How do you feed......?

Question

for a calmer horse? What are some of your tips and tricks to help out your hyper/reactive horse?

Answer 1

With a hyper or nervous horse really watch the level of both protien and carbs. Avoid alfalfa and oats as they are "energy" foods. Try to keep both both carbs & protien level as low as possible by adding  more fat and fiber instead. The typical adult horse under normal workoad only requires 12% average protien -- average between both hay/grass and grain.

Feed multiple small meals of extruded pellets instead of larger amounts fewer times daily of whole grains. Starch  can only be digested properly in the small intestine (this is also the reason extruded pellets are better, the extrusion process expands the starch particles to form an open ‘honeycomb’ like structure. This allows more direct and efficient digestive enzyme "attack" on the starch and proteins as the food passes through the small intestine).

This left over undigested starch is overloaded into the hindgut and cecum (whose primary purpose is fermentaion of fiber) It is fermented into lactic acid. When absorbed into the blood the excess acid leads to hyperactive and nervous behaviour --- and can also lead to laminitis or founder as well if to much is absorbed.

Also give as much turnout as possible to avoid energy buildup from forced inactivity in a stall. Equine bodies are designed to stay moving. Also free lungeing before actually riding or working is a good way to burn off excess energy before asking them to settle down and work.

Answer 2

We feed Purina's Strategy (12% Protein) and Coastal hay. I have read that oats are pretty high in protein and will contribute to your horses energy level. I have a 4 year old mare that is all about the go speeds.  I have to do alot of different things to keep her attention on me and not on her go mode.  Some people prefer lounging, while others are totally against it.  I would say that if you know how to get out of lounging what you want than do it.  I am not talking about just putting them in the round corral and running them around until they are all sweaty and breathing hard.  Believe it or not, you are just conditioning them to go fast longer.  I am talking about getting their feet move and their brain working.  Alot of starts and stops, and changing directions ALOT!!  If you have the capability to watch RFD TV, Julie Goodnight is excellent to watch regarding lounging the hyper horse.  If lounging isn't for you, try working on flexing and front leg cross overs and jogging small circles.  I am currently working on these for my mare and have noticed that it is taking less time each session for her to 'become level headed' than when I was lounging her first.  I wouldn't suggest giving any 'calming suppliments' because those only mask the issues instead of taking advantage of training opportunities between you and your horse.  I also have another horse who is 10 years old and is the laziest thing on the face of the planet.  We switched him to Purina's Enrich 32 (formerly Born to Win) because it is higher in protein - 32% in hopes to increase his energy level.

Answer 3

i cut the horses grain down to a quarter scoop twice a day. It is just enought to give the horses their supplements. I up their hay and i usually feed grass hay unless the horse is thin then i will feed a mix with alfalfa.

I do feed a calming supplement to excessively hot horses. I like calm and cool. It is pelleted and can safely be fed daily.

Answer 4

I asked a question just like that urlier today! I'm not sayin your copy'n me,but I think thats kinda cool that someone else asked the same question.

Answer 5

Lots and lots of turnout and, at this time of the year (in the UK) practically zero feed.

Actually it's not something I have to deal with  a lot - cutting down on hard grain ( condition mix etc) and subbing with chaff usually does the trick without going into things like calmers. Mind you they do live out most of the time and that always helps.

Answer 6

I would try feeding your horse only grass hay. If you are feeding Alfalfa or Alfalfa/grass that isn't helping your problems.

The only thing other than grass hay our guys get are health suplements like vitimins and minerals.

Changing to a harsher bit like a curb will do nothing for you at all, nor will lunging him before you ride.

You'll also find that schooling/working him with the focus on SLOWING his mind as well as his body will work wonders. My wife's horse is VERY hyper, she would give him Rescue Remedy before riding him. Everything he did was fast, that's where you have to start. I have ridden him daily now for almost 3 months and she rode him yesterday for the first time in those three months. She was AMAZED at how he was, well mannered, and more importantly CALM. She rode for an hour and a half and she said he didn't try to pull her arms out of their sockets!!

You need to change his personality. Do everything slowly and calmly, from grooming to cantering and everything in between. He will start becoming more relaxed and layed back.

