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What do you feed YOUR horse?

Horse Care
#21

1 NSH gelding 18 yrs 16 h Trail riding 2 days/week
1 NSH gelding 22 yrs 15.3 h Trail riding 2 days/week
1 Hanoverian mare 16 yrs 16 h Trail riding 1 day/month

All are on 3 acres of pasture/dry lot. I consider the grass is there for entertainment purposes only…

Hay is 80 grass 20 alfalfa (sometimes 90/10) twice a day because they eat it and the 22 year old should not get sweet hay and the 16 year old is obese.

Grain is a scoop of COB or some senior mix once a day only to hide Simplify (and pergolide in the old boy.) If we ride very hard I’ll throw in an extra scoop that evening.

Hay quality is the most important thing in feeding but that being said palatable feed is required too. I’ve brought home some beautiful grass hay and had to take it back since the horses did not approve.

#22

1. Stats of pony/horse (including breed, age, height) 25 y/o Irish Sport Horse gelding, 15.2, about 1150-1200 lbs on weight tape
2. What horse is used for (i.e light riding, heavy competing, etc) Semi-retired: light to moderate flatwork and trail rides, bops over 2’ jumps
3. Living arrangements Out 12-16 hours a day (weather dependent) in a several acre field with 3 other geldings. While the particular grass on this farm hasn’t been tested, the pasture in this area tends to be excellent.
4. What do you feed? AND WHY! 1/2 quart Triple Crown Senior 2x/day, soaked. Horse has Cushings and had been on Triple Crown Lite for about 10 years, and done well. When I increased his Prascend this year I switched him to Senior as it was more appetizing. This is nowhere near a full serving by weight, so I may switch him back to Lite once he gets accustomed to his dose, but a spoonful of Senior helps the medicine go down, and the purpose of his grain is to be a vehicle for his medications. I soak it to increase his water intake. He eats free choice grass hay, and the amount of “free choice” he prefers to consume varies depending on how much he’s stuffed himself on clover at night. When the grass starts to die off in fall, I add Platinum Performance. I run bloodwork every year and it never indicates that he needs additional vitamins and minerals, but as he has aged, adding macronutrient support and omega 3’s has been a great benefit to his winter skin and coat health.
5. How often do you feed? Breakfast, supper, and free-choice hay.
6. What do you believe is the most important thing to remember when working out the feeding regime of a horse - i.e. protein/fat ratios etc… Forage first. Beyond that, listen to the horse.

#23

  1. Stats of pony/horse (including breed, age, height):
    -5yo, 14.1hh Mustang mare
    -6yo 14.3hh Mustang gelding

  2. What horse is used for (i.e light riding, heavy competing, etc):
    -Currently, both are in training on the ground, my mare is going to be started under saddle soon (I think she’s almost ready, yay!)

  3. Living arrangements (tell us a bit about the pasture available, how much grass is available? is it shared with other horses etc):
    -Currently on a dry lot, no grass available, just the 2 horses

  4. What do you feed? AND WHY!
    -Combination of coastal and alfalfa, and a ration balancer

  5. How often do you feed? (i.e do you miss certain days of the week when the horse is not in work due to work/study engagements, do you feed and morning/night, just morning/night or just when in work??
    -They get ration balancer split in two feedings a day (AM and PM), and they also get hay thrown at them four times a day, so they always have fresh hay in front of them

  6. What do you believe is the most important thing to remember when working out the feeding regime of a horse - i.e. protein/fat ratios etc…
    -There is so much here, that I don’t know where to begin. But FORAGE. FORAGE needs to be the main bulk of a horse’s diet. I know people who feed SCOOPS of feed twice a day, its just so unhealthy and then they wonder why dobbin has turned into a fire breathing dragon. Main thing is balance, which has been hard with these two. They need forage in front of them 24/7, but get fat on air, however they can’t get EVERYTHING they need from the alfalfa and coastal, so we settled on the ration balancer to ensure they were fully balanced in their diets.

-As far as supplements, only thing I feed is MSM, and flax (ground fresh daily).

