Saving on horse feed

[jdougert]

Originally Posted by myboyjake

mav,

After sitting in on a couple of seminars at the Equine affair you would think that your horse needs all these different supplement or he will not survive. After having the vet out last week I started questioning her on all the different supplements and her response was that its like all the different fishing lure companys claiming that there lure with catch the most fish. What these are are people catchers. She said its pretty simple a horses gut is made for hay and grass and as long as there is no medical issues thats all they need.

Interesting thread. While I do agree with the basic idea of the OP, most people are way over feeding the grain to idle horses. Here is the thing...horses would be fine on just hay and grass if they were just left out in a field full of good quality grass 24/7 and not asked to do anything but eat grass and doze. Once you start confining them and/or putting a saddle or equipment on a horse's back and ask them to do more than wander around a field of grass, they need extra calories in order to have the energy to perform their task.

Also, keep in mind that there are lots of horses; especially, here in Florida, who are kept on minimal size 'lot' with no grass and only given low quality/inexpensive hay which would not meet their nutritional needs.

[Slim Pikkens]

I'm not trying to get people to agree on how to feed a horse. I reiterate, the point was to help people alter their feeding program in times of feed shortages, so they wouldn't have to give up their beloved animals. My own area has had an unseasonally wet summer and the haying just got started less than a week ago. It won't be prime but it's still good. Needless to say I had been planning alternate feed sources if there was no hay crop. When one would normally start cutting, farmers couldn't get on the fields as the ground was saturated.

[Sundance_Solo]

horses are meant to graze 24/7. When this is not possible it is necessary to supplement. This may be done using hay, grain, or nutritional supplements. It is necessary to supplement in order for horses to receive enough vitamins and minerals. Hay alone is not enough because as hay is dried it loses quite a bit of its nutritional value. That is why many owners choose to add grain to their horse's diet, to provide additional nutrition, as well as to provide the hard working horse with additional calories for fat and energy. Many owners end up overfeeding their horses however, by using a grain that is not designed for their horse's lifestyle. Most active pleasure horses do not require grain for additional calories, but only for nutritional support. This is when a multivitamin supplement comes in handy. It provides a horse with the necessary nutrition without adding unnecessary calories. There are also feeds that work in a similar way.
I feed my horse good quality grass hay, a 10% pellet (unfortified) at about 2 lb a day split into two feedings, and a pelleted multivitamin supplement. I have reviewed my horse's diet with my vet and he agreed that in my horse's situation, it was necessary to add a multivitamin supplement. My horse is a QH and is worked 3-5 times a week, w/t/c usually, occasionally jumping (anywhere between 2-4 ft). I also have him on a hoof/coat supplement and a joint supplement, as recommended by my vet. My horse is 10 and healthy.
I hope this information helps!