When feeding horses in stables it is ideal to try and mimic this feeding behavior. Horses in stabled conditions should be fed their grain concentrate over at least 2 meals per day and hay should be provided so they can pick at it continuously between feedings. Horses in strenuous training will likely need to be fed 3 to 4 times per day to safely consume enough concentrate to sustain their increase workload. If roughage is not offered continuously throughout the day it can increase the horses risk for gastric ulcers.
The best thing to feed your horse in the winter time to keep him or her warm is hay!
During digestion, hay is fermented by bacteria in the large intestine of the horse. Fermentation is not 100% efficient and these bacteria emit heat during fermentation. The digestion of grain occurs earlier in the digestive tract and does not involve fermentation and therefore does not generate much heat.
The majority of the diet must be composed of forage.
At least 50% of what is fed to a horse has to consist of pasture, hay, hay cubes, or hay pellets. The fibre in forage is absolutely necessary to maintain proper gut function.
Some people believe that feeding large quantities of low quality hay causes a low hanging saggy barrel often referred to as a “Hay Belly”.
This is not actually correct – the distended barrel is somewhat of an optical illusion, due to lack of fat or condition over the back of the horses making the belly look out of proportion.
Magnesium is probably the most overlooked electrolyte
Although found in much smaller amounts than many other electrolytes. It has a critical role to play. Magnesium functions as a co factor for over 300 enzyme reactions within the body. This means if magnesium is not present or is present in an insufficient amount, each of these 300 reactions will suffer. Magnesium is required for normal muscle function, especially for relaxation of a muscle.
Exercise and heavy sweating results in high rates of water and electrolyte loss
Thoroughbred horses in race training weighed before and after galloping had a range of weight loss between 4.5 to 7kg. Endurance horses from the night before a race to the end of an 85km race had a range of weight loss between 10 to 40 kg.
Electrolytes are electrically charged minerals
Horses depend on certain electrically charged minerals to maintain the balance and flow of vital body fluids, the transmission of nerve impulses and the healthy function of the muscles and the circulatory system. These minerals are called electrolytes. Their positive and negative charges help to control the body’s pH (acid/base) balance and the transport of nutrients and waste products in and out of the cell. The minerals sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, and magnesium collectively are termed electrolytes.
Calcium is an important electrolyte
When we hear calcium, we think of bones and teeth. This is indeed a major function of calcium in the body, and most of the calcium is found within bones and teeth. However calcium in its ionic form (Ca++) is an important electrolyte. Like potassium and magnesium, it is critical to the normal function of muscles and nerve tissue.
Old horses have special nutritional needs
They lose digestive efficiency and require diets with higher amounts of quality protein, phosphorus, and vitamins. The nutrient requirements for senior horses are thought to be closer to those of yearlings than those of adult horses at maintenance. Senior horses first require high quality forage and often a concentrate designed to provide extra protein, minerals and vitamins. Generally a concentrate with a minimum of 13% protein, as well as vitamin and mineral fortification is necessary for aged horses. For horses that cannot chew forage, complete feeds (with all fibre included) should be fed. Robank Golden Years is a high fat, high fibre feed which is ideal for senior horses.
At what age is a horse considered a senior citizen
The age at which a horse becomes a senior depends on the individual horse because some age more gracefully than others. By the time a horse reaches its late teens or early twenties, it is safe to say it is becoming an aged horse. However, many horses can be much older and show very few signs of aging. A nutritionist does not designate a horse as a senior until it is unable to eat its normal diet and maintain the desired body condition. Once a horse is unable to sustain itself on a normal diet, one that has maintained the horse for years, dietary changes and occasionally environmental and medical changes are necessary to keep the horse healthy.
Senior horses are sensitive to temperature extremes
The older horse might not regulate body temperature as efficiently as he once did, so he might require some assistance in staying comfortable in very cold wet conditions or extremely warm temperatures. Again, provide a shelter to help horses stay dry in cold, damp conditions; it also furnishes shade from the sun when it’s hot. Many older horses benefit from blanketing in cold or damp conditions to help maintain their body heat.
Horses with Cushing’s produce excessive amounts of cortisol from their adrenal glands
Cortisol has many functions in the body including maintaining blood pressure, modifying the body’s inflammatory immune response, regulating the function of nervous tissue, regulating muscle tone and connective tissue repair, and regulating the breakdown of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats by controlling insulin levels in the body. The excessive amount of cortisol produced in horses with Cushing’s disease leads to many problems including recurring laminitis, muscle atrophy, susceptibility to disease, slow wound healing, excessive hair growth along with failure to shed, and lethargy.