Feeding an active horse the right amount of grain is crucial for their health and performance. The amount of grain depends on the horse’s weight, activity level, and the quality of pasture or hay they receive. Good quality grass-legume pastures, in addition to iodized or trace-mineralized salt, will supply adequate nutrients to maintain an adult horse at light work or mares during pregnancy.
How Much Grain Should You Feed an Active Horse?
The amount of grain to feed an active horse depends on several factors, including their weight, activity level, and the quality of their forage (hay or pasture). Here’s a general guideline:
- Weanling Foals: Require three pounds of feed per hundred pounds of live weight daily.
- Approaching Maturity: The requirement drops to one pound of feed per hundred pounds of live weight daily.
What Factors Influence Grain Feeding?
Several factors influence how much grain an active horse needs:
- Weight: Heavier horses need more feed than lighter horses.
- Activity Level: Horses performing heavy work, such as plowing, need more energy (grain) than those at light work.
- Forage Quality: High-quality pastures or hay can reduce the need for grain supplementation.
- Temperament and Previous Nutrition: Horses will vary from the normal requirement in terms of weight, temperament, and previous nutrition.
What Are the Best Types of Grain for Horses?
- Oats: Often considered the preferred grain for horses due to their bulk and nutritional value.
- Corn (Maize), Barley, Wheat, and Milo: Can be used as alternative grains, especially when they are more cost-effective.
- Commercial Feed Mixes: Many modern breeders and owners use commercial feed mixes that contain minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients to provide a balanced diet when supplemented with hay.
How Should You Supplement Forage with Grain?
- Lush, Early Spring Pasture: Supplement with a high-energy source, such as grain, to meet the needs of horses performing medium to heavy work because it is very high in water and protein contents.
- Late Fall- and Winter-Pasture Forage: May require protein and vitamin A supplementation because it is low in water and protein.
- High-Quality Legume Hays: Such as early bloom alfalfa, are preferred for horses, especially those that are growing or lactating.
- Grass Hays: Such as timothy, prairie grass, orchard grass, and bluegrass, were preferred by early horsemen, especially for race horses, because they were usually free from mold and dust and tended to slow down the rate of passage through the intestinal tract.
What are Some Feeding Tips for Horses?
- Avoid Moldy or Dusty Feeds: Horses are susceptible to forage poisoning and respiratory complications.
- Do Not Feed Immediately Before or After Work: To avoid digestive problems.
- Provide Fresh Water: Especially when the horse is shedding its winter coat, but never when the animal is overheated after working.
- Salt: Is needed by the horse at all times and especially when shedding.
What are the General Nutritional Guidelines for Horses?
- Mature Horses: Good quality grass-legume pastures, in addition to iodized or trace-mineralized salt, will supply adequate nutrients to maintain an adult horse at light work or mares during pregnancy.
- Growing Horses: Weanling foals require three pounds of feed per hundred pounds of live weight per day; as they approach maturity, this requirement drops to one pound of feed per hundred pounds of live weight daily.
What are the Risks of Overfeeding Grain?
- Digestive Upsets: Silages of all sorts should be avoided since horses and mules are extremely susceptible to botulism and digestive upsets.
- Sweating: Corn (maize) is used as a fattening cereal, but it makes the horse sweat easily.
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