Horse feeding diet, what exactly do these animals eat

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For a long time man taught horses to eat hay and grain. Such food was in abundance, besides, the energy received from it was enough for the animal to work in the fields, in mines, etc. People began to think about what horses eat, in addition to these products, later. A new attitude towards horses as to breeding animals of athletes has served to change the diet.

What do horses eat

Already today, for each activity of horses, their own balanced diet is selected. We must not forget about the delicacies. They are important for establishing contact between the animal itself and the person.

What horses eat

The diet of horses always depends on the conditions in which they live.

Wild animals, which can be found not so often, eat the food that they get on their own. A real find for them is the haystack, lawns with grasses and vegetation on the coast of freshwater sources of water. In addition, wild horses get grass even in winter, digging it out from under a layer of snow. The need for plant food and plenty of drink left its mark on domesticated horses.

The main difference between wild and domestic animals is the difference in physical activity and the amount of food consumed. In captivity, according to the schedule, in the allotted time, a person gives horses a certain amount of food. Wild animals are deprived of this. Slowly and for a long time sorting and chewing the grass, they provide themselves with energy for a long period - 2-3 days. Therefore, horse breeders should take into account the fact that adapting horses to a new rhythm of life and nutrition, they can harm them.

The fact is that, despite the massive data of individuals, their stomach is very small.

Slowly chewing roughage and concentrated feed leads to a gradual release of hunger. The feeder should not be always filled with several kilograms of oats, wheat, barley, etc. Concentrates in large quantities are harmful to a horse's digestive system. Experts recommend giving them no more than 50% of the daily diet. Overestimation of this norm leads to metabolic disorders.

Main types of feed

Proper nutrition of horses is the key to their health.

Getting a sufficient amount of nutrients, pets become stronger and more resilient. But it will be very difficult for a stallion breeder to raise a real massive horse without knowing what to feed the horses. So, any feeding of animals is divided into the following types:

• juicy food;
• roughage;
• concentrates.

The basis of food is juicy food. For their needs, these animals need to consume grass. It is this product that is primary and natural, because in freedom they provide themselves with it on their own. Also vegetables and haylage are referred to this type of feeding.

Rough horse feed is equally important.This portion of the diet consists of dry compressed grass (pellets), hay and straw. These feeds are considered an indispensable source of nutrients in winter when juicy feed is difficult to obtain. Concentrates are responsible for the energy required for physical activity. They are used to feed sports horses and horses that need to be fattened or conditioned. These products include compound feed and self-prepared grain mixtures.

Providing the horse with natural food

Providing a horse with grass is not so difficult, because it feeds itself well. The main thing is to take the animal to pasture. Horses willingly eat:

• timothy;
• meadow fescue;
• alfalfa;
• clover;
• meadow forbs.

You can also do without walking, giving the horse a shock of freshly cut grass. But such food should be properly procured and stored. Any mistake in this matter can lead to rotting plants, and such products are unsuitable for feeding horses. It is especially dangerous to give them to foal and lactating mares, because it can lead to serious health problems.

Experts advise novice breeders to properly delineate pasture. It is best to divide the selected lawn into 3 zones and allow animals to visit them one by one. This will extend the life of the territory and timely carry out its cleaning of manure.

The role of vegetables in the diet

Proper feeding of horses should also include food from the garden: vegetables and fruits. Horses are fed only fresh food. Rot is dangerous for their digestion. It is best to give them:

• beets;
• carrots;
• watermelon;
• apricots;
• pears;
• plums.

They love animals and greenery. They willingly eat celery and lettuce. But not everything that grows in the garden is suitable for these animals. The list of prohibited foods includes:

• potatoes;
• cabbage;
• tomatoes;
• onion and garlic;
• eggplant;
• spinach.

More preferable in the diet are those food products that are quickly digested in the stomach, without causing heaviness or gas formation. That is why horse breeders give beets and carrots to horses and avoid cabbage, eggplant and even potatoes. In addition, as experienced breeders say, not only the fruits of these plants are dangerous, but also their stems.

Treats with lemons, bananas, oranges, tangerines, dates and mangoes. Of the exotic fruits, only avocados are prohibited.

Hay and other roughage

Horse feed, especially in winter, should be nutritious and healthy, so roughage is indispensable. When harvesting hay hay or buying them in specialized stores, you need to make sure they are suitable. Choose only green bales of hay without rot and dirt. In addition, it is important to check the temperature by sticking your hand inside the shock. At the same time, the warmth should not be felt.

The most useful and nutritious food for horses is hay from:

• alfalfa;
• meadow grasses;
• cereal plants.

A herb such as alfalfa is considered the richest in protein, therefore, it is added to any mixture. For these purposes, you can also use compressed granules, which are sold in specialized stores. But it should be borne in mind that such food must be chewed slowly and for a long time, and in some cases the horse may choke on it, so you need to give these cubes a softer look by moistening them with water.

Straw from the stems of cultivated plants is also an important part of the diet. They are less nutritious than hay and are used more for volume than for benefit. Hay and silage will also help diversify your diet. But such products should be administered carefully and only in small doses. A full silage feeder can threaten the animal's health by triggering a disease such as botulism.

Concentrates and their role in horse diets

Concentrated feed is an important food for horses. They consist of crops:

• corn;
• oats;
• barley;
• peas;
• legumes.

