What do you feed YOUR horse?

[BrookdaleBay]

1. 25 year old TB gelding, 15.2hh, about 1100 lbs

2. He’s ridden 3 -4 days a week doing flat work, poles, the occasional jump, and trails in the summer. Now that winter is closing out, the frequency in which he’s ridden is dependant on how cold it is.

3. He’s boarded, out on pasture with 3 other horses for 6.5 hours with access to a round bale. The grass is good, but not lush.

4. He gets 2 qts of Purina Excl - its beet pulp based with 13% fat, so good for an easy keeper, and he enjoys it. He used to get 1 lb of rice bran, but he’s slowly starting to go off it, so he’s now getting 1 cup until the current bag is gone. He also gets MSM and a probiotic from MadBarn, and Equine Omega Complete.

5. He is fed hay 3 times a day - his teeth aren’t the greatest and he isn’t a big hay eater, so he only gets about a flake at each feeding. He gets grain 3 times a day - AM, PM, and night check.

6. Every horse is an individual; what works for one horse might not work for another. Forage first and be sure to have it tested, then fill in the gaps from there and supplement with concentrates as needed.

[GraceLikeRain]

1. Stats of pony: 14.2 Welshx 850 lbs

2. What horse is used for: Dressage but out of regular work since June

3. Living arrangements: 8 hours of turnout. Quality grass. Supplemented with hay Dec-Mar

4. What do you feed: 5 lbs of Ultium, 1 lb of beet pulp, supplement cup: california trace, magnesium, flax. Hay is not weighed but probably 15 lbs. She’s a hard keeper and this has been the minimum to maintain her weight. I’ll probably transition to Purina Senior out of accessibility.

5. How often do you feed? AM/PM

6. What do you believe is the most important thing to remember when working out the feeding regime of a horse - Forage first, iron is the enemy, copper/zinc are friends, don’t be afraid of fat and protein unless there are specific medical needs that require being mindful because sugar is scarier

[B-burg_Dressage]

1. 11 year old OTTB gelding. 16.1HH 1200lbs
2. Schooling second level dressage. Arena work 3-4 times a week and hacking out 1-2 times a week. Ridden 5-6 times a week in good weather and 3-4 whet things get wet or frozen. We do compete, but only a handful of times each year.
3. He lives out with a gelding buddy. Summer days they’re in the lot that’s about a third of an acre. It has a run-in with fan to keep bugs away. Free choice local mixed grass hay (a lot of fescue). Nights they go out on one of my three pastures which has fescue, red clover, and a few other grasses. The schedule is the opposite in the winter and he gets a flake of alf with the grass hay each end of the day. Once we’re deep into winter they’re still out on pasture but get their grass hay at all times.
4. Bluebonnet Intensity Omega Force. I like the dense calories so I don’t have to feed at many pounds. Low starch and sugar. Higher protein. Good paletability. Avaliable to be shipped to me for free since I live in the middle of nowhere and other quality feeds are a 45 minute drive one way. He also gets alf pellets and his supplements.
5. Gets his grain/alf pellets twice a day. Hay or grass in front of him at all times, but replenished twice a day when feeding hay. Never skip this, horses are kept at home.
6. Forage. Seriously. Grass or hay are so so important.