Question:
I am a complete novice and I am wondering if my Big Baby is getting enough food in the winter. he gets 2 scoops of concentrate in the evening and 1 scoop in the morning. he has grass available in the paddock and gets erograttis or whatever mixed with teff when he comes into the stable. his weight remains constant. I supplement him with probiotics which I bring to the stable evey afternoon. I also give him Omega 3 & 6. Is this enough for him in the winter. I am concerned.
Answer:
The best way to judge whether your horse is getting the right sort of feed is really to just look at him! Does his coat shine and is it a healthy looking coat? Does he have lots of energy and sparkle? Is his weight constant and non-fluctuating? Are you feeding the best quality roughage and other food that you can?
The answers to these questions will tell you plenty about how your feeding regime is affecting your horse. During winter, the quality of roughage can get a little poorer, but if your horse maintains his weight, he is fine. If he does lose a little weight, you can supplement with extra calories - firstly, and most importantly, feed more roughage. You can also feed a small slice of lucerne in the evenings or supplement with extra oil or sugar beet. Those types of things will increase the caloires in his daily ration without resorting to increasing his concetrate feed. Remember to make any changes very slowly over time, to give his digestive system time to adapt! In winter, horses will also burn extra calories staying warm if they are exposed to the elements - especially of they are wet. Horses can handle cold rather well, but wet, windy cold is something that will drop condition and probably have him unhappy too. Make sure there are no cold draughts blowing throught the stable at night, use a warm rug at night and turn him out with a day sheet when the weather gets chilly and windy. This will help keep him warm and he will burn less calories. If the weather is 25 out and the sun is shining, please, don't keep the rug on! He will overheat and sweat and lose condition anyway!
I hope this helps you - it sounds like your horse should be fine! He sounds like he is getting everything he should. Make sure he has access to a salt lick, and if you want, provide him with a vitamin and mineral lick too. That way he has access to it if his body tells him he needs it.
Showing posts with label feeding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label feeding. Show all posts
Hore Eating His Droppings
Question:
Hi, I recently noticed my horse eating his droppings in his stall, this is the fist time I've seen him do it so I dont know how often it occurs, is he lacking something in his diet? He is fed three meals a day (Vuma Red 12%), goes out to graze in the mornings and always has a constant supply of hay in his stall, is his diet lacking something, is he just bored? he is exercised 4-6 times a week.
Answer:
Coprophagia is the consumption of feaces, from the Greek copros (feces) and phagein (eat). Many animal species practice coprophagia; other species do not normally consume feces but may do so under unusual conditions.
There are a number of theories and ideas surrounding this behaviour, depending on the situation.
Firstly, a starved animal will eat its own faeces because there is simply nothing else to eat. The problem with this is that it can become a habit - in other words, once the horse is removed from his environment into better care, he may still keep eating his faeces because it has become so ingrained into his behaviour. Obviously your horse is not starving, which leads us to the next possibility.
Young animals of many species will eat the feaces of their mothers in an attempt to provide their digestive systems with the microflora that they require for digestion. Young elephants and hippos commonly do this. What your horse may be trying to tell you is that he has a lack of microflora and is seeking to replace them. I would suggest that you consider supplementing with a probiotic for a few weeks to see if this improves the situation.
Apes have been known to eat horse feaces because of its higher salt content. This may be another reason why your horse is eating his droppings. All working horses should have access to a salt lick. Horse sweat is high in sodium and a horse cannot store salt in his system to be used later. He needs a daily intake of sodium to maintain an healthy balance in his system. If your horse does not already have a salt lick in his stable, I would definitley add one. Electrolytes are not needed unless your horse is sweating profusely and in danger of dehydration, and an excess of it may cause harm to your horse - free access to a lick means your horse can regulate his own intake.