The composition of grain mixtures may vary. It should be selected based on the type of activity of the animal. For working mares, as well as for sport horses, it is recommended that only nutritious foods are given, avoiding simple bulk feeds. Any permitted food will do for normal needs. Oats are especially useful, but because of their high cost, farmers often replace it with vegetables. For this, sugar and fodder beets are used. Her tops are also suitable.

The most popular concentrates are horse feed. A bag of this kind of food can be expensive, but it will be completely balanced, with the correct energy value calculated. In addition, racehorse mixes are also available from individual manufacturers. For athletic performance, it is important that the foods consumed are easily absorbed by the body and provide energy. It is equally important to use concentrates for young animals. Succulent, nutritious foods will help you feed your stallion to the correct weight for health benefits.

Popular feed manufacturers

Feeding horses is not easy. It is difficult and dangerous to independently prepare mixtures for young animals or adults, especially without existing knowledge in this area, so you should buy ready-made compound feed that will provide animals with the necessary nutrients. The most popular products on the market are:

1. Dynavena. This manufacturer produces feed for sports and work horses. In addition, each horse owner can choose the right product for the age of the animal. Separate starts called "Energy" will give strength and endurance to young horses. For the elderly, Senior flakes are more suitable. In addition to the above, this manufacturer also produces delicacies - muesli with fruits.
2. Spillers. Spiellers is one of the best compound feed manufacturers. The British product line also includes sports horse mixes and a variety of supplements and treats.
3. Cavalor. The feed and additives of this company are popular in all European countries. Together with high quality, the farmer benefits from a reasonable price for the product. Kovalor is a good choice for a novice horse breeder.
4. Biotech C. The best solution for buying everyday horse feed. It can be given to any breed. Separate compound feeds are suitable for those animals that need to be fed. Others are just to keep fit. There are also salt and salt holders on sale.
5. Pavo. Horse feed from these manufacturers can even be used for a foal mare. Several types of products allow you to choose the one suitable for your own horse for different activities and ages. There is also an option for a newborn stallion, which is similar in composition to breast milk.

Connolly Red Mills is a no less popular feed manufacturer. She is one of the oldest. Founded in 1908, this company specialized in the manufacture of products for cats and dogs. More recently, their new horse line has been launched. She immediately attracted interest from horse breeders because of its high quality at an affordable price. The company already produces feed supplements for horses, vitamin supplements and treats.

The dream of many horse owners is to teach their own child to care for animals. It will be much easier to feed them with your own hands, to learn how to contact them, if the correct "approach" is chosen. Any treat bought at a grocery or pet store helps a lot with this. Horses eat sugar, fruit, and take special compressed supplements well. Without these products, it is very difficult to establish contact between a child or even an adult and a horse.

Calculation of the daily ration

Horses eat in small portions, but many times a day. Moreover, each individual eats a different amount of food.So, a fast sports horse consumes several times more food than a weak domestic mare or even a pony. This also applies to working horses. In addition to the lifestyle or even the activity of the animal, other features are also taken into account:

• breed;
• the weight;
• region of content;
• financial capabilities of the breeder.

The composition of the feed is also important. It is determined by many factors related to the availability of vegetation in the region and the possibility of purchasing specialized ready-made mixtures. The feeding requirements of horses may vary, but there are averages. So, per month, one animal can consume up to: 0.1 tons of bran, 0.1 tons of juicy feed, 0.15 tons of concentrates and 0.42 tons of hay.

From these figures, it is not difficult to obtain the amount of food that the animal eats during the day. For one individual weighing half a ton, there are:

• 14-15 kg of hay;
• 2-3 kg of juicy feed;
• 4-5 kg ​​of concentrates;
• 2-3 kg of bran.

The horse's occupation is equally important. Working animals per day should increase the volume of concentrates by 10-20%, which provide more energy for physical activity. You should also add salt and premixes, 40-50 g each. But the volume of such a rate may vary depending on the age and schedule of the horse's sports or work regime. The most versatile diet for animals operated under conditions of physical activity should include 7 kg of hay, 1 kg of corn, premixes and grass meal, 500 g of molasses and salt (50 g).

We must not forget about where the horses live. Part of the food they can get themselves on the pastures. But getting to the required rate in the use of grass can be hindered by the climatic conditions of the region, so you should develop your own feeding schemes that will be most effective in feeding animals during not only a day, but a month and even a year.

Feed consumption calculations for domestic horses

If the animal does not participate in heavy sports competitions or is not exploited as a labor force, feed consumption during the day will be less. In addition, you do not need to start constantly changing your diet. Even simply by providing the best grooming conditions, it is possible to achieve good endurance and strength of the stallion. The main thing is to act faultlessly. And partly it concerns the diet. The Daily Food Intake chart shows how much food a person should prepare for their pet.

Combined feeds, which include cereals, molasses and premixes, are suitable as food products. Such mixtures can be made independently, having previously calculated all the components by grams. The composition of such a mash can include corn, barley, peas and other cereals. If your pet is malnourished, this can be seen in its appearance and behavior. A hungry horse can behave nervously and even aggressively. In addition, he begins to lose weight very quickly. Its sides become sunken, and its ribs become sharp.

Overfeeding your pet is also unsafe. Each breeder must monitor and control the weight of the animal. If too much food is consumed, the horse can be threatened by a disease such as laminitis, so you should take care not only of regular and dosed feeding, but also of walking. The horse must move a lot to keep himself in good physical shape, which he often lacks when kept at home.