Revised:  09/15/2008

 

Ask the Expert Main Page
Equine Management			Nutrition
	Diseases & Disorders			Grain & Feed Mixes
	Stress & Behavior			Hay
	Other Topics			Pasture
				Supplements
Farm & Pasture Management				Other Topics
	Fertilizers & Herbicides			Poisonous Plants
	Manure Management
	Other Topics			Medical Disclaimer

Nutrition

Other Topics

What is a good all-around diet for show horses?
 

What "basic" formula would you recommend for a barn containing mostly show horses that travel to shows 2-3 times monthly (hay, grain, supplements)? The animals are in good general health and are under 20 years old. The barn does not give any more than a handful of grain to their horses twice a day and does not feed any supplements. They give hay and about 2 quarts of beet pulp per day. All the horses maintain weight on this diet, except the older ones. What's your opinion on beet pulp? As far as I know it can be a hay substitute and some people add it in the feed in the winter to help increase bulk. Bulk of what? Could you please clarify? Could you also answer how often should hay be analyzed for nutrient content?

I strongly feel that hay should be the majority of the diet. Many horses can survive without any extra supplementation at maintenance if their hay is of good quality. Analyzing hay is difficult because many barns get a variety of hay and don't usually have one load of hay which lasts all season. Technically, to be sure of your hay’s quality you should test every load; however, that is not practical. If a barn has a load of hay that will last all season they can have it tested. (See the Rutgers Fact Sheet on analyzing hay for horses.)

However, if you know the species of grass in the hay and the basic quality (poor, good or otherwise) you can get a rough idea of its average nutrient content from the databases at Equi-analytical.com.

Most horses should eat 2 % of their body weight daily (total diet). Hay should be at least 1.5 % (if not more) of that ration. For example, an average-sized (1,000 lb) horse should eat about 20 lbs of feed each day, 15 lbs of which should be hay. The rest of the diet can be grain, etc.

Most horses, if they are exercising moderately, can get by with about 2 to 5 lbs of a commercial mix per day. I usually recommend a high-fat feed (about 10 %) for exercising horses. There are many on the market nowadays. However, some horses are easy keepers; they don’t need much grain and could probably get by without it. If they are demanding more food, you can feed beet pulp. By adding a pound or two of dry beet pulp (which can be moistened to help with water intake and, when moist, serves as a great base for adding supplements) you can increase the amount of fiber in the diet without adding excess calories. Just make sure the beet pulp does not have added molasses. In doing this you will also be providing them with a meal at the same time as the other horses in the barn so they will not get agitated when the others are fed.

Replacing hay with beet pulp is not exactly a great idea. Horses still need their roughage, i.e. hay and pasture, which slows down the passage of feed through the digestive tract and allows for a slower consumption time. Roughage is what keeps horses from being totally bored all day (and it also keeps them from eating fences). The only difference between roughage and fiber is their absorption times.

I don't usually recommend feeding additional supplements to the average light working horse. I usually recommend adding supplements only in certain circumstances:

1. When feeding poor quality hay. Hay and pasture are where horses get most of their vitamins.
    
2. When horses have very limited access to pasture. The concentration of vitamins in pasture is quite a bit higher than it is in hay and grain.
    
3. When a horse is more nervous or stressed than usual (e.g. from an intense show schedule, traveling long distances, intense training), or is generally a nervous horse
    
4. If a horse has any performance problems including muscular or nervous system problems.

There are many other factors that go into developing a feeding management program for the individual horse; these are just brief guidelines for feeding horses in general. For more information on feeding horses please see our nutrition fact sheets.

Answer provided by Carey Williams, Ph.D., Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

My horse is allergic to oats and grass hay. What should I feed him?
 

I just had a blood test for allergies done on my horse. He tested positive for oats and beets as well as rye, fescue, orchard grass, brome grass, reed canary, and borderline for timothy. We will probably give him alfalfa hay, but do you have any suggestions for the type of grain he should get?

My exact answer to your question would be based on what you use your horse for - i.e., what is his activity level - and what his body condition looks like. Does he keep weight on easily, or is he a hard keeper? The reason I ask is because if he doesn't need a high energy feed he would do well on rolled barley top-dressed with a vitamin/mineral supplement. If he needs more energy you can add non-stabilized rice bran. You don't need to add extra calcium if feeding alfalfa. Finding a company that produces a sweet feed without oats will be quite a challenge.

Your other option is to find a feed mill or nutritionist in your area that will work with you to formulate your own feed. You could ask the mill to make you a pellet or textured mix without the things he is allergic to and then have it balanced with a vitamin/mineral premix. Just make sure that any feed you have made is low in protein and calcium, since the alfalfa you will feed will supply all he needs.

Feeding straight grain will probably be more cost effective than going with a specially formulated pellet. If you find that you have to feed more than 2 lb of barley per feeding to maintain his weight then I would recommend rice bran. It will probably cost a bit more, but you can significantly cut back on the barley when you add this. Remember, with horses you always need to make dietary changes slowly! So, if you plan to add or change anything, try to do so over a period of at least 2 weeks.

Answer provided by Carey Williams, Ph.D., Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

Is it okay to feed bread to my horses?
 

Is it okay to feed bread to my horses? If so, how much can I feed per 100 pounds of body weight?

"Bread" is a rather wide category – just look at the aisles in the grocery store. Everything from high carbohydrate fortified white bread to rye and high fiber/low carb breads with a wide variety of flavors, nutritional contents, etc. is out there. That being said, most breads are grain-based, which is what we feed horses anyway. They tend to be high starch - indeed, the standard for determining glycemic index (blood sugar response) in human medicine is based on white bread.