A lack of fibre in the diet is another reason that has been speculated as to why a horse would eat its droppings. Your horse seems to be taking in a good amount of fibre. In the case of low fibre issues, I believe a horse is much more likely to start chewing wood or eating his bedding as a result of not getting enough fibre in his diet. Make sure that he is getting enough good quality hay and if you are worried about fibre, you can supplement with extra sources of fibre (Please not bran! It is not a good source of fibre at all!) This is unlikely to be the cause of your horse's problem.
Another reason why horses are said to eat their droppings is because of a mineral or vitamin imbalance. Horses will eat all sorts of things if they have an imbalance - a common imbalance manifests itself as the eating of sand. This can cause a serious colic in horses. I had a horse at my yard that, when she arrived, would eat large mouthfuls of sand. We had very successful treatment by a homoepath, who put her on a course of tablets, including silica, which is a form of sand of course! She recovered completely in a matter of weeks. I would advise you to make sure that in addition to a salt lick, your horse also has access to a mineral and vitamin lick, or that you supplement with a good broad spectrum multi vitamin. Consulting a homeopath might be something you could consider.
Boredom has been blamed for horses eating their own droppings. If you feel your horse is spending too much time in his stable you could turn him out a bit longer, alternatively, find things to keep him busy with, such as food toys. I would rule out the other causes first, as I have yet to see a bored horse eating his poo! Bored horses get up to other mischief!
Once you have ruled out all of these possible contributing factors, you may sadly find that your horse is still eating his droppings and that it has become a learned behaviour! In that case I would urge you to make sure that his droppings are removed from the stable as often as possible and that you keep the pastures free of droppings of other horses that he may eat - this is a risk factor for picking up worms.
Let us know how it goes! Once you start supplementing, allow a good two weeks or more for the behaviour to stop - it will not happen overnight.
Hi, I recently noticed my horse eating his droppings in his stall, this is the fist time I've seen him do it so I dont know how often it occurs, is he lacking something in his diet? He is fed three meals a day (Vuma Red 12%), goes out to graze in the mornings and always has a constant supply of hay in his stall, is his diet lacking something, is he just bored? he is exercised 4-6 times a week.
Answer:
Coprophagia is the consumption of feaces, from the Greek copros (feces) and phagein (eat). Many animal species practice coprophagia; other species do not normally consume feces but may do so under unusual conditions.
There are a number of theories and ideas surrounding this behaviour, depending on the situation.
Firstly, a starved animal will eat its own faeces because there is simply nothing else to eat. The problem with this is that it can become a habit - in other words, once the horse is removed from his environment into better care, he may still keep eating his faeces because it has become so ingrained into his behaviour. Obviously your horse is not starving, which leads us to the next possibility.
Young animals of many species will eat the feaces of their mothers in an attempt to provide their digestive systems with the microflora that they require for digestion. Young elephants and hippos commonly do this. What your horse may be trying to tell you is that he has a lack of microflora and is seeking to replace them. I would suggest that you consider supplementing with a probiotic for a few weeks to see if this improves the situation.
Apes have been known to eat horse feaces because of its higher salt content. This may be another reason why your horse is eating his droppings. All working horses should have access to a salt lick. Horse sweat is high in sodium and a horse cannot store salt in his system to be used later. He needs a daily intake of sodium to maintain an healthy balance in his system. If your horse does not already have a salt lick in his stable, I would definitley add one. Electrolytes are not needed unless your horse is sweating profusely and in danger of dehydration, and an excess of it may cause harm to your horse - free access to a lick means your horse can regulate his own intake.
A lack of fibre in the diet is another reason that has been speculated as to why a horse would eat its droppings. Your horse seems to be taking in a good amount of fibre. In the case of low fibre issues, I believe a horse is much more likely to start chewing wood or eating his bedding as a result of not getting enough fibre in his diet. Make sure that he is getting enough good quality hay and if you are worried about fibre, you can supplement with extra sources of fibre (Please not bran! It is not a good source of fibre at all!) This is unlikely to be the cause of your horse's problem.
