What is good nutrition for a horse?

Question

1. maintenance nutrition

2. Sporting nutrition

3.gestation/lactation

Answer 1

oats and wheat

Answer 2

1. Typically a horse that is in the maintenance stage of their life needs enough to keep them alive and functioning. The size of the horse and location will change this. In California where the soil is rich and hay is plentiful (and expensive!) a horse that is being maintained will do well on a flake or two of Alfalfa a day with Oat or Grass hay to supplement. On the East coast these horses may get a large concentrate diet with a little hay. My horses on maintenance get 1 flake of Alfalfa at night with 2 flakes of oat hay in the morning.

2. Again, depending on size and location. With this it also depends on the AMOUNT the horse is being worked. More concentrates will typically be added to the diet but this has to be done carefully to minimize gut problems. My Thoroughbred hunter-jumper mare is in training 6 days a week. She gets 2 flakes of alfalfa, 2 flakes of oat, and 4 pounds of whole oats with a gut health supplement.

3. Pregnant and Lactating mares need (in my opinion) the most nutrients. Mare supplements on the market are excellent sources of these essential nutrients. You don't want to get her too fat so you don't want to over feed her. Alfalfa hay and some form of concentrate with supplement is good. I think the standard is 2-3% of their body weight is what they need in total feed.

Its difficult to say what is perfect because there is no cookie cutter way to feed horses. All horses need their own feeding program and these programs need to be discussed with vets or other professionals. Each area has a different availability of feed sources. Horses do need a balance between hay and concentrates but it needs to be balanced for the amount of work they are doing or the amount of energy they require. I am a long time horse person and I'm not an expert in nutrition. I keep in close contact with my vet and a local nutritionist to make sure my hay is quality and my horses are getting exactly what they need.

Most important is water intake. IF a horse isn't drinking, they aren't eating, and they aren't performing. To get the most out of feed, all horses need water.

Purina Mills and Nutrena have good resources and articles listed on their website.