However, because there are a wide variety of recipes out there, I hesitate to generalize over all types of breads for horses, since, to my knowledge, there have been no feeding trials conducted using even white bread in this species. "Bakery waste" (day old products or batches that didn't come out just right) is frequently used as a mainstay of hog and cattle rations in some areas. Some commercial feed companies have even included bakery waste in their horse feeds in the past. The only reason it is not commonly done now is for fear of getting poppy seed or chocolate in the mix too, which can cause positive drug tests in performance horses.

Since commercially available breads are meant for human consumption, they will not contain known toxins or impure ingredients and frequently are supplemented with added vitamins and minerals (including safe amounts of selenium). They can actually be more nutritious than plain grains commonly used for horses! Wheat is a grain not commonly used in horse rations due to price and concerns about potential problems with glutens in its raw form. Although wheat flour is a main ingredient in most bread, it is acceptable, especially in the baked, processed form of bread. Unless fortified with calcium, breads may not have a good calcium to phosphorus ratio, but this would not be a problem in most cases if they were fed with good quality hay or pasture. In very old horses the lower calcium intake might actually be good! Day old bread and bagels are commonly fed to horses in Europe as a treat or cheap supplement to their rations.

My main concern with feeding a lot of bread to horses would be the potential lack of fiber, leading to wood chewing and perhaps gastric ulcers and a possible calcium deficit. Before everyone starts raiding the stores for their day old bread and bagels, let me give the following recommendations:

1. Avoid breads that contain poppy seeds or chocolate, especially if competing with the horse.
2. Try to get the high fiber/low carbohydrate fortified types of bread.
3. If planning to feed more than a few slices a day, start slowly. I'd probably restrict intake to 1-2 pounds a day unless there is a special case, like a toothless horse.
4. If the horse is prone to laminitis or is glucose intolerant I would not recommend feeding anything but high fiber/low carb breads in very limited quantities (no more than one or two slices a day, and not all at once!).
5. If feeding over 5 pounds of bread a day, consider getting a nutritional analysis of it (especially if feeding a mixture of "waste" bread) and consulting an equine nutritionist to make sure it is balanced.
6. Stay away from the high sugar/high fat donuts unless you have a horse that:
• Is not glucose intolerant
• Is a bit thin and needs to gain weight!

Answer provided by Dr. Sarah Ralston, VMD, Ph.D., dACVN, Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

How should I feed my diabetic mini stallion?
 

I have a miniature stallion that has chronic laminitis/founder. In the past, a trim plus supplements like devil's claw and others (and a lot of TLC!) would bring him out of it only to have him suddenly lame again. My veterinarian suggested that he might be diabetic/insulin resistant and not able to process sugar. I was feeding him plain oats, a few carrots, and alfalfa hay. He has a pretty laid-back life - little exercise, etc. other than playing in his pasture with a jolly ball. His pasture is mostly weedy and is kept cut down. Is there anything else I should do for him?

I assume the mini stallion is in good body condition. If he is overly "plump" (fat pads around his tail, ribs not easily felt) that could be contributing to his problem. If he is fat, put him not only on a starch-restricted diet but also one to reduce his weight. You should be able to get good grass hay - I'd switch him to that instead of the alfalfa. Give him 2 % of his body weight per day divided into two or three feedings, and make sure he has free access to salt and water. Assuming he is mature, you should not need other supplements. If you feel you have to give something, I'd suggest maybe 4 ounces of a supplement such as Nutrena's new Safer Choice or soaked beet pulp twice a day. You said the pasture was predominantly weeds, but that it is mowed. Frequent mowing will increase the carbohydrate content of the grasses present and encourage clover, which will contribute to his problems. You might try using a grazing muzzle when he is out.

Answer provided by Dr. Sarah Ralston, VMD, Ph.D., dACVN, Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

Can you explain how digestion produces heat?
 

Can you explain how digestion produces heat? Do grass and hay produce less heat than corn? Does digestive heat have an adverse affect on performance?

The "heat increment", or metabolic heat generated in the body tissues (muscles, etc.) during the process of energy utilization is highest for protein, moderate for starches and very low for fats. The heat of fermentation that is "lost" in digesting fiber and any other carbohydrate source that reaches the large intestine is not as big of a concern. This is because it is generated primarily in the intestines and does not affect the larger muscles as much as the direct heat generated in the muscles during exercise does. (It does help keep them warm in winter!).

It is important to know that corn does not produce heat. It actually has a lower heat increment than oats! The fermentation of fiber in the large intestine generates a lot more heat than is lost in the process of converting the starch in corn to glucose. Putting it through the metabolic pathways is where a bit of heat is generated each time a chemical bond is broken, but the actual ‘heat’ is not significant.

In extremely hot or humid weather, horses with heat dissipation problems run a potential risk of adverse effects from feed heat increments. If your horse is unable to sweat (anhydrotic), obese or heavily muscled, or dark-colored, performing fairly intense exercise (lots of trotting or faster paces) for 30 minutes or more can put it at risk. If your horse falls into this category, feeding free choice good quality grass hay, water and white salt might ease the load a bit.

To minimize the internally-generated heat that needs to be dissipated primarily through sweat loss in the summer, avoid excess protein (10-12 % max) and excessively fibrous hay. Fresh pasture is lower in fiber, therefore it requires less fermentation and will not create as much heat. If the horse needs more calories to maintain weight, consider a higher fat (10-12 %) concentrate or high fat supplement, but beware - hot, humid summer weather may turn your supplement rancid quickly. A half-cup to a cup of corn oil will do just as well and be less likely to go rancid since you can seal and refrigerate the bottle.

Answer provided by Dr. Sarah Ralston, VMD, Ph.D., dACVN, Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

How do I slow down a horse’s eating time?
 