Another reason why horses are said to eat their droppings is because of a mineral or vitamin imbalance. Horses will eat all sorts of things if they have an imbalance - a common imbalance manifests itself as the eating of sand. This can cause a serious colic in horses. I had a horse at my yard that, when she arrived, would eat large mouthfuls of sand. We had very successful treatment by a homoepath, who put her on a course of tablets, including silica, which is a form of sand of course! She recovered completely in a matter of weeks. I would advise you to make sure that in addition to a salt lick, your horse also has access to a mineral and vitamin lick, or that you supplement with a good broad spectrum multi vitamin. Consulting a homeopath might be something you could consider.
Boredom has been blamed for horses eating their own droppings. If you feel your horse is spending too much time in his stable you could turn him out a bit longer, alternatively, find things to keep him busy with, such as food toys. I would rule out the other causes first, as I have yet to see a bored horse eating his poo! Bored horses get up to other mischief!
Once you have ruled out all of these possible contributing factors, you may sadly find that your horse is still eating his droppings and that it has become a learned behaviour! In that case I would urge you to make sure that his droppings are removed from the stable as often as possible and that you keep the pastures free of droppings of other horses that he may eat - this is a risk factor for picking up worms.
Let us know how it goes! Once you start supplementing, allow a good two weeks or more for the behaviour to stop - it will not happen overnight.
Feeding Older Stallion
Question:
Friends will soon be sending their 24 year old stallion to my stables for retirement. I haven’t seen him for a while but was told that he has lost quite a bit of weight in the last year or so when he was stabled at someone else. I was told that he was dewormed regularly and fed good quality hay and concentrate, his teeth was also checked recently. I will also have him checked over by the vet as soon as he arrives but I would appreciate some advice on what to feed him and how much and which supplement to use to help him gain weight and to keep him in general good health. I got advice to use the following products to help clear up the diarrhea and to help him on his way to recovery: Brewer’s Yeast and Fenu’shine. Are these products good or are there better recommended ones? Also what is the recommended amount of lusern to feed to a horse? I currently use the chopped lusern and all my horses are fat, maybe to fat, but I’m scared to just give this old stallion the same amount not being sure if it is good for him in his current state. Could any one please advice me on this matter.
Answer:
I agree with Paul here. Teeth and Deworming are vital and are often brushed aside. Deworming on its own is not always enough if the management of the yard is not up to scratch. New horses often get introduced to the crowd without first being properly dewormed and kept apart so that any droppings can be removed until the dewormer has done its job. Also, often horses receive the same dewormer every time. That will not control the population well either. Different active ingredients should be used at different times of the year to ensure that the correct population is being targeted. Dropings should be picked up regularly in paddocks to prevent the ingestion of eggs. Once he gets to your yard, have the vet check his teeth and give him a dewormer drench.
Introduce him to your chosen feed regime very slowly, and he should be fine. Probiotics are definitely more effective than yeasts, as they supplement the actual microflora that he needs in his gut. I would start him off on a high dose, gradually decreasing it to a maintenace level as he picks up weight.
One of the big problems with older stallions is that they tend to be kept on their own on one corner of the yard and pace up and down in their paddocks all day, especially if they can see other horses and mares in particular and it gets worse when a mare might be in season. Make sure that he has some kind of companion and do not isolate him as it will make the pacing really bad and he will burn a huge amount of calories every day which will cause him to lose weight. Get creative and hang treats in his paddock, make sure he has access to good quality roughage while outside and see that he has enough mental stimulation.
Another problem with older horses is that their teeth are sometimes so worn that they cannot chew food properly and much of it can pass through the digestive tract undigested. They often have a low level of microbes in the gut, which means that nutrients are not as readily absorbed. Lucerne can be hard to chew and digest, as can other high fibre products. Fibre in the diet, however is very important and should not be decreased! To help with this problem, feed a slightly softer hay, like teff, which is easier digested and chewed. Good quality Eragrostis should also be great.