#24

  1. Stats of pony/horse (including breed, age, height)
    2009 OTTB mare, 16.2hh, weighed in at 1391 pounds recently (eek!)

  2. What horse is used for (i.e light riding, heavy competing, etc)
    Dressage; was getting ready to show rated for first time this year, then COVID hit. Have been riding lightly about 4-5 days per week since August while getting house stuff done. Planning to get back to serious work 5-6 days per week after Thanksgiving.

  3. Living arrangements (tell us a bit about the pasture available, how much grass is available? is it shared with other horses etc)
    Pasture 24/7. One acre currently by herself. Overgrazed, and I have sandy soil so the grass isn’t great to begin with.

  4. What do you feed? AND WHY!
    Orchard/alfalfa pasture block 24/7 access, she eats about 30-35 pounds per day on average. Why? Because she is a big girl who does a lot of work. She isn’t a hard keeper, but she definitely isn’t an air fern. Also, if she had 10 acres to herself, the grass I have just isn’t high enough in calories for her to not get supplementation.
    JUST switched her to a ration balancer. I was feeding her about 7-8 pounds per day of Seminole Wellness Perform Safe, then realized she could drop some lbs and cut it in half. The recommended feeding rate is 7-9 pounds for her workload, so dropping her amount meant she’d not get enough vitamins/minerals. Switched to Seminole Equalizer ration balancer at 2 lbs per day and Seminole Ultra Bloom (Rice bran) at 1.5 lbs per day. Will be a few weeks before I know if this works for her.
    She requires a no-corn and no-molasses diet to keep ulcers away. She is a nervous type.

  5. How often do you feed? (i.e do you miss certain days of the week when the horse is not in work due to work/study engagements, do you feed and morning/night, just morning/night or just when in work??
    AM and PM

  6. What do you believe is the most important thing to remember when working out the feeding regime of a horse - i.e. protein/fat ratios etc…
    This really varies per horse. Some do better with higher fiber less fat, some more fat, etc. So I guess the most important thing to remember is that they are all different and require different diets.
    But also forage is #1 :wink:

#25

Most important is to focus on forage and stay on top of changes to the condition of the horses.

#26
  1. Stats of pony/horse (including breed, age, height) Belle (26 yr old Morgan mare has Cushings retired 14h), Esme (17 yr old Morgan mare medium trail work 15.2h), Freya (10 year old Rocky Mountain mare, competing endurance horse 15.2h), Kitai (yearling Morgan filly currently around 14.3)
  2. What horse is used for (i.e light riding, heavy competing, etc) see above
  3. Living arrangements (tell us a bit about the pasture available, how much grass is available? is it shared with other horses etc) Cushings mare is in or out weather and grass dependent, all others out 24/7 on 10 acres- all have access to hay or pasture 24/7
  4. What do you feed? AND WHY! Belle (AM & PM 4 lbs Triple Crown Senior, 1/2 c flax, HEIRO, AniHist H, 1 flake alfalfa)- she needs the senior to maintain her weight, Esme, Freya and Kitai (AM only 2 lbs Triple Crown Low Starch, 1 cup flax, salt)- they are all easy keepers, Freya will get Triple Crown Complete added to her feed as we get nearer to competitions
  5. How often do you feed? (i.e do you miss certain days of the week when the horse is not in work due to work/study engagements, do you feed and morning/night, just morning/night or just when in work?? see above
  6. What do you believe is the most important thing to remember when working out the feeding regime of a horse - i.e. protein/fat ratios etc…every horse is an individual, base your feeding on forage and go from there
    Thanks for your time.
#27
  1. 12yo 16hh Appaloosa gelding
  2. Light riding, mainly lower level dressage and hacking.
  3. Lives in large grassy pasture 24/7 with run-in shelter and at least 1 or at most 2 pasture mates as well as sharing fence lines with horses in other fields. Lots of friends, lots of room, lots of grass.
  4. Barn feeds Tribute Kalm N EZ pelleted non-GMO and timothy hay (in winter). Feed is wet down to prevent bolting/choking and to help supplements stick. Supplements that I provide for my guy: Biotin 800Z Pellets (for hoof and hair health), Omega Horseshine (for skin health, and seems to keep barefoot feet comfy), SmartCalm Ultra (mostly for the healthy dose of magnesium, he has signs of deficiency and it has made a world of difference, especially in his back tension), One AC or Platinum Refresh (late spring through early fall for anhidrosis issues here in the mega hot/humid southeast), and the most controversial…Strongid C2X daily dewormer (I know the arguments against it, but I have my reasons. He’s been on it for 11 years)
  5. He gets fed twice a day, every day of the week.
  6. I believe in low NSC diets for all horses unless they are in extremely strenuous training/work and need that extra energy to perform. Fiber and fat are king.
#28

