Crypto Aero

[candyappy]

@JB

Except even the majority of “excellent quality” hay doesn’t have the right amount and/or balance of nutrients for optimal health, especially for a working animal. Caloric needs aside, which can range from “he looks at grass and puffs up” to “there aren’t enough hours in the day for him to eat” horse, those 2 ends of the spectrum need the same nutrients, all else equal.

There’s more to health than weight.

What is optimal health??

[Scribbler]

Most of the people I know feed a forage first diet, which is recommended these days by equine nutritionists. It is also the cheapest option.

I’m looking after 3 horses that are in good weight on their hay diets. They each also get a small beet pulp mash to carry their supplements, primarily a good comprehensive vitamin mineral combo.

Interestingly my easy keeper stock horse mare actually gets a bit dopey with no oats in her diet. So she gets a cup or two of oats in the mash.

Some folks with older or anorexic tb will feed a higher volume of beet pulp or senior feed for calories because the horse simply can’t or won’t eat enough hay. That is a good solution.

On the other hand, there are folks making their horses obese with round the clock free choice high quality hay, and who feed no vitamin mineral supplement or ration balancer. I think that’s also problematic long term.

[Ghazzu]

@candyappy

Despite the better feeds it looks to me that IR is on the rise as well as ulcers and I always think that maybe we are feeding our horses too much like we feed ourselves. We see it in our dogs & cats too.
.

The morphing of the horse from livestock to companion animal has somewhat to do with it, given the human tendency to equate food with love.

I think you can place a lot of blame on the lack of exercise and fitness in both people and animals today, as well.

We’re long past the time when a hunter actually, you know, hunted.

[candyappy]

@Ghazzu

The morphing of the horse from livestock to companion animal has somewhat to do with it, given the human tendency to equate food with love.

I think you can place a lot of blame on the lack of exercise and fitness in both people and animals today, as well.

We’re long past the time when a hunter actually, you know, hunted.

Exactly!