Many horse owners often wonder: how do you choose the right food for your horse? There are many books and articles on this topic, but we decided to delve into this topic and spoke with Horse Diet. HD-hippodetitologist Anna Vasina, a veterinarian of the company, told us the intricacies of choosing the right feeding for a horse!

🟢 Oats are the head of everything: is such a common feeding suitable for horses?

Such nutrition is a 'classic' diet (hay, oats, here we also include porridge oats + bran). Unfortunately, such feeding is not complete and does not provide the horse with all the necessary nutrients. You don't eat only buckwheat, do you? So oats are just one ingredient in a complete horse diet.

⚪️ Benefits of using oats:

◽️ Taste appeal

◽️ Oats have the highest levels of fiber and lower levels of starch among grains

◽️ Whole grains are digestible without additional processing (with good gastrointestinal health of the horse)

⚪️ Cons

◽️ Often the classic diet provides excess calories and starch for horses without work and with light intensity of exercise, which leads to obesity and problems with the gastrointestinal tract

◽️ At high loads, when a serving of oats (or other grains) is large, the risk of developing stomach ulcers increases

◽️ Undigested starch can enter the caecum, causing acidification of the environment and dysbacteriosis

◽️ In a classic diet without adding a balancer or vitamin and mineral supplement, there is a high risk of developing a deficiency of copper, zinc, iodine, selenium, vitamin E, carotene (provitamin A), especially if the hay is of poor quality

🟢 What list of factors is taken into account when compiling an individual diet?

⚪️ The uniqueness of each horse explains its personal need for nutrients.

◽️ Be sure to take into account personal data, not missing the slightest detail of the lifestyle and daily routine of the ward. Such as: breed, age, behavior and temperament, physiological state, health, climate, load, work schedule, walking and grazing, eating behavior, daily routine, etc.

◽️ The weight of the horse. It is important to determine the condition and take measurements correctly

◽️ Feed quality assessment and diet analysis

◽️ Results of laboratory diagnostics

First of all, laboratory tests are needed to assess health and determine the need for diet therapy courses. Diet analysis plays an important role in assessing mineral balance. Most often, we resort to clinical and biochemical blood tests, a general analysis of feces, examine the microflora, and conduct helmintho-ovoscopy. Sometimes specific studies are also required: for example, urinalysis, wool analysis, hormonal studies, allergy tests.

The task of the HD hippoditologist is to analyze the results obtained, decipher the anamnesis and research results, identify the strengths and weaknesses of the body, determine energy consumption and nutrient requirements and, on these grounds, select the most digestible components and supplements in a particular situation that the owner can purchase.

🟢 Muesli varies by category, but are they suitable for everyone? Do they also need to be supplemented or excluded?

Commercial feed is a very broad concept. They are very different from each other. They are usually sold in the form of muesli or granules. They are divided into complete, balancers and dietary feeds.

⚪️ Full-bodied:

◽️ Grain mixtures: the main ingredient of such compositions is grain, most often in various processing that improves absorption. Its share can be 70-90%, the rest can be various ingredients and delicacies, which, due to their low content, practically do not affect nutritional value. This option is a good source of additional calories, but it will not work to balance and diversify the diet with a grain mixture.

◽️ Balanced compositions: a significant percentage of the composition is occupied by components that enrich the diet with vitamins, protein and essential amino acids, fats, minerals and vitamins (i.e. cake, bagasse, grass meal, grain, seeds, molasses, oils and various other components).

They are further classified as:

▫️ Cereals with oats

▫️ Grain-free

▫️ Grain Free

We do not recommend diluting a balanced diet with grains or other ingredients. High quality commercial pet foods are made with the exact right balance of nutrients. When diluted, the balance of nutrients changes, the mineral ratios are disturbed and the nutritional value decreases.

❗️Recall that metabolic rate, health status, genetics, temperament and behavior, climate, day and work routine and many other factors make each horse unique, so ready-made commercial muesli is not always ideal for the individual requirements of the ward.