I have a problem feeding our two horses. The older horse has more of an appetite than the younger one. When we feed the older horse his grain, he meets us at his feeding station, running as fast as he can and grunting vocally all the way. He eats very rapidly, often throwing or slinging his feed. Then he moves to the younger horse’s eating station, runs him off and finishes his meal. The younger one just moves in submission. How do I safely overcome this problem?

The best thing to do here is to try to slow down the dominant horse's eating habits. A good way to do this is by placing either large round stones (3” to 5” around), or small salt blocks in the bucket with his feed. This will force him to sift around the rocks to get to the feed and will slow down his rate of consumption, allowing your other horse to consume his feed in more time. If he gets frustrated and leaves his food for the other horse’s you may want to consider tying him near the bucket for the duration of feeding time. This of course is dependant on how well he ties! If he has any tendency to back up and break halters, etc. this would not be a good option.

Another thing that could help is to supplement his feed with hay cubes. They are a great fiber source, so they would not hurt at all, and they take a longer time for the horses to consume. This works the same way as the rocks in the feed bucket - only now the horse is actually consuming something.

Answer provided by Carey Williams, Ph.D., Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

Can a horse eat eggs?
 

I was talking with an old racehorse trainer today and he said he used to give his horses eggs regularly. It made their coats look terrific. As my hens are laying like crazy and providing more eggs than friends and family can use, I was wondering if the extra eggs could be given to my horses?

Eggs are an excellent source of protein, as we all know. One egg per horse per day would definitely not hurt-if you can get them to eat them! I don't know if it would be easier to feed them raw (which would be easier to mix into feed) or hard boiled (to reduce the risk of salmonella). The shells could even be ground up as a calcium supplement. I believe they used to feed eggs to horses in England and Ireland.

Answer provided by Dr. Sarah Ralston, VMD, Ph.D., dACVN, Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

How do I feed a rapidly growing foal with epiphysitis?
 

I have a foal that was foaled on Feb. 16, 2005; he has epiphysitis. His dam is ½ Clydesdale, ¼ Thoroughbred, ¼ Hanoverian. I noticed a swelling above his left hind fetlock not long after he was gelded, at 2 months. When the vet came out to check it a couple weeks later, it was bigger, and the other hind was starting. I was feeding them a Mare & Foal feed, small hay cube mash, grass hay, and a molasses/mineral bucket; the vet said to withdraw all grain immediately. Currently, the swelling is not at all reduced, has increased on the right hind, and has started somewhat on the left front. Since he was weaned he has gotten quite lean, with some ribs showing, backbone a bit elevated, and a bit of hay/grass belly. Is there anything else I should be feeding or not feeding, doing or not doing?

It is pretty common for foals to have epiphysitis. The ration you had him on originally was perfectly fine. In fact, grass hay alone is probably too low in protein and minerals to meet his needs. This is most likely the cause of the epiphysitis, not an excess of protein and minerals. Right now his appearance and calm attitude are due to a lack of calories and protein. You are at risk of stunting his growth by keeping him on his current diet. However, any dietary changes will need to be made very slowly because if you improve his diet too quickly he will get a compensatory growth spurt that could cause problems.

He should be on a grass/legume (either alfalfa or clover) mix hay or free choice pasture, and fed a concentrate formulated for growth, like the Mare & Foal you had him on, up to a total of 6-7 lbs per day divided into 2 or 3 feedings. He should also have free access to salt and water. A plain white salt block is fine. However, do not start him on the concentrate too suddenly since he has had none for a while. I'd suggest giving only ½ lb per feeding for 2 or 3 days, then increasing by ½ lb per day until you reach the desired intake. Same with switching the hay; give only a pound or two of the new hay with the grass hay he is used to and gradually switch over. If he starts to get upright in his pasterns, back down to a slightly lower level for a few days and then gradually start increasing again. Do not discontinue the hay completely. The more turn out and free exercise he can get, the better.

The idea that epiphysitic foals need to be starved and put on low protein diets has been repeatedly disproved by research over the past 15 years. Refer to the fact sheet “Feeding the Rapidly Growing Foal” for more information on this topic.

Answer provided by Dr. Sarah Ralston, VMD, Ph.D., dACVN, Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

What part of the fiber eaten by a horse is absorbed?
 

In reference to the terms “absorbable,” “digestible,” and “fermentable,” what part of the fiber eaten by a horse is absorbed? Is it absorbed after digestion and fermentation? Would “lignin” refer to the type of fiber?

Fiber is a carbohydrate. The main building block of carbohydrates is glucose, a simple sugar. Starches (e.g. most of the carbs in grains like corn) are just long chains of glucose linked together in a fashion that is easily metabolized, or absorbed (transferred from the gut to the blood stream) in the small intestine. Sugars and starches like this are digested (broken down to glucose by enzymes) and absorbed. Fermentation (an enzymatically-controlled transformation of an organic compound) by bacteria and other microbes only occurs in the cecum and large intestine.

Fermentation is mainly required for products composed of more complex carbohydrates, e.g. cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin (the types of fiber found in hay and pasture). These possess glucose chains which are linked together in more complex ways and are therefore more difficult to break. Thus, they must be fermented by bacteria instead of digested by enzymes.

Beet pulp and rice bran are high in rapidly fermentable carbohydrates which have a combination of starches and celluloses that can be absorbed and fermented.

Answer provided by Carey Williams, Ph.D., Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

Is there a good forage substitute that can be fed to a horse with diarrhea?
 

I have a Lipizzaner gelding that gets diarrhea on all hays we've tried with the exception of timothy. We ruled out sand in the gut, parasites, teeth, and I doubt it's mold. We think he just needs a high-fiber forage, as he is true to his breeding and a very easy keeper. Also, his stool will return to normal on days I feed him psyllium seed. I keep him at a boarding stable, so I don't have personal control of his forage. Recently the price of timothy hay has gone through the roof, so now most of the barns around here have switched to orchard grass hay. The new hay is properly cured and stored, but very tender and soft with few tough stems. After the switch, my horse has had loose stools.