Older horses cannot take in the high volume of hard feed that may be required to keep them in good condition. To assist with this, supplement him with oils - you can feed up to 2 cups of vegetable oil per day if you introduce it very slowly and monitor him carefully to make sure he is coping with the amounts. It is the perfect way of increasing the caloric value of his feed without actually increasing the amount of feed he has to chew! The probiotic will also help tremendously to improve his digestion of roughage. Feeds can also be softened with water so help with chewing.
There are concentrate feeds specially formulated for older horses that are easier to chew and digest, and you may consider feeding one of those until he picks up enough weight. If he responds well to that type of feed, keep him on it if possible. Rather feed many smaller meals than one or two bigger ones.
Because he is underweight, he may also struggle to stay warm in winter. Make sure that he has protection from the elements, and if it is very cold, you might even want to turn him out with a light rug during the day until he picks up weight. If it is raining, keep him out of the wet if you can - either with a rug or by keeping him inside with lots of teff to chew on. Horses in general don't mind getting wet, but because he is underweight he will struggle with the elements and will burn up the extra calories you are giving him to pick up weight.
Remember that your aim is for him to pick up weight slowly - picking up weight too quickly can be bad for him too. I would aim for him to return to a good weight over 4 to 5 months. If you follow these giudelines, he should pick up weight slowly and steadily, and what you are also looking for is an improvement in his health and condition - in other words a shine to his coat, more spark in his eyes and his hooves should improve in quality too.
Good luck, and do let us know if there is anything else you need help with!
Friends will soon be sending their 24 year old stallion to my stables for retirement. I haven’t seen him for a while but was told that he has lost quite a bit of weight in the last year or so when he was stabled at someone else. I was told that he was dewormed regularly and fed good quality hay and concentrate, his teeth was also checked recently. I will also have him checked over by the vet as soon as he arrives but I would appreciate some advice on what to feed him and how much and which supplement to use to help him gain weight and to keep him in general good health. I got advice to use the following products to help clear up the diarrhea and to help him on his way to recovery: Brewer’s Yeast and Fenu’shine. Are these products good or are there better recommended ones? Also what is the recommended amount of lusern to feed to a horse? I currently use the chopped lusern and all my horses are fat, maybe to fat, but I’m scared to just give this old stallion the same amount not being sure if it is good for him in his current state. Could any one please advice me on this matter.
Answer:
I agree with Paul here. Teeth and Deworming are vital and are often brushed aside. Deworming on its own is not always enough if the management of the yard is not up to scratch. New horses often get introduced to the crowd without first being properly dewormed and kept apart so that any droppings can be removed until the dewormer has done its job. Also, often horses receive the same dewormer every time. That will not control the population well either. Different active ingredients should be used at different times of the year to ensure that the correct population is being targeted. Dropings should be picked up regularly in paddocks to prevent the ingestion of eggs. Once he gets to your yard, have the vet check his teeth and give him a dewormer drench.
Introduce him to your chosen feed regime very slowly, and he should be fine. Probiotics are definitely more effective than yeasts, as they supplement the actual microflora that he needs in his gut. I would start him off on a high dose, gradually decreasing it to a maintenace level as he picks up weight.
One of the big problems with older stallions is that they tend to be kept on their own on one corner of the yard and pace up and down in their paddocks all day, especially if they can see other horses and mares in particular and it gets worse when a mare might be in season. Make sure that he has some kind of companion and do not isolate him as it will make the pacing really bad and he will burn a huge amount of calories every day which will cause him to lose weight. Get creative and hang treats in his paddock, make sure he has access to good quality roughage while outside and see that he has enough mental stimulation.
Another problem with older horses is that their teeth are sometimes so worn that they cannot chew food properly and much of it can pass through the digestive tract undigested. They often have a low level of microbes in the gut, which means that nutrients are not as readily absorbed. Lucerne can be hard to chew and digest, as can other high fibre products. Fibre in the diet, however is very important and should not be decreased! To help with this problem, feed a slightly softer hay, like teff, which is easier digested and chewed. Good quality Eragrostis should also be great.
