We humans have known for a long time that a good diet is essential for health and performance. After all, it is the basis for all organs and cells in the body. Healthy nutrition is just as important for our horses. Every horse is different. For example, a healthy horse has different needs than a sick horse. A recreational horse also has completely different needs than a horse that rides in the grand prix. In practice, there are many people who struggle to put together good feed management. There are also many different foods and many different opinions. But what is the best? The basis of good feed management consists of three essential parts.
The three basic parts of good feed management
Good feed management has three basic parts: roughage, concentrates and a supplement. These three must be combined, because there is no single feed material on the market that meets the needs of every horse. This is because there are so many differences between each individual.
Roughage
The feed management should consist for the most part of roughage. Examples of roughage are grass, hay, silage and alfalfa. Roughage can be recognized by its long-stemmed and fiber-rich structure. The horse has to chew on these fibers for a long time, which has a positive effect on the teeth, among other things. Chewing releases saliva that has a buffering effect on the stomach. Without this buffering, the pH value in the stomach becomes so low that the food cannot be properly digested. Furthermore, the roughage has a stimulating effect on the intestines. Without this stimulation there is a greater chance that the bowels will come to a standstill and the horse eventually dies.
The different roughages all have their own qualities and differences. These properties ensure that they can be distinguished from each other and that each can be regarded as a separate feed material.
Grass
Good grass is green in color and has a soft structure. The composition of the feed materials in the grass depends on the weather. In the spring the grass is richer in sugars. This is because the nights are still cold, so that the sugar development process is continuously active. The nights are also warmer in the summer. This makes the sugar content a lot more stable.
Hay
Hay is a roughage that is offered in many stables. It is long-stemmed and dry roughage. The horse is stimulated with hay to chew well, which, as mentioned earlier, has a good effect on the stomach. The nutritional values in the hay depend on the time it is cut and packaged, the place of storage and the duration of the storage. When the hay is exposed to the sun for a long time, or stored for more than half a year, the nutritional values will deteriorate because the hay dries out.
Pit
Silage is another roughage that is often seen in the stables. Silage is packed in plastic quite wet. As a result, the digestion of the feed material continues. The plastic also ensures that more water remains in the hole. Silage retains more proteins due to the packaging method, and is easier to store and longer. Due to the plastic, the weather conditions have no influence on the quality of the silage. The disadvantages of silage are that it can become moldy in the packaging due to the heat. There are no nutrients in water. Because silage contains more water, more of it will have to be given to provide sufficient nutrients.
Alfalfa
Alfalfa is sun-dried, artificially dried and often chopped grass. Due to the way of drying, the nutritional values remain constant. The weather, storage and duration of storage no longer affect the nutritional values. Alfalfa is quite dry and is often packed in plastic bags. It is important for a horse to eat almost continuously. This prevents the stomach and intestines from coming to a standstill. Alfalfa has high nutritional values, which means that less of the product needs to be given. It is therefore also recommended to feed alfalfa in combination with another feed material. Today such mixes are already available on the market.
Concentrates
Concentrates are available in muesli or chunks. Various feed materials are mixed in concentrate to make the muesli or chunk rich in nutrients. The difference is therefore in the composition of the product.
An example of a difference is that concentrates for ponies often contain less sugars than concentrates for sport horses. The body converts sugars into energy that sport horses can use well during exercise. Ponies are often used as companion ponies and therefore require less effort. An excess of sugars can also lead to laminitis for a pony. Too high a sugar content disrupts the pony’s metabolism. This disturbance creates toxins that accumulate in the hooves. Due to this accumulation, the hoof wall comes loose, which causes a lot of pain.
A lump is created by pulverizing all feed materials and compressing them into a lump. Molasses is often added to make it ‘stick’. A muesli, on the other hand, is not pressed. Muesli consist of various mixed feed materials that are often dried for the shelf life of the nutrients. The advantage of a muesli is that the horses have to chew longer and therefore more saliva is produced. This has a positive effect on the digestive system. The pellets and muesli can be perfectly combined in one feeding. Most importantly, feed management covers the horse’s maintenance needs.
Supplements
As discussed earlier, no single feed material is completely suitable for an individual horse. If there are still shortages, or the horse needs extra support during illness, there are enough supplements on the market to support the horse. There are supplements that can be given daily, and there are supplements where it is better to only use them when the horse temporarily needs extra support, for example with a cold.
When a horse is given too long and / or too much of a certain nutrient, intoxication (poisoning) can occur. This will not improve the horse, but will deteriorate health and performance. An excess or deficiency of one nutrient can also lead to a reduced absorption of another nutrient. An example of this is the calcium-phosphorus ratio. Both calcium and phosphorus ensure a strong skeleton and well-functioning muscles. These two nutrients work closely together. When a horse gets more calcium than phosphorus through its diet, a horse can suffer injuries such as lameness, fractures and reduced performance. With a good ratio, a horse should get as much calcium as phosphorus.
Measuring is knowing
Well-balanced feed management is very important. Calculating the maintenance requirement and developing a good and balanced ration is not easy. Nowadays there are several services where you can have the calculation performed. A good calculation supports the health and performance of the horse.