He gets no grain except for a mini-ration of a high-fat commercial feed on days that he works hard. He also gets a light vitamin supplement in a few timothy pellets. He is very healthy and energetic, and is on a regular dental and worming schedule. I would like to find a forage replacement that is high-fiber and convenient to feed with a scoop. Any suggestions?

If he seems to do better when fed psyllium, you might try to just keep him on that. I know of no detriment to feeding it daily. There are very few forage substitutes that could easily be managed in a boarding situation and keep him healthy and sane. Three to four pounds of beet pulp fed 3 or 4 times a day might be an option, but it would have to be the type that does not contain molasses. Beet pulp would also require supplementation as it is not a "complete" feed, lacking in vitamins A, D and minerals. Most people feel more comfortable feeding it soaked, which is labor-intensive, but it does not have to be fed this way.

Have you had him allergy tested? Perhaps there is another hay that he could tolerate. Have you tried him on alfalfa? It can be harvested late in its growing season so as not to be so high energy and protein. There are timothy/alfalfa cubes that could be fed dry and basically free choice, which might be a good management-free option. The timothy pellets alone would not give him enough "chew time" to keep him happy, unfortunately. However, the other more obvious option would be plain timothy hay cubes without the alfalfa. These might not cost as much as actual timothy hay.

Answer provided by Dr. Sarah Ralston, VMD, Ph.D., dACVN, Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

Is feeding fish extracts to race horses beneficial?
 

I work with an international racing authority and am in charge of the supply and management of equine feed. I was wondering if there were any benefits or side effects to feeding fish extracts to racing horses.

I have no direct experience with feeding fish extracts to horses, but there should be no risk with this type of product. The protein quality should be fairly high and highly digestible to horses. According to the 2007 NRC (Nutrient Requirements for Horses), fish meals contain 68.5 to 71.2% protein. They are an excellent source of lysine, which is good for growing race horses. They also contain 5 to 10% fat, which is a good energy source for them as well. I was surprised to see the meals are also high in Calcium (4 to 5%) and Phosphorus (2 to 3%), which would also be good for growing bones. (Menhaden and anchovy are the only fish extracts studied in horses.)

All in all, the fish meals would appear to be a good source of desired nutrients for racing/growing horses; if they will eat them. I do not think they would confer an "extra" advantage when racing, other than allowing balancing for optimal nutrient intake.

Answer provided by Dr. Sarah Ralston, VMD, Ph.D., dACVN, Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

How do I get a foundered horse to start eating again?
 

My horse foundered 8 days ago. He is not really doing well at all. I have been giving him Bute and Banamine as needed. A veterinarian is attending to him. However, he is not eating hay or feed. I have tried Equine Senior and oats. He is not interested in grazing. He just started walking a little better but is still on drugs. On my vet's advice, I tried a product supplement for digestive problems along with 60 cc of Maalox because of the Bute. After 4 days, he ate a handful of feed but still will not eat hay. Do you have any suggestions?

Your concern about him not eating for 4 days is valid. The phenylbutazone (“Bute”) could be contributing to gastric ulcers that would be also brought about by the stress involved. If the pasture was "stressed" (e.g.: went for a prolonged period without rain or was overgrazed) or the horse is overweight, this could have led to him foundering. If he is overweight I would be even more concerned, because prolonged "starvation" in a fat horse can cause liver damage.

I would try a bran mash. You can chop up carrots or apples to put in the mash; this usually stimulates eating. If he will eat the pelleted feed you typically use, I would strongly suggest changing over to one higher in protein, fiber and fat and lower in carbohydrates than the Equine Senior. Initially, you want to feed small amounts (1 or 2 lbs per feeding) at as frequent of an interval as possible (at least three times a day) if you do find something that he will eat.

The fact that he won't even graze is especially worrisome; you could try hand picking grass for him and feeding it in his stall. It might be too painful for him to graze on his own. People are typically afraid of alfalfa in a founder-prone horse, but a handful of alfalfa pellets three or four times a day also might help him regain his appetite.

Answer provided by Sarah Ralston, VMD, Ph.D., dACVN, Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

How can I encourage my horse to eat and gain weight?
 

I have imported a 7-year-old gelding from Germany and he has arrived in poor condition, having lost a great deal of weight before arrival. I plan to treat him for possible ulcers, but I also wanted to know what I can do to stimulate his appetite and encourage him to eat. How I can best put weight on him so that he can begin training?

Putting on weight is one problem; getting him to want to eat is another. It is hard to give any exact recommendations without seeing him or at least knowing how thin he is. The ideal Body Condition Score (BCS), on a scale of 1 to 9, is a 5. If he is really thin (BCS = 2, very little to no fat over neck, withers, shoulder or tailhead, and ribs are easily visible with no fat cover), you need to start feeding very slowly. I would recommend this protocol:

Feed low quality hay to start (high fiber, low protein)

• Day 1-3 = 50% of total energy needs (about 10 lbs), spread this over feedings every 4 hrs
• Day 4-5 = 75% of energy needs (about 15 lbs), spread over 4 feedings
• Day 6-10 = 100% of energy needs (about 20 lbs), spread over 4 feedings
• Day 10-30 = 100% of total energy needs. Increase hay quality (use a good quality grass hay or alfalfa mix) over 3 feedings
• Note: it takes about 2 months to change 1 BCS (or about 50 lbs).