Older horses cannot take in the high volume of hard feed that may be required to keep them in good condition. To assist with this, supplement him with oils - you can feed up to 2 cups of vegetable oil per day if you introduce it very slowly and monitor him carefully to make sure he is coping with the amounts. It is the perfect way of increasing the caloric value of his feed without actually increasing the amount of feed he has to chew! The probiotic will also help tremendously to improve his digestion of roughage. Feeds can also be softened with water so help with chewing.
There are concentrate feeds specially formulated for older horses that are easier to chew and digest, and you may consider feeding one of those until he picks up enough weight. If he responds well to that type of feed, keep him on it if possible. Rather feed many smaller meals than one or two bigger ones.
Because he is underweight, he may also struggle to stay warm in winter. Make sure that he has protection from the elements, and if it is very cold, you might even want to turn him out with a light rug during the day until he picks up weight. If it is raining, keep him out of the wet if you can - either with a rug or by keeping him inside with lots of teff to chew on. Horses in general don't mind getting wet, but because he is underweight he will struggle with the elements and will burn up the extra calories you are giving him to pick up weight.
Remember that your aim is for him to pick up weight slowly - picking up weight too quickly can be bad for him too. I would aim for him to return to a good weight over 4 to 5 months. If you follow these giudelines, he should pick up weight slowly and steadily, and what you are also looking for is an improvement in his health and condition - in other words a shine to his coat, more spark in his eyes and his hooves should improve in quality too.
Good luck, and do let us know if there is anything else you need help with!
Feeding Horse With Ulcers
Question:
What to feed a thoroughbred with ulcer problems. Recently bought a horse that has a history of ulcers. He was in minimum work and now that we have bought him his work will increase. He sleeps out, blanketed. Needs to pick up condition. At present he is getting. 2kg 10% Blenheim cubes, 2kg Chaff.
Answer:
Having a dad who is a specialist gastroenterologist, we grew up listening to conversation around the dinner table perhaps a little different other kids of my age. We listened to talk of bile ducts, liver disease and ulcers as we tucked into dinner. While I studied Vet Nursing at Onderstepoort, I was always keen to include my dad in 'gastro-stuff' and can still remember the great interest and perhaps a little amusement he showed when we scoped a horse for ulcers and he was there to watch and ask questions!
Human and horse ulcers differ a little in that the bacterium Helicobacter pylori is now thought to be important in the pathogenesis of 90% of duodenal ulcers and about 70% of gastric ulcers in man, however the causes of ulcers in horses are more related to diet, stress, bile reflux and the use of certain medications.
An ulcer is the break or erosion of the lining of the stomach, oesophagus or small intestine and can vary in depth and thus severity. Most of the clinical signs of ulcers go unnoticed in horses and include : poor athletic performance, weight loss, lower appetite, behavior problems, slight diarrhea and colic. In foals, signs are teeth gnawing, salivation and a study has linked stomach ulcers in foals and crib biting. (Although it was unclear from the study whether the crib biting was causing the ulcers or the ulcers causing the crib biting!
Diet has a major role to play in the prevention and management of ulcers in the working horse and once the owner has an understanding of the factors involved, he or she should be able to formulate an eating plan that will be of benefit to the horse and possibly even reduce the need for treatment by drugs. Drugs are effective at reducing acid production, and diet has a buffering role once acid is produced.
One of the biggest contributing factors to ulcers in horses as it relates to feeding, is that the horse is not allowed to eat small amounts of food throughout the day. The horse evolved as a 'trickle feeder' and should naturally spend a large portion of his day grazing. By replacing natural food sources with high concentrate feeds and leaving the horse to spend a bigger portion of his day without some form of roughage to chew on, the buffering effect of saliva and food in the stomach is lost and the acids in the stomach erode the wall. A feed plan based on a high concentrate and low roughage ratio also means that the pH in the stomach drops and causes damage not only to the lining of the digestive tract, but can also cause a drop in the numbers of bacterial flora in the intestines which in turn can cause a host of problems.
