Feeding Management & Nutrition of Recreational Horses
By November 9, 2006
Welcome to Kent University study on feeding management and nutrition of recreational horses. In this section we will explain important nutritional concepts for the recreational horse with emphasis on the roughage portion of the diet. We will also explain the process of formulating the diet based on meeting the energy needs of the horse.
The term recreational horse is a description that relates to the motivation of owning a horse. Horses in this category serve as enjoyment for the owner bringing pleasurable experiences. They may be ridden on an occasional trail ride and provide companionship for the owner Some horses are owned for the purpose of enjoying the beauty they portray as they graze and frolic in the pasture. Others are owned to provide a life-long learning opportunity for children in 4-H. Some refer to their ownership of a horse as a hobby.
Because some recreational horses have special needs beyond what will be discussed in this section, gestating and lactating mares, and senior horses will be discussed in other modules. The scope of their care is beyond what will be discussed in this module.
The primary feeding strategy for recreational horses is and should be maintaining the health of the horse. Because the activity level of many of these horses is minimal, the incidence of overly fat animals is quite high. Recreational horses should be fed a sufficient amount of energy to maintain proper condition, and optimal protein to maintain muscle. These horses’ diets should be supplemented with minerals and vitamins to help sustain a good immune response to disease and maintain strong bones.
It is very important to maintain the gastrointestinal tract of the horse by feeding sufficient roughage. Roughage sources may include either pasture or hay or a combination. Insufficient roughage feeding and over feeding grain may cause digestive upsets.The horse is a non-ruminant herbivore which is a one-stomach animal that is a plant eater. The horse’s digestive system is designed with the capability to utilize roughage to help meet energy, protein, vitamin and mineral requirements. For recreational horses whose activity levels are minimal, the dietary roughage can supply the majority of the nutrients in the diet. Microbes in the horse’s cecum and colon digest the fiber components into available energy sources that the horse can use. The horse must be regularly fed roughage to keep its digestive tract functioning properly.From an economic standpoint, roughages are generally less costly to feed than grain. Utilizing roughages to provide the energy and maintain the digestive system is an excellent management practice.
Because many recreational horses are pastured, we will discuss pasturing and pasture management. There are several advantages to pasturing a horse. A pasture is the most natural and least expensive source of roughage. Allowing the horse access to available pasture reduces the amount of hay required to be purchased. Horses allowed to run the pasture distribute manure throughout the area, whereas, horse kept in stalls will require frequent stall clean outs. Using pasture as the roughage source for horses reduces the amount of equipment required to harvest the forage. With the freedom to exercise in a pasture, behavioral and respiratory problems may be reduced. One management consideration is the pasture stocking rate. The recommended number of horses in a pasture will vary. For example, pastures that receive very little attention to fertility, weeds and forage mix, the acceptable stocking rate would be one horse per 2-4 acres. During late summer and winter when there is little or no grass available, hay feeding will become necessary.
To maximize the pasture production, it is recommended to follow these management practices. Avoid over grazing the pasture. Over grazing can damage the vegetation and reduce the roughage available to the horses. Allowing the grass to mature will reduce the quality of the forage. Horses are reluctant to graze long stemmy grasses. To control weeds and prevent grasses from heading, clip the pasture regularly during the growing season. After the horses have been moved to a new pasture, clip the old pasture to 3-4 inches.
It also recommended to drag the pasture at least once per year with a link harrow to spread the manure droppings and smooth the rough areas. Fertilizer should be applied to maximize the pasture forage production. You should discuss your pasture fertilization program with your local fertilizer retailer for recommendations on the type and amount of fertilizer to use.
As a horse owner, you need to be careful when introducing horses to lush spring pasture. To help reduce the potential risk of colic and laminitis, gradually introduce the horse to the lush green pasture. The grazing time should be restricted to 20 minutes the first day in the pasture. In the next 10 to14 days, the amount of grazing time in the pasture can be increased gradually. Feeding dry hay prior to turning the horse out into the pasture is a good preventative measure. This will help prevent the horse from over-consuming on the lush pasture. In addition to the pasture, the horse may require commercial grain and mineral products to supplement the diet with energy, protein, minerals and vitamins.
Because pasture can not supply the needed roughage year around, horse owners will need to provide hay as a roughage source. If the horse owner does not have their own source of home grown hay, they may have to purchase hay from another source. Before purchasing a quantity of hay, it is best to have a nutrient analysis of the hay conducted by a qualified laboratory. This analysis will provide information on the quality of the hay. If an analysis is not available, it may be necessary to depend on the visual appearance of the hay. Here are some guidelines for selecting quality hay.
Always select hay with a high leaf-to-stem ratio. Leafiness and softness are indicators of a quality hay. A fresh smell and appearance is also an indicator of quality. Avoid purchasing hay with a moldy or musty smell. Hay with a powdery appearance and dust may indicate the presence mold. Always purchase hay that is free of dirt, trash, and weeds. A bright, green color may indicate the hay was harvested properly, is of good quality, and has not been stored for a long time.