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  1. 20 yo 16hh OTTB gelding
  2. Semi retired former hunter/jumper/eq horse
  3. Stall plus run plus private paddock, shares fence line w 1 horse
  4. What do you feed? Alfalfa hay and very small amount of Purina Equine Senior Active
  5. How often do you feed? morning and night
  6. Feeding is not one size fits all - experiment and find what works for your individual horse. For example - mine was underweight on grass hay or a mix - he thrives on alfalfa.
#29

  1. Stats of pony/horse (including breed, age, height) 17hh TB 12 y/o gelding - typical TB hard keeper.

  2. What horse is used for (i.e light riding, heavy competing, etc) low level dressage, currently in rebab, so lots of walk poles, equiband and groundwork/loungeing.

  3. Living arrangements (tell us a bit about the pasture available, how much grass is available? is it shared with other horses etc) 12x24 stall. no pasture (horsekeeping this part of SoCal offers no turnout)

  4. What do you feed? AND WHY! board includes 1.5 CA size flakes Alfalfa and 1.5 flakes CA size flakes Orchard. this is bare-bones minimum for him, so when I come out in the evenings to work him, I feed 7 lbs TC Complete + his supplements. I like TC complete because it is high fiber, high fat so is great for hard keepers with no access to grazing. Horse is thriving on it, and it is readily available. Supplements = Adeptus Augment Hoof, and Vermont blend copper +zinc for his hooves. We are in a major hoof rebuilding phase now, and his wall growth has really accelerated w/ Augment hoof. the copper + zinc is a new addition that I learned about here on CoTH for support for hooves and laminae. Smart Salt pellets since he refuses to use salt licks or loose salt. Ucklele GUT, but I’m unsure if I will continue with this - I thought it would be helpful due to his stall / rehab situation and it certainly can’t hurt. Vitamin E since he get zero fresh grass. I also give him 2lbs timothy pellets w/ a healthy glug of canola oil. I keep a haynet stuffed with my own orchard hay to make sure he always has access to something to nibble on.

  5. How often do you feed? (i.e do you miss certain days of the week when the horse is not in work due to work/study engagements, do you feed and morning/night, just morning/night or just when in work?? Fed the same everyday. Hay at 6am, by barn staff .Hay at 4pm by barn staff. Grain, supplements, timothy pellets, and haynet re-stuff at 7pm by me.

  6. What do you believe is the most important thing to remember when working out the feeding regime of a horse - i.e. protein/fat ratios etc… let your horse tell you what is working. What works for one horse will not work for others. I had to move barns to make sure my horse was fed enough hay, and fed on a timely basis and given the grain/supplements he needed.