Certain types of roughage have been shown to increase the stomach pH more than others and Lucerne is an example of this. It is suspected that the cause of this is due to the higher protein and calcium levels in Lucerne, however studies are ongoing to try and find out why it works so well.
Stress in the horse, be it due to travel, hard training or competition, has been linked to ulcers due to the increased release of corticosteroids and subsequent decrease in blood flow to the stomach lining. This interferes with the natural protective mechanisms and results in more damage from stomach acids. Exercise reduces the amount of blood flow to the digestive tract and thus can reduce the protective function of the stomach lining. The pressure in the abdomen during exercise can also force stomach acid higher up in the stomach, casing the ulceration.
Medications such as Bute can cause ulcers as well, and before using any medication for an extended period, the owner should make sure that the Vet is consulted about possible side-effects such as ulcers.
There are a number of treatment options available to the owner and these should be discussed with the vet. Because of the prolonged use of the drugs, treatment can become very expensive, and often after treatment, the horse will develop ulcers again because the management practices causing the ulcers have not been changed.
As a rough indication, the following should be used as guidelines:
- Always feed at least 70% of the total diet as roughage and try to limit concentrate feeds if ulcers are confirmed.
- Spread meals over the entire day : four small meals are ideal, as opposed to two bigger meals
- Introduce fats as a means of cutting back on concentrates and yet maintaining the caloric value of the feed.
- Increase the amounts of Lucerne being fed by either offering it as a hay, or by adding it as a chaff or pellet to the feed, however do not substitute the entire daily roughage intake with Lucerne as that will cause an entirely new set of problems! An American Veterinarian has suggested that the horse be fed 0.5kg of Lucerne after every grain meal as a buffer and has had good results from that. I would add Lucerne chaff to the grain feed, as a way of encouraging chewing plus the benefits of the Lucerne itself.
- Allow the horse to graze as much as possible or alternatively, offer a source of roughage ad-lib.
- Pelleted and finely ground up feeds tend to move faster through the stomach, so as mentioned above, adding Lucerne chaff or feeding a 'rougher' concentrate will slow the process down a little (and will ensure the horse spends a little more time chewing)
- A probiotic supplement should be fed daily to maintain the health of the gastric flora.
- Sugar beet is also a good option to increase roughage in the feed yet maintain caloric value, thereby allowing one to decrease the amount of carbohydrates being fed but still maintaining bodyweight.
- Be aware of possible stresses in your horses management routine and try to minimise them (these could include being separated from a friend or being lonely, travelling, shows, changes in daily routine and even a change of groom!)
What to feed a thoroughbred with ulcer problems. Recently bought a horse that has a history of ulcers. He was in minimum work and now that we have bought him his work will increase. He sleeps out, blanketed. Needs to pick up condition. At present he is getting. 2kg 10% Blenheim cubes, 2kg Chaff.
Answer:
Having a dad who is a specialist gastroenterologist, we grew up listening to conversation around the dinner table perhaps a little different other kids of my age. We listened to talk of bile ducts, liver disease and ulcers as we tucked into dinner. While I studied Vet Nursing at Onderstepoort, I was always keen to include my dad in 'gastro-stuff' and can still remember the great interest and perhaps a little amusement he showed when we scoped a horse for ulcers and he was there to watch and ask questions!
Human and horse ulcers differ a little in that the bacterium Helicobacter pylori is now thought to be important in the pathogenesis of 90% of duodenal ulcers and about 70% of gastric ulcers in man, however the causes of ulcers in horses are more related to diet, stress, bile reflux and the use of certain medications.
An ulcer is the break or erosion of the lining of the stomach, oesophagus or small intestine and can vary in depth and thus severity. Most of the clinical signs of ulcers go unnoticed in horses and include : poor athletic performance, weight loss, lower appetite, behavior problems, slight diarrhea and colic. In foals, signs are teeth gnawing, salivation and a study has linked stomach ulcers in foals and crib biting. (Although it was unclear from the study whether the crib biting was causing the ulcers or the ulcers causing the crib biting!
