Nutrition

Fundamentals

In the wild, horses move freely. Nibbling on small amounts of food throughout the day, roaming 10 to 20 miles daily to acquire their caloric requirements. Covering this much ground, they encounter many food sources growing on various soils. This wide-ranged diet helps ensure there are fewer nutritional deficiencies.

Creating this situation in modern times can be difficult. Forage should be the base of your horses' diet, including all grass eaten while in turnout, hay, chopped hay, hay cubes, hay pellets, or a hay stretcher product.

Using a slow feeder, feeding multiple times per day, soaking feed to slow down consumption, and providing regular turnout and exercise brings us closer to meeting these needs. Even when feeding a high-quality concentrate, nutritional deficiencies can arise.

Adding a comprehensive vitamin/mineral supplement to the feeding program helps meet their dietary needs.

Equine Balanced Support recommends utilizing a Hair Mineral Analysis to gauge your horse's nutritional deficiencies, potential toxicity, or gaps in your horse's feeding program.

Macronutrients

Fiber

A horse should eat between 1% and 3% of its body weight in hay daily; this is the primary source of fiber in the equine diet. Fiber is an important consideration when choosing a feed concentrate, as horses have different needs depending on their environment, workload, and primary fiber source. For example, the digestion of roughage creates heat, so a horse may need additional fiber sources to stay warm in cold weather.

Fat

Adding fat to the diet is often only considered if the horse is skinny. However, fat has many more functions in the body than simply providing calories. For example, it is an excellent energy source, and some vitamins require fat for absorbability. In addition, diets high in starches and sugars can cause health problems for many horses. Increasing fat in the diet will maintain energy levels and weight while reducing the need for starchy grains.

Protein

Often incorrectly thought of as the base of energy in horse feeds, protein is not effectively digested and turned into energy. However, protein is necessary in the diet, providing amino acids, the building blocks to create strong muscle and hooves. It also is essential for the immune system and plays a role in hormonal and enzyme function. Therefore, providing high-quality protein from legumes and grass hay is necessary for the health and well-being of a horse.

Concentrate Feeds

A concentrate feed is what most horse people refer to as "grain," this includes pellets, sweet feeds, and individual grains (oats or barley). These are feed to supplement forage to ensure the horse gets enough calories, fat and protein to maintain weight and energy for their work.

Balancers

Feed Balancers were introduced to the market about 15 years ago as an option for horses who don't need as many calories as concentrated feeds provide. A Balancer contains protein, vitamins, and minerals with few grains; this allows you to feed a smaller volume and still provide the vital nutrition your horses' diet needs.

https://equusmagazine.com/horse-care/ration-balancers/

Calcium Phosphorus Ratio

Calcium and Phosphorus are vital minerals in a horse's diet for more than strong bones. 2:1 is the ideal ratio of Calcium/Phosphorus in a horse's diet. Calcium is necessary for the neuromuscular system and plays a role in blood coagulation. Among other functions, Phosphorus helps maintain pH level balance and energy metabolism. A diet with more Phosphorus than Calcium can lead to Calcium deficiencies because Phosphorus binds with Calcium in the horse's digestive tract preventing Calcium from being absorbed.

Health Considerations

Feeding and exercise programs impact the health and well-being of the horses in our care. Two problems directly linked to these practices are Ulcers and Equine Metabolic syndrome. Although not entirely preventable, educated choices and planning can reduce the risk of developing either problem.

Ulcers

Many factors contribute to the likely hood of a horse getting ulcers. A well-planned management program can decrease this risk significantly. A feed regimen that consists of ample hay feed throughout the day and minimal concentrates feed in small amounts multiple times throughout the day is best. Keeping the horse chewing for many hours dilutes stomach acids and prevents extended periods with an empty stomach. Feeding hay out of slow feeders when possible will increase the time it takes the horse to finish eating, decreasing time with an empty stomach.

Providing hay before working your horse will help protect the stomach lining during exercise. In addition, consistent access to salt and fresh water will help the horse stay adequately hydrated, which supports proper pH in the stomach and promotes intestinal motility.

Equine Metabolic Syndrome

EMS is a disorder of the endocrine system with a genetic component, but environmental factors also play a role. In particular, overfeeding and lack of exercise can lead to obesity, which contributes to insulin resistance development, similar to type-two diabetes in humans. Also, like diabetes, starch and sugar consumption are significant factors.

Suffering from EMS makes a horse more prone to laminitis, a life-threatening disease of the lamina in the hooves. If you have concerns that your horse may be suffering from EMS, it is crucial to discuss this with your veterinarian. Running diagnostic tests is essential to confirm because other diseases can cause similar problems, and treatment will vary.

https://afs.ca.uky.edu/content/equine-metabolic-syndrome-my-horse-just-fat-or-he-sick

Hair Mineral Analysis

A test on a small amount of your horse's mane can provide invaluable information to help understand their nutritional needs. By comparing the mineral levels, you can determine how well their metabolic system is functioning and gauge the entire body's chemistry and stress levels—using this data; we create an individualized supplementation program. With this targeted approach, you provide the specific nutrients needed to move your horse closer to optimal health.

Recommended Packages

Choosing supplements for your horse can be overwhelming. We have created a few packages to help simplify the process, each lasting approximately six months. Hoof health is imperative for every horse so, we always include hoof oil to help maintain the proper moisture level in their feet. To discuss your horse's needs and develop a tailored plan for them, please contact us!

Basics 1

Equi Base Grass

Ortho-Sil

Vitamin E

Covers the horse's vitamin and mineral needs provides support for soft tissue and, maintains vitamin E requirements

Basics 2

Sport Horse

6 Way

Provides a potent vitamin/mineral base and supports all top concerns for a working horse - digestion, hoof & coat, soft tissue, and joints

Senior

Equi Base Grass Senior (X2)

Quadra Fac (X2)

Cocohoof

Vitamin/mineral base tailored for the senior, providing joint support, added digestive help, and nutrients aimed at healthy hoof growth

Equine Balanced Support seeks to help horse owners develop and source species-appropriate feeding programs to promote natural ungulate eating behavior.

Improve and maintain your horse's health through exercise and nutrition.

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