There are differing opinions on the best type of hay for horses. Many horse owners will feed only alfalfa hay, while others prefer feeding grass hay. Still others will purchase mixed hay containing both a legume (most likely alfalfa) and a grass. In many areas of the United States, good quality alfalfa hay is readily available. The crude protein concentration in alfalfa hay will typically range from 18 to 21% which is higher than the crude protein in grass hay. The calcium concentration in alfalfa hay is relatively high resulting in a six to one calcium to phosphorus ratio. Good quality alfalfa hay will have a higher energy concentration than that of grass hay. Because of these qualities, the price of alfalfa hay will typically be higher than that of grass hay.
Grass hays that are typically fed in the United States include coastal bermudagrass, timothy, prairegrass, orchardgrass, bromegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, and oat hay. The crude protein of grass hay is typically 8 to 10%, but can vary depending on when it was harvested and stored. Grass hay does not have the high calcium concentration found in alfalfa and generally has a lower energy level than alfalfa hay. Grass hay, because of its nutrient qualities, is the hay most often fed to mature horses.
Because not all hays are recommended for horses, there are some precautionary measures that should be taken when purchasing hay. Sorghum-sudangrass hay and pasture may cause coordination problems and abortions. Pregnant mares in late gestation consuming endophyte-infected fescue pasture or hay may experience reproductive problems. It is generally recommended to discontinue feeding fescue hay or pasture to the pregnant mare during the last 90 days of gestation.
Some grass hays included are unpalatable and not digestible. It is generally recommended that sweet clover hay not be fed to horses as it is difficult to cure without mold. The mold in sweet clover produces a chemical that prevents blood clotting. In the southwest part of the United States, blister beetles may infect alfalfa. Horses that consume hay infected with blister beetles may develop health problems.The horse owner should know their hay source to avoid these management problems. Always purchase hay from a reputable supplier. Purchasing hay based on the price is not a good practice.
Whether a horse owner purchases or harvests hay, the feeding of the hay should be carefully managed. In general the minimum amount of hay a horse requires is 1% of its body weight per day. Therefore, a 1000 pound horse requires a minimum of 10 pounds of hay per day. However, a horse may eat up to 2% of its body weight of hay or 20 pounds per day.Be sure to feed only good to high quality hay. Observe every bale for indications of mold. If the hay is moldy, do not feed it. Avoid feeding dusty hay because horses are prone to respiratory problems and dust can be an irritant. If the hay is dusty, wet the horse’s daily feeding of hay to minimize the dust.
Some horse owners like to feed round bales outside to a herd of horses. These large bales should be protected from the weather and fed in feeding racks to prevent wastage. For the average horse owner, large round bales are difficult to handle and feed correctly.
To reduce wastage, hay should never be fed on the ground. There is also an increased risk of parasite infestation when hay is fed on the ground. This is especially true for horses fed outside but may also be a problem for horses kept in stalls.
Trail riding in national parks has become very popular. Horse owners should be familiar with the regulations regarding hay feeding in the park areas. Many National Parks require horse owners feed only hay that is weed free while trail riding. The purpose of this regulation is to limit the spread of noxious weeds in the parks. The Department of Agriculture in the states where the national parks are located have certification programs for hay and straw. Certified hay and straw is usually identified by colored twine, marked wire, or tag.
In addition to roughage in the horse’s diet, horses may require grains or commercial grain products as sources of energy, protein, minerals, and vitamins. Oats, corn, and barley are the typical grains used in the horse diet. Oats are generally the most popular grain used in the diet. Oats are moderate in energy and protein, and high in fiber content. The bushel weight of oats which relates to quality may be quite variable. Feeding only oats as a grain source will require additional mineral and vitamin, and possibly protein supplementation.
Corn has a higher energy concentration when compared to oats. Feeding corn requires extra care to avoid colic and laminitis. It is recommended to crack or roll corn to improve its digestibility. As with oats, when feeding corn as the only grain source, additional supplementation of minerals, vitamins and protein is required.
In some parts of the United States, barley is readily available and may be used as an energy source in horse diets. Barley has a harder seed coat than corn and should be processed by rolling or cracking prior to feeding. When feeding barley, additional supplementation of other nutrients will also be required.
Instead of feeding only grains as an energy source, most horse owners will purchase commercial feed products for their horses. These feed products are formulated by professional nutritionists to ensure that the horse receives all the required nutrients for proper health and nutrition. Commercial feed products are most often categorized as sweet feeds, pelleted products and extruded products.
Sweet feeds are a mixture of oats, corn, or other grains combined with a protein pellet and coated with a liquid molasses product. There are many variations of sweet feeds manufactured and marketed to the horse owner. Although the molasses coating enhances palatability, molasses tends to draw flies and be quite sticky.