⚪️ Balancers (concentrated compounds that are introduced into the diet as an addition to hay and grain):

Balancers have less consumption than balanced muesli. The balancer is introduced in an amount of up to 20-50% to the grain (depending on the composition). They contain a higher concentration of nutrients. They include many expensive protein components, as well as fats, a premix, which allows you not to use third-party vitamin and mineral supplements.

⚪️ Diet food (used as a supplement in the treatment of diseases):

Diet therapy is a tool for prevention, not treatment for an animal! An exception is when the cause is a nutritional factor (an unbalanced diet). For example, alimentary anemia due to a lack of copper or cobalt, feed toxicosis and poisoning, non-compliance with the feeding regimen and compounds that provoke diseases. Diet therapy cannot be the only method of treatment in 98% of cases. Dietary feeds only reduce the load on the diseased organ, helping the body cope with the pathology. You can buy such food after the recommendation of a veterinarian. There are no medicines in their composition, although sometimes herbal preparations are included.

🟢 What effect does hay have on the condition of the horse? Many are attentive to muesli, mash, but they are not interested in the quality of hay.

Hay is the basis of the diet, from which the horse receives 60-90% of the total calorie content of the diet, it significantly affects the mineral balance and the concentration of vitamins, not only the health of the gastrointestinal tract, but also other systems, even the psyche, strongly depends on its quality. Therefore, the assessment of the quality of hay is very important.

⚪️ The nutritional value and safety of hay depends on:

◽️ Cutting region

◽️ Weather conditions during the growth and harvesting of herbs

◽️ Drying technologies

◽️ Storage

⚪️ The easiest way is an organoleptic assessment, it takes into account:

◽️ Color

◽️ Smell

◽️ Humidity

◽️ Foliage

◽️ Botanical Composition

◽️ Plant mowing phase during the harvesting period

◽️ Uniformity, inedible impurities and poisonous plants, signs of deterioration (mold/rot)

The laboratory method of research is an accurate assessment of the nutritional value of feed. A useful tool for correct ration calculation and improving the quality of life of your horses. For sampling, it is better to contact specialists. The reliability of the research results depends on the quality of sampling.

In addition, safety can be reliably determined in the laboratory. For example, mycotoxins, pesticides or heavy metals are invisible to the eye, but can significantly affect the health of your horse.

🟢 And what effect does water have on the condition of the horse? Can a horse have health problems due to bad water?

Water is one of the most underrated components of the diet. Ideally, water should always be available.

The body of a horse is 62-75% water. It is required for all biochemical reactions to take place. The horse loses water through urine, feces, sweat and respiratory tract during lactation. It is important to make up for these losses.

Lack of water can lead to heavy breathing, an increase in blood viscosity, poor oxygen transfer through the tissues, and a decrease in performance.

Horses need a minimum of 6-8 liters of water per 100 kg of body weight to maintain proper hydration. A horse should consume from 30 to 80 liters of water per day, and horses carrying an intense load should consume even more.

⚪️ Water tips:

◽️ Horses can get water not only from buckets / drinkers / natural sources, but also with porridge. Soaked and steamed feed contain an average of 20-50% water.

◽️ You need to keep buckets of water and drinkers clean. Violation of the rules of zoohygiene is dangerous to health. The humid environment is very favorable for the growth of algae and bacteria, especially in summer.

◽️ Water and electrolytes are closely related: when one of these components is not enough, the horse feels discomfort. Without sufficient water intake, salt and electrolyte supplements will do more harm than good, so in the summer it is important to provide the horse with plenty of clean, cool water first, and only then, if necessary, give electrolytes.

🟢 Can a horse get by on hay alone?

Hay, of course, plays a big role: it contains a high proportion of crude fiber, is a source of micro and macro elements, vitamins, and carotene. Besides:

◽️ Chewing hay stimulates the production of saliva, which prevents excessive acidity in the stomach.

◽️ Fiber is necessary for normal peristalsis and maintenance of healthy microflora of the large intestine.