#30
  1. Stats of pony/horses: TWH, MFT, 2 Paso Finos, Puruvian Paso, Draft mix, and Saddlebred
  2. What horse is used for: Trail riding although one Paso and Peruvian Paso are elderly and usually just ponied.
  3. Living arrangements: 2 Paso Finos are in dry lot, in large pasture where we spread small piles of Triple Crown Safe Starch Hay. PP, TWH, and MFT are on dry lot or grass only when pasture is not stressed. Saddlebred and Draft mix are on pasture 9-12 hours/day and won’t stay in stall at night (stall kickers) so we put them in dry lot with run in shed. Looing forward to building a Paddock Paradise situation to keep the horses more active and make their days more interesting. I want to switch things in the paths at least once a month for interest.
  4. What do you feed? AND WHY; Twice a day Triple Crown 30% Balancer. Hay small amounts 4 times a day. They do better with small feeding more often and are much more happy and active.
  5. How often do you feed? We feed 9 am and 7 pm concentrate wet down, then hay 4 times a day in small amounts (including the time we put it out in small piles all over the dry lots)
  6. What do you believe is the most important thing to remember when working out the feeding regime of a horse - Very good quality pellets plus Platinum Performance vitamins but I think omegas (KER EO-3) have greatly reduced the arthritic pain in my horses and high fiber (Oat fiber,Sand Clear, and Oat Bran twice a day), are very important to help horses balance their blood sugars and prevent colic. I wet down all our food to make sure the fiber is carrying lots of water through intestines.
#31
  1. Long yearling quarter horse filly (13.2 hh? Her hind end is an entire inch higher though)
  2. Just growing
  3. Turn out in a 2 acre pasture with a few other horses. No grass (SoCal desert here)
  4. Straight alfalfa (3 to 4 flakes daily). Its what the ranch feeds the others; Girlie does well on it so I see no reason to change it. She’s nice and shiny on just that. I plan to add flax seed (coat health), and soaked beet pulp/hay pellets (forage extender and good source of water) once she’s stalled somewhere and I can visit daily.
  5. Fed twice a day (AM and PM)
  6. I try to remind myself to keep it as simple as possible. As much fun as I have coming up with detailed feeding plans, my filly is an easy keeper and doesn’t need a ton of food to keep good weight.
#32
  1. 14 year old, 16.0 hh Friesian/Morgan cross gelding
  2. Light-moderate work. He does flatwork 4x per week, incorporating some lateral work/dressagey stuff and ground poles and 1-2 of these days include a short trail ride. I might pop him over a small jump or two one of these days. I do a jumping lesson with him once a week for his 5th day of work.
  3. He spends a lot of his time in a stall. He gets turned out with 3 others every morning (weather permitting) in a mid-sized paddock with a small amount of grass.
  4. He gets 1/4 qt SafeChoice Performance pellets (it’s what the barn feeds, and he needs something to eat his supplements in) twice a day. Once a day, he gets Elevate Vit. E and Se, MSM pellets, Platinum Performance and 1/2 c rice bran. The PP and rice bran are standard for the barn. He gets 6 flakes of locally grown timothy based hay per day, split into 3 meals.
  5. He is fed this 4x per week. Sundays he gets a mash as a replacement for one of his grain meals (1 qt bran, 1/2 qt SafeChoice Pellets and a handful of sweet feed.) Mondays the horses are all fed the same thing (1 qt SafeChoice Performance pellets) as it is BM and BO’s day off and the help does a “short version” of feeding, plus any necessary medications. It’s not ideal, and I’d prefer it be more consistent but it is what it is.
#33
  1. Stats of pony/horse (including breed, age, height)
    AQHA, 10 year old, 1350-1400 lbs, 16.1 hands
  2. What horse is used for (i.e light riding, heavy competing, etc)
    Trail riding right now, but bred for barrel racing.
  3. Living arrangements (tell us a bit about the pasture available, how much grass is available? is it shared with other horses etc)
    Large pastures with sufficient grass most of the year. Pasture 24/7 with shelter.
  4. What do you feed? AND WHY!
    2 qts ProElite Senior AM and PM, because he has digestive/GI issues and senior is recommended for him. In the winter, 3 flakes of perennial peanut per day, along with 1 flake of orchard. (divided between two feedings). This horse CANNOT digest coastal hays from this region and WILL colic, so this is why I am feeding the peanut and orchard.
  5. How often do you feed? (i.e do you miss certain days of the week when the horse is not in work due to work/study engagements, do you feed and morning/night, just morning/night or just when in work??
    I board and they feed AM and PM
  6. What do you believe is the most important thing to remember when working out the feeding regime of a horse - i.e. protein/fat ratios etc…
    Boy, that’s a loaded question.
    Thanks for your time.
#34

