I can provide information about feeding practices for horses, but the search results do not contain specific advice about weight loss in horses.
Horses were among the last livestock species to be domesticated, with domestication occurring around 3000 BCE in the Near East. The specific nutritional needs of horses can usually be met with pasture forage, harvested roughages, and concentrates.
What are the General Feeding Guidelines for Horses?
Good quality grass-legume pastures, along with iodized or trace-mineralized salt, provide sufficient nutrients for adult horses doing light work or for mares during pregnancy. Lush, early spring pasture, which is high in water and protein, may need to be supplemented with a high-energy source like grain for horses performing medium to heavy work. Late fall- and winter-pasture forage, low in water and protein, may require protein and vitamin A supplementation.
High-quality legume hays, such as early bloom alfalfa, are preferred for horses, especially those that are growing or lactating. Moldy or dusty feeds should be avoided because horses are extremely susceptible to forage poisoning and respiratory complications. Grass hays, such as timothy, prairie grass, orchard grass, and bluegrass, were preferred by early horsemen because they were usually free from mold and dust and tended to slow down the rate of passage through the intestinal tract. However, these hays are low in digestible energy and protein and must be adequately supplemented. Silages of all sorts should be avoided since horses and mules are extremely susceptible to botulism and digestive upsets.
What Type of Grain is Best for Horses?
Oats are the preferred grain for horses because of their bulk, but corn (maize), barley, wheat, and milo can be used when they are less expensive. 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. Horses normally reach mature weight at less than four years of age and 80 percent of their mature weight at less than two years of age.
How Much Should I Feed My Horse?
- Weanling Foals: 3 pounds of feed per 100 pounds of live weight daily
- Maturing Horses: 1 pound of feed per 100 pounds of live weight daily
What Should I Avoid Feeding My Horse?
- Moldy or Dusty Feeds: Can cause forage poisoning and respiratory complications
- Silages: Can cause botulism and digestive upsets
People Also Ask
How early can foals start eating solid food?
Foals will start to eat some pasture grass, forage, or hay when they are about three days old, and they will start to eat grain at around three weeks old.
How do horses’ nutritional needs change as they age?
As horses mature, their feed requirements change from three pounds of feed per hundred pounds of live weight per day to one pound of feed per hundred pounds of live weight daily.
What are complete horse rations?
Complete horse rations, including roughage, are tailored to the total needs of specific animals according to their particular function at a given time, such as growth, pregnancy, lactation, or maintenance. These rations are especially useful for horses stabled in cities and suburbs where sufficient roughages cannot be grown.
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