse, routine veterinary and dental care, and exercise. In addition, horse owners will learn how to keep the older horse sound and useful for as long as possible. M… |
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