1. Stats of horse - 24-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, 16.1h, between 1,200 and 1,300lbs (weighed on a scale a few years back).
2. What horse is used for - Ridden 4 or 5 days a week Intro/Training dressage, easy trot poles, easy trails. Most rides under an hour with a lot of walking.
3. Living arrangements Turned out in a small group of geldings. Night turnout/stalled daytime in the summer, day turnout/stalled nighttime in the winter. Grass is enough to be a good percentage of forage in the summer and is just something for them to chew on this time of year.
4. What do you feed and why? He requires a lot of calories, he’s prone to choke, and his teeth are not great. 10-11lbs total Poulin FibreMax split into 3 feedings a day, soaked. In the summer when the grass is good, we can cut back on his grain. Free-choice timothy when stalled. Also fed alfalfa hay as needed all year long and soaked alfalfa pellets in winter to help with weight.
5. How often do you feed? He’s boarded and he’s fed 3 times a day.
6. What do you believe is the most important thing to remember when working out the feeding regime of a horse? Be aware of seasonal forage differences in nutritional requirements (summer needs vs winter needs). Be aware of herd dynamics, stress, and food aggression- if you throw 6 flakes for 3 horses, watch them eat to see how much each individual horse actually physically eats. If you board, be aware of how your horse is fed (full scoop vs a flat scoop, big flakes vs small flakes). Try to calculate the calories your horse needs and see if you’re close to that requirement. Weigh your grain and hay so you understand how much you’re feeding.

#35

  1. Stats of pony/horse (including breed, age, height)
    J- 17 yo, 15.2h american warmblood mare
    L- 7 yo, 15.1h lusitano mare

  2. What horse is used for (i.e light riding, heavy competing, etc)
    J- 4-5 days a week, BN/N eventing and 2nd level dressage
    L- 3 days a week, walk/trot, rehabbing from an injury

  3. Living arrangements (tell us a bit about the pasture available, how much grass is available? is it shared with other horses etc)
    Both live out 24/7 with a coastal round bale. There is decent grass from April to September. Just something to munch on the rest of the year.

  4. What do you feed? AND WHY!
    Buckeye Grow n’win (ration balancer) 1c twice daily + ground flax. Both are easy keepers, so there’s no need for anything other than a ration balancer.

  5. How often do you feed? (i.e do you miss certain days of the week when the horse is not in work due to work/study engagements, do you feed and morning/night, just morning/night or just when in work??
    They get breakfast and dinner every day regardless of whether they work or not.

  6. What do you believe is the most important thing to remember when working out the feeding regime of a horse - i.e. protein/fat ratios etc…
    Start with forage and build up from there. Consult with your vet about common deficiencies in hay/grass in your area and test and then supplement as needed.

#36

I have three horses boarded at 2 different facilities:

First facility, my main mares (daily turnout, but very minimal grazing):

  1. 7 YO appendix QH mare in full time dressage training. She gets 2 flakes of grass, which can be variable, but is usually quite nice, soft hay, plus one flake of alfalfa in AM, 3 flakes of grass in PM (probably total of 22-24#/day total forage). Additionally, she gets 2# of Strategy Pro AM and PM, plus supplements consisting of an all-around vitamin mineral, Tri-Amino and 4,000 iu vitamin E.
  2. 4yo warmblood mare in kindergarten level work. She gets 2 flakes grass, 1 flake alfalfa AM & PM. In the AM she also gets 1.5# Renew Gold and the same supplements as my other mare.

Both get a scoop of Outlast and some additional alfalfa when I work them before breakfast.

Facility #2:
16 yo 17H QH gelding - retired
He gets about 25# a day of mixed hay that is mostly grass with a bit of alfalfa. They feed in turnout, so it’s hard to quantify exactly what forage he eats. He also gets 1.5# of LMF G formula ration balancer, and Psyllium one week per month.

#37

  • 11 yo Appendix gelding 1,55 m, 16 yo Haffie mare 1,52 m and 29 yo Uraguayan Criollo gelding 1,49 m

  • Appendix and Haffie are Trail horses, both working about 6/8 hours a week. Criollo is retired

  • No real pasture available. Appendix and Haffie live on 24/24 turnout on about 12000 mq with run in shed. They have some grass to munch during the day but I wouldn’t say that really impacts their ration. Criollo lives in a dry 1000 mq lot with run in shed.