If the horse is over a BCS 3 (tailhead prominent but vertebrae cannot be visually identified, ribs with slight fat covering but still easily seen, shoulder, neck and withers with fat cover) then you can begin to add grain in the first week, but I would wait until the good hay is meeting 100% of his energy requirements for his current body weight (about day 10). You probably won't notice much weight gain in the first thirty days, but it should take off after that. It does take time to ramp the anabolic processes back up.

I don't recommend straight alfalfa - they don't need that much protein (10 to 12 % is fine). An alfalfa mix would be preferred for its palatability, energy and protein, but be careful not to overwork his kidneys. I highly recommend finding a feed that is high in fat and fiber instead of one high in soluble carbohydrates. One example of such a feed would be Pennfield's Fibergize. Most feed companies have at least one on the market. These are very palatable feeds that he should enjoy eating. If you are still having problems getting him to eat the hay, try adding alfalfa/grass mix hay cubes. They can be broken up and soaked to help soften them. But he really should be eating as much hay as he wants in about two weeks.

Answer provided by Carey Williams, Ph.D., Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

How do I get my Clydesdale to gain weight?
 

We have an 8-year-old Clydesdale gelding. He weighs around 2000 lbs. and I ride him about once a week. He has always been hard to keep weight on, but lately it seems we are losing the battle as he continues to lose weight. We gave him some de-wormer and nothing came of it. Right now we feed him 1 can of oats and a fat and fiber feed twice a day. We give him 4 sleeves of hay twice a day also. Do you have any hints on how to get some more weight on him?

I have a couple of suggestions you can try. First, it is important to know that horses need to consume about 2% of their body weight, so your 2000 lb horse needs to eat about 40 lbs of food every day! I would start out by getting a kitchen or bathroom scale to measure the amount of feed he is currently getting, hay and grain included! Since I am not sure how much your can of grain or fat and fiber feed weighs or how much your 4 sleeves of hay weigh, I am going to make a lot of assumptions here. Once you weigh the feed you will be able to get a better idea of what you need to do.

My first suggestion is to check the hay quality. Make sure he is getting a high quality grass forage; the type doesn't matter as much as making sure that it doesn't consist of a lot of stems or seed heads. The hay should be softer with more leaves than stems. This will basically tell you that the hay has more nutrients in it (i.e. more protein, vitamins and minerals) than something very coarse and stemmy. If you determine that the hay quality is decent, I would suggest increasing the amount of hay he is getting fed daily to AT LEAST 1.5 % of his body weight (or 30 lbs). If he is already at this amount with the 4 sleeves twice a day, you can increase that to 35 lbs. If he is not consuming all the hay you are providing, you may have to try another forage source to make up for what he will not eat. In this case I would recommend hay cubes (either grass or alfalfa) or beet pulp. You can feed either moistened and in the same amounts you would need to make up the difference in the total 30 to 35 lbs. The other 5 lbs of the diet can be your fat and fiber with oats, split over multiple feedings.

Try this for a few weeks and monitor his condition. As with any horse, you should not be able to see his ribs, but you should be able to easily feel them when running your hand down his side. His top line should also have a fat cover without bulging or rippling. If his condition still does not change you can add rice bran to his grain feeding with the fat and fiber feed. This will increase the fat content in the feed again and will create more energy for weight gain. For a horse as big as yours you can feed up to about 4 lbs/day if necessary. However, you need to be careful when adding fat to the diet; please increase the amount slowly over the course of 2 to 3 weeks (which is the standard time for ANY change in feed).

Answer provided by Carey Williams, Ph.D., Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

How do I go about glycogen loading my horse?
 

How do I go about glycogen loading my horse?

Please do not attempt glycogen loading in your horse! Not only does glycogen depletion and repletion not work by the same mechanisms as it does in humans, but this practice could also be detrimental to your horse’s health! Problems such as colic, laminitis, and tying-up are just the beginning of the list of risks to the horse. Simply increasing the carbohydrate concentration in the diet without simultaneously adjusting the training regimen does not alter muscle glycogen stores. One study performed fed diets containing 15, 25, 33, or 42 % starch to horses in training (galloping) for 16 weeks and found no difference in postfeeding muscle glycogen concentrations (Topliff et al., 1987).

If you are interested in sparing glycogen for intense exercise, the best way to accomplish this is by increasing the level of fat in the horse’s diet. This is called “fat adaptation” (using an increased level of fat during exercise training). During your training sessions, increased fat will be used as an energy source in place of glycogen. This way, when it is time for the race or other intense exercise, the glycogen stores will be available for the critical time of need.

You can increase fat in your horse’s diet in a couple of ways:

1. Look for a “high fat” commercial feed. Usually these can be found >8%, but I usually recommend 10-12 % fat.
2. Top dress your existing grain with a fat source, e.g. vegetable oil (corn oil is the most popular - use up to 2 cups per day), or rice bran (which will increase fiber in the diet, and can be purchased at a feed store.)

When adding fat, you must start off gradually. For example, if adding corn oil, you can start with 1/4 cup and increase it by about 1/4 cup every 3 to 4 days.

Fat adaptation takes about 4 to 6 weeks for the total benefits to be seen, but it is much healthier and more effective than glycogen loading.

Answer provided by Carey Williams, Ph.D., Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

My horse has a poor hair coat, is this a nutritional issue?
 

Last year I bought an off-the-track Thoroughbred. He had a super short, sleek, silky coat. This year he is on a low carb diet due to his past history of liver congestion. Now his coat has changed. It looks slightly fuzzy, and the ends curl upward just a little. Is this a nutritional issue or something else?

I suspect that it is diet-related. When he was at the track they probably had him on a high fat, high energy diet. The low carb diet he is on now might not have the same fat content he was used to at the track. If you can get his dietary history from his past trainer that will help you get a sense of what he used to eat. However, since he is not racing anymore he no longer needs that level of fat.