◽️ Eating roughage helps relieve stress in stable conditions

◽️ A properly selected portion of hay covers the needs of a non-working horse for many nutrients, but does not fully satisfy the needs

The concentration of nutrients strongly depends on the quality, cutting time, region of growth and botanical composition. For a balanced nutrition of the horse, it is required to supplement the hay with balancers or vitamin and mineral supplements. It is necessary to normalize the ratio of minerals for better absorption, and, if the horse is in training, introduce additional sources of energy.

The daily portion of hay should be normalized, on average it is 2-2.5% of the horse's weight, depending on the quality of hay, load, lifestyle and the presence of certain diseases. The minimum consumption of hay is from 1.5% of the horse's weight. It is undesirable to exceed the figure of 3% by weight.

🟢 What is the correct feeding (by intervals/times/servings)?

The question is very voluminous and often requires an individual approach. Physiologically, the gastrointestinal tract of the horse is adapted to receive food often and in small portions.

◽️ Hay can be kept freely available if the horse has a moderate appetite. Or use a slow feeder for horses with an immoderate appetite. If there is no possibility of constant access to hay, try to take breaks between giving it for about two to three hours, but, in any case, at least three times a day!

◽️ Do not give more than 1-1.5 kg of concentrated feed at a time (with individual characteristics no more than 2.0-2.5 kg), and no more than three to four liters in volume.

◽️ If the diet is high starch (with a high proportion of grains), especially if it includes corn or wheat, try to ensure that the horse receives no more than 1 g of starch per 1 kg of horse weight per feeding, and the daily portion of starch is no more than 2.5 g of starch per 1 kg of horse weight. In such a calculation, a diet analysis will help you.

◽️ Properly matched feeding times in relation to work can increase productivity and ensure a healthy gastrointestinal tract.

◽️ The optimal time to give grains and other concentrated feeds is 2 hours before training, but not less than 40-60 minutes.

The presence of concentrates (grains, grain feed) in the stomach stimulates increased production of gastric juice (although the horse produces it constantly, this process increases slightly when starch feed is received). Let's imagine: a horse has an empty stomach, there is acid inside it (or there are grains and more acids in the stomach) and you take the horse to training. The horse moves and jumps, and at this time the acid splashes in the stomach, falling on the unprotected glandless part, thereby causing its irritation, inflammation, and in the short term, an ulcer.

⚪️ To prevent ulcers, prevention is needed:

◽️ Give your horse 1.5-2kg of hay in the 3-hour period before work to keep it from sloshing gastric juices.

◽️ Upon returning from work, it is advisable to wait at least 30-60 minutes before feeding grains and muesli, until the hot horse cools down and breathing, blood supply to organs and cardiac activity are restored.

◽️ The day before the weekend, you can slightly reduce the portion of food, and on the day off, give no more than 1/2 of the usual portion or completely remove grain concentrates. When using food with a large proportion of grain in a full serving, there is a risk not only of getting an excess of metabolic energy, which can be deposited in fat or manifested by hyperexcitability, but also the risk of accumulation of glycogen in the muscles and, as a result, the development of myoglobinuria or chronic rhabdomyolysis - muscle problems .

◽️ Any changes to the diet should be gradual (this applies to both concentrates and new batches of hay).

◽️ Stick to the regularity of the composition and daily routine. Horses quickly get used to one mode. If feeding doesn't start at a certain time, the horse is likely to become stressed. The regularity of the composition is no less important than the regime of the day. The composition of a serving should be nutritionally consistent from day to day and from serving to serving, BUT the composition of the food itself must be balanced and varied, multi-ingredient, to meet the needs. This is especially important for horses with gastrointestinal diseases.

🟢 What are the risks of long intervals?

It is very important to ensure that hay is freely available (but consumed slowly) or given at intervals of no more than 2-6 hours (the shorter the interval, the better).

Intervals in taking concentrates are less significant. They vary depending on the daily portion of food, which we have already discussed. Preferably 3-4 doses. In some conditions, more frequent feeding is required, up to 6-8 times a day. With a small daily portion, 1-2 doses may be enough.