  • Appendix and Haffie eat about 10 kilos each of hay (mountain hay, no alfa alfa or cultivated hay) divided in 2 meals (morning and night). Around 1 p.m. they eat grains (St. Hippolyt, it’s a German brand for which I work as a dealer). Appendix is sensitive to starch so he eats Equigard, which is low in starch and Sugar, about 1,5 kilos. Haffie eats Beste Jahre which is the feed for older horses, about 1,5 kilos. I also give them about 1 kilos of hay cubes.
    Criollo is allergic to hay so he must eat soaked Hay, about 10 kilos a day divided in 3 meals. He also eats Beste Jahre,about 2 kilos
    Once or twice a week I give them a warm mash during cold season.

  • I believe the most important thing is personalizing the ration for each horse, everyone is different and has different needs

#38
  1. Stats of pony/horse (including breed, age, height)

Andalusian/Welsh large pony mare, 8 years old, 14.1hh

American Saddlebred mare, 17 years old, 15.2hh

Haflinger/Welsh small pony gelding, 23 years old, 12hh

  1. What horse is used for (i.e light riding, heavy competing, etc)

Andalusian X - Eventing, dressage, and trails. Ridden or worked 5-6 days a week.

Saddlebred - Dressage, and trails. Ridden or worked 5-6 days a week.

Haflinger X - Retired. Not worked other than daily groundwork and manners maintenance.

  1. Living arrangements (tell us a bit about the pasture available, how much grass is available? is it shared with other horses etc)

All 3 are turned out together. Stalled overnight and turned out during the day on decent grass pastures. Pastures always have hay available in them with several water stations. They have 24/7 access to their stalls if desired during the day.

  1. What do you feed? AND WHY!
    All are on 2oz salt (help encourage drinking), 30g SmartHoof Pellets (help balance iron in the hay and feed), 2oz ActiFlex (help promote healthy joints), and free-choice hay.

Andalusian X - Triple Crown Gold Balancer 1lb, and soaked alfalfa cubes 8oz.

Saddlebred - TC Gold Balancer 1lb, TC Senior Gold 1lb, and soaked alfalfa cubes 1lb.

Haflinger - TC Gold Balancer 1lb, TC Senior Gold 8oz, and soaked alfalfa cubes 1lb.

The balancer properly balances the nutritional profile of my hay and grass, the Senior helps with weight for my older two, and the soaked cubes add extra water into everyone’s diets.

  1. How often do you feed? (i.e do you miss certain days of the week when the horse is not in work due to work/study engagements, do you feed and morning/night, just morning/night or just when in work??

Everyone is fed breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They’re fed 7 days a week and I try to stick to the same feeding times but will vary it slightly to avoid dependence on specific times. The lunch meal is always their soaked cubes and it allows me to do a midday check on them when I’m not riding or the weather is bad.

I continuously check hay and water during the day and replenish as needed. Mine are never without hay though the AndalusianX will wear a grazing muzzle during the day to limit her intake.

  1. What do you believe is the most important thing to remember when working out the feeding regime of a horse - i.e. protein/fat ratios etc…

Each horse is different and should be fed according to their needs. I’m lucky that all 3 of mine can be on the same feeds but was fully prepared to have 3 different feeds to keep them happy and healthy.

I also strongly believe each horse should be accustomed to eating soaked feeds because it allows extra “hidden” water to be given to the horse. But this might just be an overcautious habit of mine after seeing several horses at boarding facilities colic from dehydration.

#39
  1. Stats of pony/horse (including breed, age, height)

23 yo TB (16.1)
9 yo TB (15.2)
8 yo mini (36 inches)

  1. What horse is used for (i.e light riding, heavy competing, etc)
    Senior TB - retired
    Younger TB - ridden 3-5 days/week (flatwork, training o/f up to 2’3" now)
    Mini - pasture pet/babysitter

  2. Living arrangements (tell us a bit about the pasture available, how much grass is available? is it shared with other horses etc)
    Out for 12-16 hours/day, stalled overnight. Some grass spring-fall, but always have access to free choice grass hay while turned out.