I would recommend adding at least a small amount of a fat supplement to his diet. Without knowing his dietary history I can't make any exact recommendations -- but you can try a coat conditioner or just rice bran or corn oil. He would not need much, just 1/4 cup oil or 1 cup of rice bran. This should help his coat condition.

Answer provided by Carey Williams, Ph.D., Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

How much hay and grain should I feed per day?
 

I have a horse in a stall that is not on any pasture. Do I feed him hay and sweet feed? If so, how much should I feed per day? He is 9 years old and weighs about 1050 lbs. Also, how can I tell if he has foundered before?

Unfortunately, without knowing how much and what type of feed he gets, how often and how long he is exercised, what type of riding you do, and whether or not he is fat, thin, or gets any turn out at all, I can't make very specific recommendations. Here are some general guidelines:

Horses kept in stalls should be offered at least 1.5 to 2% of their body weight in hay per day (15-20 lbs for your horse), assuming they are in good body condition and the hay is of good quality. To minimize waste and reduce boredom the hay should be offered in 3 separate feedings of 5 to 7 lbs. This is usually done with a breakfast, lunch and dinner-type feeding. They should have free access to a salt block and clean water at all times. Concentrates such as sweet feed should be offered only in amounts needed to maintain good body condition in addition to the hay and may not even be necessary if the horse is an "easy keeper". I tend to recommend high fat (8-10 %) and fiber (>12%) pelleted feeds for such horses because the sweet feeds contain a lot of sugar that seems to make some horses a bit hyperactive. Most horses seem to do well on only 1 to 2 lbs of concentrates per feeding.

If you suspect your horse might have foundered you should definitely get a veterinarian out to see him. Foundering horses, depending on the severity of the founder, will act as if their front feet hurt - rocking their weight back on their hind legs to take the pressure off their front feet. They may or may not be willing to walk or trot. If it is severe they may lie down more than usual and be unwilling to walk at all. If it is acute (sudden) their feet may feel warm. If it is very chronic, you will see raised ridges around their hooves and a dishing (concave) appearance to the front of the front hooves. Again, you must get a veterinarian out to see the horse!

Several helpful publications on basic horse nutrition are listed here: http://www.esc.rutgers.edu/publications/nutrition.htm

Answer provided by Dr. Sarah Ralston, VMD, Ph.D., dACVN, Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

How much hay and grain can I feed my Percheron?

I have a 2-year-old Percheron who doesn’t get a lot of exercise, except when out to pasture. I feed him a low starch grain and a grass and alfalfa mix hay. How much of each should I be feeding him? He weighs 1600 pounds.

It is hard to give an exact recommendation without knowing a bit more about your horse. For example, what is his body condition? Is 1600 lbs a good weight for him, or is he overweight? What amount are you feeding now?

If he is at a good weight and not increasing or losing weight I would stick with what you have been doing. When not exercising, most horses do well eating 2 % of their body weight each day. Assuming that 1600 lbs is an adequate weight for him, you would feed 32 lbs of feed/day in his case.

Most non-exercising horses that are easy keepers, as most draft horses are, can also get by with a forage-only diet. If you try this route, remember that his forage intake (the pasture he is turned out on and hay when in a stall) should total 32 lbs. For example, if he is outside for 1/2 of the day on grass, then the other 1/2 of his meal should be 16 lbs of hay. If he is outside all day long I would only feed the hay if the grass in the pasture is poor. In this case, you can get by with about 4 lbs or so depending on how much he will eat.

There are so many unknowns here that it is hard to give an exact recommendation, but I would try to stick with a forage-only diet and watch his weight. Draft horses can be prone to obesity, especially if not exercising.

Answer provided by Carey Williams, Ph.D., Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

What can I feed my horse with HYPP and PSSM?

I have an 11 y/o QH gelding who has acute rhabdomyolysis and renal failure. We were able to get him through the acute phase of his disease. Diagnostic testing revealed that he is negative for Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis (HYPP), but he shows some clinical signs of the disease. A muscle biopsy shows he is positive for Type 2 Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy (PSSM). Since the recommended diets for these two disorders are contradictory, I'm having a hard time figuring out what to feed him. Do you have any suggestions? He's currently on acetazolimide and a grass hay diet with a 12% protein commercial feed as a supplement.

Actually the recommendations are not all that different! For the HYPP you want to restrict potassium; for the PSSM, restrict the sugars and starches. Soaking his grass hay in warm water for 30 minutes before feeding will leach out potassium and sugars, especially if he is fed a chopped hay product. (There are several out there; avoid those with added molasses). Feed no more than 7 to 10 lbs per feeding to prevent it from molding, and discard any leftovers before feeding more. He'll probably need at least 3 feedings per day.

If he needs extra calories to maintain his weight/condition you could use corn or vegetable oil by pouring ½ to 1 cup over his hay each feeding. Make sure to add it slowly: start with about an eighth to a quarter cup and increase it over a week. The oils have no potassium or sugars. Rice bran and unmolassed beet pulp, both of which are relatively low in both potassium and sugars, can be mixed 1:2 by weight (e.g.: .5 lb bran to 1 lb beet pulp) and soaked in water as another fairly safe energy/protein/mineral type supplement. The oil could be added to that mixture too if extra calories are needed.

Just avoid any alfalfa or soy meal -based feeds, which are high in potassium, and straight grains like corn or barley or sweet feeds, which are high in sugars.

Answer provided by Dr. Sarah Ralston, VMD, Ph.D., dACVN, Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

Are there health benefits to feeding horses hay before grain?
 