It's the same as working with childen, when a child is having a temper tantrum shouting and fighting with them does nothing, but if you talk and act calmly you can calm them down.

This isn't going to fix itself overnight, but this is the only real way to do it! Rather than the quick fixes like, a harsher bit or tiring him out by lunging him before you ride. Both of those have one fault...you still have a mentally hyper horse, and that's the part you need to correct!!!

Good luck!!

Answer 7

check the protein level of your feed, if your current feed has a protein percentage of 14 % than change it down to 12%.

thats what i did with one of my horses that was way to energetic and now he is a lot calmer.

Answer 8

Working a horse is best for Hyper horses. Lounging is very important to training your horse and getting some of that energy out before riding. Make sure not to feed him before working with him and don't give him Oats.. They just make them even more hyper. Also try using a different bit. if you use a snaffle bit try a Cirb bit. The horse can feel it more in his mouth and responds more to it.

Answer 9

No sweet feed. No Corn.

Cut down or eliminate all the hot or "sugar" based feeds with molasses in them.

Read your feed bag labels. If your horse is not a performance or breeding horse, then lower protein % is appropriate

Increase exercise or turn out time.

I would feed rolled barley rather than oats with a mixed hay or even just turn out if you horses are doing well on pasture only.

Answer 10

let your horse out into a pasture and let him run around like crazy all day long and graze  on yummy grass

pasture kept horses are actually mentally and physically better  than stalled horses

Answer 11

Hello,

Well we always feed GRASS hay ONLY!  But, all of our horses are EASY keepers.  Feeding Alfalfa, grain, oats, sweet feed, pellets, corn, etc.  WILL make they have more energy.

Well all of our performance horses are fed the same EXACT thing, only HIGH quality grass hay.

The only supplement they all get is a vitamin and mineral supplement (Grand Vite).  This is only given since we have low selenium and magnesium here.  They each get one scoop in the PM feeding.  WE didn't give any supplements before relocating here last year.

NOW I assure you that our performance horses are in top shape, on this simple easy diet.

They do make supplements to help calm horses down, they would be worth looking into as well.  BUT, we were told from the get go, by all of our horsey friends and trainers to stick with grass hay only, as long as we owned easy keepers.

Easy keepers-  Horses that maintain their ideal weight on grass hay.

Hard keeper-  Horses that you are always supplementing the feed to keep the weight on.

YOU could try lunging your horse for 20 minutes in a round pen or on a lunge line before you ride too...  IT does help to take the edge off too.

Answer 12

i feed to the seasons,i only feed grain in fall and winter along with alfalfa/grass mix bales.spring i will feed grass bales along with pasture for the working horses and pasture only for the non working horses.summer time i will pasture all the horses due to the fresh grass nutrition then rotate pastures.my horses are pretty level headed but i also watch the weather and try not to work them just before a storm(they get distracted easily before a storm) but sometimes there is no choice but to ride a storm horse.other than that  i just remember what i was taught,don't feed hot horses, hot feed.

Answer 13

For decades I've fed what the old Charros in Los Angeles fed, rolled barley corn.  I've owned TBs and running type QHs and found that if I just walked anything containing oats past 'em, they'd be climbing the walls.  

I had an old QH gelding who even in his late teens would have to be saddled up and ridden after the 2nd halter class at a show and you RODE him through the lunch break. (My kids HATED me because I'd tell them "Get him movin' or you'll be SORRY!"...).

Rolled barley corn seems to keep the weight on them without making them silly and they still have enough energy to go all day.

Horses over 1,000 LBS get 3LBS of barley corn when they are working along with 1/2 C of corn oil and 1/2 C of ACV.  I drop it down in 1/2 when they are just hanging out.

Answer 14

You could start feeding your horse a calming supplement along with its feed. Also, if he's eating oats cut back on the oats if he/she eats oats. Oats give horses energy. that's all i know!

Answer 15

I have never had a hyper horse but if I did....

Hay.  Nothing but hay. No grain, no supplements...strictly hay and a salt block.  That would be my first choice.

After that...I'd sell him if I didn't need a hyper horse!

hahaha

Answer 16

always try to approach the horse from the side and lunging them on a long lead rope wears off some of the hyperness