  3. What do you feed? AND WHY!
    Senior TB - Omolene 200 - he’s the world’s pickiest eater and he eats this consistently and holds his weight. Vet agrees he can eat what he wants at this point. Free choice hay (grass hay outside, mix of grass, orchard/alfalfa, and western alfalfa inside)

Younger TB - Alfalfa pellets, rice bran, outlast platinum performance, succeed, and Redmond’s daily gold. He has a soy intolerance and this diet seems to work for him. I cut the Succeed or Daily Gold and his got isn’t happy so we just stick with what works. He gets free choice grass hay outside plus all he can eat orchard/alfalfa inside and western alfalfa (he stuffs his face with the grass hay outside but won’t touch it in his stall).

Mini - Handful of orchard grass pellets and Buckeye Gro-n-win plus free choice grass hay in and out (inside it’s in a net and outside he wears a muzzle most of the year so he has hay in front of him, he just eats a little slower than he might otherwise).

  1. How often do you feed? (i.e do you miss certain days of the week when the horse is not in work due to work/study engagements, do you feed and morning/night, just morning/night or just when in work??

“Grain” meals 2x day, hay goes out in the field 1x/day and I fill the stall feeders daily. They rarely completely finish their hay.

  1. What do you believe is the most important thing to remember when working out the feeding regime of a horse - i.e. protein/fat ratios etc…
    Free choice hay, healthy guts (addressing ulcers), and avoiding allergens.
#40

  1. 22 YO Morgan mare, 15 hands, probably 1100 pounds – which is overweight for her build. She is on full board.

  2. Light trail riding mostly (she is semi-retired) Some arena work in the winter or when the weather is bad.

  3. Out in a ~0.2 acre paddock with minimal grass 7-8 hours per day, otherwise stalled (nice stall, 12 x 12 with half doors inside and outside, although the latter is closed when it’s really cold.) No real pasture available, areas for hand-grazing when there is grass. (I would not turn her out on grass without a grazing muzzle, possibly not at all.)

  4. First cut grass/timothy hay usually in a Nibble Net. Half a flake at 6:30 a.m., a flake when she is put out around 7:30, and then 1 or 2 at 11:30 and 1 at 1:30 while she’s turned out, 1 (usually) within 30 minutes of when she comes in, 2 (usually) at night check. Number of flakes depends on the flake weight. Hay in her stall gets eaten down to the last little inch long pieces; outside, she nibbles and doesn’t always finish it. Second cut hay does bad things to her hooves. It’s just too rich for her.

She gets 1/2 tube of Abler omeprazole paste in the morning before she eats.

Morning feed is about 1/2 pound of Triple Crown Stress Less forage, joint supplement, Quiessence, 1 scoop Thyro-L.

Evening feed is 1 cup of Outlast, her vitamin/mineral supp, extra Vitamin E (she had EPM a few years ago), Equioxx tablet, 1 scoop Thyro-L, a small amount of dried raspberry leaves (more for flavoring than any other purpose.)

She tends to get ulcery, but can’t have hay 24/7 unless I want a couple hundred more pounds on her – which would be terrible. Doesn’t matter how small the holes in a net are. She is convinced she’s starving all the time. She is easy to handle, but high-strung.

She is borderline IR. When she was younger, and in full training, it was hard to keep weight on her.

Balancing the need for close to constant access to hay, for her tummy, and her easy-keeping nature, is really hard.

  1. Maximize forage. Just do it. Unless there is a very good reason not to, like the horse can’t chew it. Other things (grain, pellets, supps etc.) will really depend on the horse and the amount of work it gets. And yes – “maximize forage” is difficult if you are boarding with a cost-conscious barn owner. Current barn owner is very generous with hay, and offers what’s appropriate for each horse (1st cut, 2nd cut, soaked 2nd cut, and would do soaked 1st cut if asked. All grass as alfalfa hay is really hard to find in this area, but feeds alfalfa cubes at the owner’s request.) That does not come cheap.

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