I recently hired a new barn manager whose feeding practices differ from mine. I have always given the horses hay as soon as I get to the barn in the morning, then grain. When they are finished eating they get turned out. Since I have 18 horses, some of them might not get turned out for ½ hour to 1 hour after they eat. My new barn manager wants to give them just grain while they are stalled and have them eat their hay after they get turned out. I know the reason she wants to do this is to keep the stalls easier to clean, which is acceptable to me only if it doesn’t have an impact on the horses’ health. Could you please advise?

There is a nutrition myth that hay must be fed before grain. However, this does not have an impact on horse health. The only time it might make a difference is with horses that bolt their grain. Feeding hay first will help slow their eating down as well as slow down their digestive process. However, no research has shown that feeding hay before grain will have any other impact on horses.

The exception to the rule is for horses that consume ½ or more of their diet as grain. This is not recommended. In this situation, feeding hay first will help -- but it is always recommended to divide the meals into smaller feedings throughout the day. This may also help horses with a history of colic.

Answer provided by Carey Williams, Ph.D., Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

How do I get my horse to lose weight?
 

I have a 14-year-old Arabian gelding. He has gotten very fat over the last two or three years. I stopped giving him any kind of grain two years ago and it didn't seem to make a difference. He does not get a lot of exercise due to my work schedule. He is out on pasture six months out of the year and on hay the other six. I have been looking for grass hay but it is hard to find around here. I work 12-hour shifts so I am gone a good part of the day. Is it OK for him to be on the dry lot for that amount of time and on pasture for the rest? I'm not sure how I should begin to lower his weight. I am currently trying to lunge him for some exercise. Could you give me some helpful hints?

Your situation is a very common one that can be turned around by strict management. The lunging will definitely help him; I usually encourage as much exercise as physically possible for both you and your horse. The next step is to reduce the amount of feed intake per day without jeopardizing the vitamin and mineral balance. When feeding all-hay diets it is easy to know where to start because you can weigh the hay and then start cutting back a pound at a time. Most horses should eat around 2% of their body weight (e.g. 20 lbs for a 1000-lb horse). With overweight horses, I usually start by restricting their feed to 1.5% of their body weight or even 1% if the obesity persists. Managing pasture intake can be a bit more difficult as it is hard to determine how much the horse is actually eating. You can restrict pasture intake in a couple of ways depending on your farm setup:

1. Turn out in a dry lot instead of on pasture. By restricting access to pasture by 6 to 12 hours a day you are reducing pasture intake by about ¼ to ½ of the total dietary intake.
    
2. Keep the horse in a stall, sand arena, or round pen if a dry lot is unavailable. This is not as preferable as Option 1 and may lead to behavioral problems and/or gastric ulcers. Providing low-quality grass hay for the horse to munch on is probably better than leaving it alone in the stall with nothing to do.
    
3. Use a grazing muzzle. This is the last resort and should be used if a dry lot or stall is not an available. Grazing muzzles are made so the horse can have limited access to grass but still be able to drink. This is a good option if the horse must be outside all day long.

The main concern with limiting intake to this extent is the possibility of creating vitamin and mineral deficiencies. To avoid this, feed a daily multi-vitamin and mineral supplement. Most companies make a supplement formulated for the average horse. The key thing to look for is a pelleted formulation. That way, you can supplement the product without needing to use grain as a carrier. If your horse will not eat this product alone, a small handful of moistened beet pulp (without molasses!) is the best carrier.

Dietary changes should always be made slowly. Decide on your management practice and make the total changes over the course of about 1-2 weeks. Gradually remove the turn out time, or increase the time the horse is muzzled. During the course of the weight loss is it best to monitor weight using a weight tape (available from any feed store) every other week. This will let you know if the horse is losing the right amount of weight or if you need to decrease turn out time even more. Once the right amount of weight is lost you can slowly increase pasture or feed intake until he starts to maintain his appropriate weight.

Answer provided by Carey Williams, Ph.D., Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

What can I put in my horse’s feed to mask the flavor of supplements?
 

My gelding will not eat his feed at all if it has supplements added to it. I have tried mixing them into a ball with molasses and alfalfa crumbs, but he will not touch it. Do you have any suggestions for getting him to take this supplement? Is there anything I can mix it with that he might eat?

If molasses doesn’t work, try applesauce in his grain with the supplement! That might help. He also might need a few days to get used to the new taste. If you don’t give him a choice between food with or without the supplement, after a couple of days he will figure out that he has to eat it!

Answer provided by Carey Williams, Ph.D., Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

How does a mare’s nutrition affect her milk production?
 

How much can I affect the quantity and quality of a mare's milk in the short term through feeding practices? What would happen if I were to cut back on my mare’s feed? Right now she is in good flesh.

The mare's nutrition does greatly affect her milk quality. The protein, fat, vitamin and mineral content of the milk is indicative of the composition of her feed. Her total amount of milk produced is determined by her nutritional status and how many calories she is consuming.

Lactating mares should consume about twice as much energy as they would normally need at maintenance (when they are not pregnant or lactating). They also need about 14% protein in their diet along with higher levels of minerals such as calcium and phosphorus (just to name a few).

Calcium and phosphorus are critical for the developing foal. As a foal grows it will lay down bone first. A lot of bone development takes place in the womb, but after birth this is where calcium and phosphorus are needed most. Also after birth, most of the growth is in the form of muscle, which is why adequate protein is crucial. Then, after all the developing bones and muscles’ nutrient needs are satisfied, any extra nutrients are used to lay down fat. Typically, if you are not supplementing a foal’s diet with any creep feed or other source of nutrients they will still need their mother’s milk for adequate growth of bone and muscle.

Answer provided by Carey Williams, Ph.D., Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

How do I feed a young horse with epiphysitis without starving him?
 

