Feeding a horse can be confusing. There are a large number of different feeds available and no two horses are alike. The amount and type of feed given will depend on the horse’s type, age, weight, health, workload, the climate and what is locally available. Keep reading to learn how to feed a horse.
Part 1 Understanding a Horse’s Nutritional Needs
1-Provide your horse with plenty of fresh, clean water. Horses require between 5-15 gallons of water per day. If possible, make sure that your horse has access to water at all times. Otherwise, make sure that you water your horse at least twice per day and allow several minutes for your horse to drink.
Make sure that the water in your horse’s trough is clean and not frozen. Keep the trough clean as well by hosing it out every day.
2-Provide your horse with plenty of structural carbohydrates. Structural carbohydrates, like hay and grass, are essential to a horse’s diet. Horses eat large quantities of hay and grass as their main source of food. In fact, horses should eat about 15-20 pounds or 1-2% of their body weight in hay every day, so make sure that your horse always has plenty of hay to chew on.
Make sure that the hay you feed your horse is free of mold and dust.
3-Provide your horse with nonstructural carbohydrates in moderation. Nonstructural carbohydrates, like oats, corn, and barley, are also essential to a horse’s nutrition. Provide small amounts of grain to your horse throughout the day. Every day, horses can also have ½ pound of grain per 100 pounds of body weight. Feed grain to your horse in two or three evenly spaced feedings during the day.
Make sure to measure the portions that you feed your horse to make sure that you are giving her the correct amount.
If the weather is hot, feed grain to your horse during the cooler hours of the day, such as early in the morning and later in the evening.
Hi! I am a robot. I just upvoted you! I found similar content that readers might be interested in:
https://www.wikihow.com/Feed-a-Horse