My 17 year old pony was eating another horses' manure and nettles. I know he needs nutrients, but which ones?

Question

I have leased him for 5.5 years, and the owner gives him lots of grain and no hay. He doesn't have a salt block or get any supplements. He looks a teeny bit skinny for the amount of work he gets and he is definatley malnourished. Several times I caught him eating stinging nettles that were surrounding his paddock (which I know can give him a fever) and his pasture-mate's poo. My mom and I are going to go out to the tack store and buy supplements and a mineral block for him, but what vitamins and minerals does he need?

Answer 1

He's eating nettles because he's craving grass or hay.  He eats p**p because horses are hind gut fermenters which means fiber is diesgted in the cecum and passes out.  The only way for the horse to actually get the nutrients is by eating their p**p.  

Don't waste much money on fancy supplements, a well balanced grain/hay diet is all they need.  A mineral block or loose minerals is a good idea for any horse.

Answer 2

Well from what it sounds like he is lacking the basic minerals to stay healthy. I would give him a mineraly block for more than one reason. A mineral block has vitemans, minerals, and salt. A salt block has just one kind of salt. I would talk to the owner and here are the feed plains I have desighned for the older horse:

Option One: Afalfa and Bermuda mixed diet. Fed twice a day along with his grain. This is a high energy and protein for the older horse.and a mineral block.

Option Two: Give him a flake of alfalfa twice a day. Plus his grain and 6-10c. of wet bran. The bran will help clean out his degestive trak. and a mineral block.

Those are te two plans that I reccomend to clinents and feed the second option to my horses. DOnt worry about fancy supplements just good natural minerals found in a mineral block at the local feed store. Just try to keep things as natual as possible.

If you decide to use my methods message me at [e-mail] for some other advice on maintaining the older horse.  

Answer 3

He definitely needs to be fed hay. Grain only diets are horrible for horses. Your horse should get hay if there is no pasture available.  I would recommend getting a salt block, mineral block, and a bag of loose horse minerals- contains all the minerals ( available at Southern States) a horse needs.