I have a seven-month-old Andalusian colt. He was fed commercial sweet feed and alfalfa hay when he was about three months old until he came to me at five months. My trainer and vet took one look at him and told me to only feed him grass hay for the next four months. He had horrible physitis and hot, swollen joints. He would lie down all the time and just looked unhappy. I have fed him grass hay now for about a month; he is no longer swollen and runs around like a "normal" horse. However, he is terribly skinny! He is now getting one pound of a 12% protein feed and grass hay daily. I just don't know if this is enough for him. Please help!

Your trainer and vet had you bounce the poor colt from one extreme to the other. He was probably overfed initially, but now he is severely deficient in both protein and minerals and is at even greater risk. The challenge now is to get him back on track without a serious compensatory growth spurt.

I would strongly suggest switching his concentrate to a restricted starch product balanced specifically for growing horses. These should have 14-16% protein. (Remember to read your feed tags!) Whichever brand you choose, do not use a sweet feed with added molasses.

Start him at 1 lb twice a day and slowly switch him onto an alfalfa/grass mix hay by adding ½ a flake each day. He needs the extra protein and calcium in the alfalfa. If you can not get a good quality mixed hay, add 1 to 2 lbs of timothy/alfalfa cubes to each feeding. Increase his concentrate intake by a half pound every 2-3 days until he is getting about 3 lbs twice a day. The biggest risk is that he will start to grow very rapidly and start to get upright in his pasterns. If that happens, cut the concentrate feedings in half but do not starve him.

For more information on young growing horses please see our “Feeding the Rapidly Growing Foal” fact sheet.

Answer provided by Sarah Ralston, VMD, Ph.D., dACVN, Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

What’s the best way to feed a pregnant/lactating Draft mare and growing foal?
 

I am trying to insure that I have a healthy foal. I own a Percheron mare and have her booked to breed to a TB stud. I am worried about bone problems in the foal, namely, growing too fast. My mare’s had a few previous foals, all of whom are happy, healthy and full Percheron. However, her last foal (Percheron/Arabian) developed a condition due to rapid bone growth - his bones grew to where they affected his nervous system. His vet said that he could possibly outgrow the condition, but if not, he could have surgery performed when he was older. I know I need to be cautious in how I feed my mare while she is pregnant, but I want to be as proactive as possible. Can you lend any advice on how I should feed her prior to breeding, while pregnant, and then how/what the mare and foal should eat once the foal is born?

From the sounds of it, the colt developed "wobbler’s syndrome." Its cause can be partially nutritional, but it also has genetic and trauma components. Our draft crosses grow rapidly, but as long as their mineral needs are met we have had very few problems with growth abnormalities.

Based on our 7 years of data on this type of horse, my recommendations are:

1. Feed the mare a good quality grass/legume mix (alfalfa/clover) hay and, in the last few months of her pregnancy, a supplement designed for broodmares with extra minerals and low calories. There are several on the market. You don't want her too fat.

2. Once she foals, offer her the same concentrate feed that you plan on using for the foal (see below) in amounts that maintain her body condition (for the draft mares that may be as little as a couple of pounds per feeding if the hay is free choice and good quality). This way, if the foal steals her grain, it is still getting a balanced ration.

3. For the foal, start creep feeding a feed formulated specifically for growth (14 to 15 % protein, and added minerals) as early as 1-2 months (preferably NOT a sweet feed) and look for some of the newer products that are higher in fat and fiber.

4. READ THE FEED LABELS! There are some "growth" products out there designed to be fed without hay or pasture - they will NOT contain the right concentration of minerals if you limit feed them with hay or pasture! We have tested alfalfa-based "Total Mixed ration cubes" fed as the sole source of nutrition for two years now and they worked exceptionally well, especially for the Draft cross types. But the weanlings did not do as well on them if they had access to pasture too. (Unfortunately the cubes are not yet available here in the east.)

There are many good products out there, but gain, be sure to read the labels. Feed 1 pound per month of age per day divided into 2 feedings up to 6-7 months. Do not feed more than 3-4 lbs of concentrates per feeding (6-8 lbs per day) after they are weaned.

If the foal is fat (can't feel his ribs, deep crease down his loin, bulging fat neck), cut back on the grain but do not completely eliminate it. Watch for signs of epiphysitis (enlargements just above the fetlock or knees) - that is an indication that he needs fewer calories and more minerals.

Do not let anyone try to tell you that the recommendation above has too much protein - It is a well-disproven myth that protein causes developmental problems. Do not feed a concentrate that is not formulated specifically for growth. Just because a product has 14% protein does not mean that it has the minerals needed for bone growth.

Answer provided by Dr. Sarah Ralston, VMD, Ph.D., dACVN, Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

How much protein does a horse need?
 

How much protein does a horse need, and what happens if they get too much? Also, what exactly is "crude protein?"

Horses at maintenance need about 8 to 10 % of their diet to be protein. This will increase very slightly if exercising. If breeding, lactating or growing, the need can increase up to 16% at times. Feeding excess protein will not create a problem unless the horse has existing kidney problems. High-protein diets will cause high levels of ammonia to be excreted in the urine. If horses with kidney problems consume high levels of protein they could develop additional kidney complications. However, healthy horses should not have a problem eating high-protein diets. It is crucial that they be provided with free access to fresh water. Usually, diets high in alfalfa or another legume hay will contain excess protein (alfalfa can have protein levels as high as 25%). Most grass hay will contain enough protein to be adequate for maintenance horses; however this varies greatly depending on the quality and maturity of the hay.

“Crude protein” refers to the total amount of protein in the feedstuff. It does not represent the amount of protein that is “digestible” to the horse. Digestibility of protein varies between roughly 65 - 85% depending on which feedstuff is being digested.

Answer provided by Carey Williams, Ph.D., Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

Answer provided by Carey Williams, Ph.D., Rutgers Cooperative Extension.