Pelleted products are a mix of grain products, proteins sources, vitamins, trace minerals, and other nutrients carefully blended and pelleted to provide a uniform product. Pelleted products do not contain the high level of molasses in sweet feeds and therefore do not attract flies. Pelleted horse feed will not lose freshness as readily as a sweet feed.
Extruded products are rather new to the horse industry. Extrusion is different from pelleting in that more heat and pressure is applied to the feed ingredients. Extruded products will often contain the same ingredients as a pelleted product. Horses will tend to consume extruded feed slower because it is “crunchier” than a pellet. Because of additional heat and pressure needed to extrude the feed, the cost to manufacture extruded feed is higher than pelleted feeds, resulting in a more expensive feed for the horse owner.
The next logical question a horse owner will ask is “how much grain should I feed my horse?” There are several factors that will affect the feeding rate. The first factor to consider is the energy content of the grain source. The energy content of each grain source will vary. For example, corn has a higher energy content than oats. Later, we will demonstrate how the energy content of various feed sources differs and how those differences affect the feeding amount.
The weight of the horse will have an affect on the amount of energy required for maintenance. The heavier or larger the horse the more energy it will require to maintain body condition. An increase in activity of the horse will increase its energy requirement to maintain its body weight. Poorer quality roughages provide less energy per pound and additional grain will be needed to supply the energy to meet the requirement. And finally, there is what might be called the “fudge factor”. Some horses are considered “easy keepers” and some horses are “hard keepers”. Hard keepers require more feed to provide the needed energy for maintenance. In cold environmental temperatures, horses will also require more energy for maintenance during the winter months when temperatures are low.
The following is a simple example of balancing the energy needs of an 1,100lb horse. Researchers have determined that an 1,100lb horse with little activity will require at least 16,400 kilo calories of digestible energy per day for maintenance. In this example the horse is being fed 12 pounds of hay per day. The hay has been analyzed and the laboratory test indicates it contains 833 kilo calories of digestible energy per pound. Therefore, the 12 pounds of hay will supply 9,996 kilocalories per day. If we subtract this number from the required number, the grain source will need to supply 6,400 kilocalories of digestible energy to meet the maintenance energy requirement
The horse owner should compare the feeding rate for oats and a commercial pelleted product needed to supply the additional 6,400 kilo calories of digestible energy per day. Oats will provide 1,200 kilo calories of digestible energy per pound. By dividing the 6,400 kilo calories needed by 1,200, a feeding rate of 5.3 lb per day will be needed to supply the additional energy... The commercial pelleted product is more energy dense because it contains more fat and provides 1,475 kilo calories per pound. The 6,400 kilo calories needed divided by the 1,475 supplied by the commercial product, results in a feeding rate of 4.3 lb per day.
Oats alone will not provide sufficient amounts of minerals and vitamins for the horse. The horse owner should consider feeding a commercial mineral product to meet the horse’s requirements. At feeding rates below 5 lb per day, commercial supplement products will also require a mineral product be fed to provide the necessary minerals and vitamins.
Supplemental calcium, phosphorus, salt, trace minerals and vitamins are needed in the diet to meet the nutritional needs of the horse. Commercial mineral supplements are available for horses and can be top dressed on the diet or free-choice fed. These commercial mineral supplements are sold as mineral blocks or loose mineral. Loose mineral is generally recommended to allow for top dress feeding and to ensure that the horse consumes enough to meet the needs. When feeding a diet of oats and hay or pasture, offer a commercial mineral product as a top dress or free choice. When feeding less than 5 lb/day of commercial feed products, additional mineral and vitamin supplementation are recommended.
There are several general feeding management guidelines to consider when feeding a horse. Feed the grain concentrate by weight not by volume because the bulk density will vary for different feed ingredients. The feed should be weighed to determine the exact amount to feed. Never feed more than 5 to 6 pounds of grain concentrate per feeding as a precaution to prevent digestive upsets. When feeding more than 5 to 6 pounds of grain concentrate per day, feed several times throughout the day and maintain set feeding times. Always avoid abrupt ration changes which may cause digestive upsets.
In summary, to maintain a healthy digestive tract in a horse, it is important that sufficient roughage from pasture or hay be included in the diet. Pasturing a horse will reduce the amount of hay needed. If adequate pasture is not available, select clean hay with a high leaf-to-stem ratio, a fresh smell and appearance, and a bright green color.
Either alfalfa hay or grass hay may be fed to horses. The selection of either alfalfa or grass hay is often a personal decision of the horse owner. In many situations the roughage in the diet will not meet the energy requirement of the horse and grain supplementation will be required. The feeding rate of grain will depend on the energy content of the grain product, weight of the horse, activity level of the horse, roughage quality, genetics of the horse and environmental temperature. When feeding grain to a horse, careful management is needed to prevent digestive upsets in the horse.