The physiological mode of feed consumption helps to prevent problems with the stomach and intestines, motility and excessive gas formation, dysbacteriosis, behavioral pathologies (appetite perversion and stereotypy)

🟢 Sweet treats: which ones should be given, and which ones are very limited?

There are subtleties and rules that will help you choose the most suitable type of treats from a huge assortment, as well as choose the optimal amount of treats.

First you need to classify goodies:

⚪️ Commercial treats (grain and grain-free): in the form of granules, plates or other appearance. Thanks to a variety of compositions, you can find both sweet treats and healthy and safe treats. Stores well, is easy to transport and doesn't get dirty/crumble in a bag or pocket unlike traditional forms of treats like sugar.

◽️ Grain treats should be used with caution for horses that need to limit grains (starch) and sugars in their diet. These are horses with laminitis, gastritis, enteritis, overweight and metabolic syndrome, Cushing's syndrome.

◽️ Grain-free commercial treats are considered dietary and among them, there are mainly formulations with a low content of sugar and sweet components. They are easier to dose and can often be used without restrictions.

⚪️ Other commercial forms:

◽️ Marmalade: made on the basis of gelatin. These treats are rich in protein and contain almost no starch, but the sugar content can vary greatly depending on the recipe. There are also delicacies and more interesting textures: marshmallows, sweets, agar-agar-based jelly.

⚪️ Traditional forms of treats:

◽️ Vegetables and fruits: they taste good, in chemical composition and structure are close to the products of the natural diet, so the likelihood of indigestion when eating them is low.

◽️ Carrots: have an average level of sugars, rich in carotene and vitamins

◽️ Apples: more juicy and sweet. Can be used fresh and dried.

◽️ You can treat with pear, pumpkin, watermelon, melon, grapes, berries, bananas and many other fresh and dried fruits.

❗️ Exotic products for the first time should be given carefully, as no one is immune from individual intolerance and allergies!

◽️ Refined sugar: a very common delicacy for horses. It is sweet and pleasant in taste, and among horses, as well as among people, there are many sweet teeth. But you have to be careful with him. For some horses, it is completely contraindicated. 10 pieces of sugar are equal in sweetness to about 1.5 kg of carrots!

⚪️ Others:

◽️ As treats, you can also use unsweetened crackers or cook a treat yourself.

⚪️ Application rules:

◽️ Most treats are 100% natural, but some complex formulations may include flavors, stabilizers, and other pet-approved preservatives to stabilize nutrients and protect vitamins from degradation.

◽️ Carefully choose treats for older animals and horses with problem teeth. They may have a hard time chewing hard treats, resulting in a high risk of choking. These treats may need to be crushed or soaked.

The ideal option in this case would be a treat with a crumbly consistency, marmalade and marshmallow.

◽️ Treats are perceived in a special way only when they are not available all the time. Unrestricted access to treats will be perceived by the horse as food, not treats.

◽️ Feeding too much of any treat can have negative consequences for a balanced diet, as it causes sugar and starch levels to rise and mineral balances to be compromised. In addition, an excess of certain treats can lead to digestive disorders and even colic or laminitis.

◽️ Sport horse owners should carefully read the labels and ingredients of commercial treats, especially those with a variety of additives, as some may contain substances controlled for doping research.

🟢 What foods are banned for horses?

Cabbage can cause severe gas if fed in large quantities, but if a horse accidentally eats a couple of leaves, nothing bad will happen.

◽️ Potatoes and tomatoes belong to the nightshade family, tops and unripe fruits are especially toxic, there is no poison in ripe fruits, but given the huge selection of other delicacies, it is better to avoid nightshade.

◽️ Chocolate in small amounts is safe for hobby horses unless there is an indication for dietary sugar restriction. It is best avoided by sport horses as it can lead to a positive doping test.

◽️ Fresh bread, donuts, etc. - difficult to digest, rich in starch. May ferment or cause intestinal blockage and colic.

◽️ Human sweets (complex types of cookies, chips, crackers with different flavors) - the composition includes a large number of preservatives, flavor enhancers, flavors, dyes and other food additives, some of which are toxic to horses.