Diet has a major role to play in the prevention and management of ulcers in the working horse and once the owner has an understanding of the factors involved, he or she should be able to formulate an eating plan that will be of benefit to the horse and possibly even reduce the need for treatment by drugs. Drugs are effective at reducing acid production, and diet has a buffering role once acid is produced.
One of the biggest contributing factors to ulcers in horses as it relates to feeding, is that the horse is not allowed to eat small amounts of food throughout the day. The horse evolved as a 'trickle feeder' and should naturally spend a large portion of his day grazing. By replacing natural food sources with high concentrate feeds and leaving the horse to spend a bigger portion of his day without some form of roughage to chew on, the buffering effect of saliva and food in the stomach is lost and the acids in the stomach erode the wall. A feed plan based on a high concentrate and low roughage ratio also means that the pH in the stomach drops and causes damage not only to the lining of the digestive tract, but can also cause a drop in the numbers of bacterial flora in the intestines which in turn can cause a host of problems.
Certain types of roughage have been shown to increase the stomach pH more than others and Lucerne is an example of this. It is suspected that the cause of this is due to the higher protein and calcium levels in Lucerne, however studies are ongoing to try and find out why it works so well.
Stress in the horse, be it due to travel, hard training or competition, has been linked to ulcers due to the increased release of corticosteroids and subsequent decrease in blood flow to the stomach lining. This interferes with the natural protective mechanisms and results in more damage from stomach acids. Exercise reduces the amount of blood flow to the digestive tract and thus can reduce the protective function of the stomach lining. The pressure in the abdomen during exercise can also force stomach acid higher up in the stomach, casing the ulceration.
Medications such as Bute can cause ulcers as well, and before using any medication for an extended period, the owner should make sure that the Vet is consulted about possible side-effects such as ulcers.
There are a number of treatment options available to the owner and these should be discussed with the vet. Because of the prolonged use of the drugs, treatment can become very expensive, and often after treatment, the horse will develop ulcers again because the management practices causing the ulcers have not been changed.
As a rough indication, the following should be used as guidelines:
- Always feed at least 70% of the total diet as roughage and try to limit concentrate feeds if ulcers are confirmed.
- Spread meals over the entire day : four small meals are ideal, as opposed to two bigger meals
- Introduce fats as a means of cutting back on concentrates and yet maintaining the caloric value of the feed.
- Increase the amounts of Lucerne being fed by either offering it as a hay, or by adding it as a chaff or pellet to the feed, however do not substitute the entire daily roughage intake with Lucerne as that will cause an entirely new set of problems! An American Veterinarian has suggested that the horse be fed 0.5kg of Lucerne after every grain meal as a buffer and has had good results from that. I would add Lucerne chaff to the grain feed, as a way of encouraging chewing plus the benefits of the Lucerne itself.
- Allow the horse to graze as much as possible or alternatively, offer a source of roughage ad-lib.
- Pelleted and finely ground up feeds tend to move faster through the stomach, so as mentioned above, adding Lucerne chaff or feeding a 'rougher' concentrate will slow the process down a little (and will ensure the horse spends a little more time chewing)
- A probiotic supplement should be fed daily to maintain the health of the gastric flora.
- Sugar beet is also a good option to increase roughage in the feed yet maintain caloric value, thereby allowing one to decrease the amount of carbohydrates being fed but still maintaining bodyweight.
- Be aware of possible stresses in your horses management routine and try to minimise them (these could include being separated from a friend or being lonely, travelling, shows, changes in daily routine and even a change of groom!)
Lucern Cubes and Feeding
Question:
Hi there, I have a question regarding Lucerne Cubes. I have started to add a 1kg scoop of Lucerne chaff with 1kg scoop of Lucerne Cubes to my horses morning and night feed as our grazing is low and roughage is expensive.
My question is this, and it seems like other people have no idea what I mean, how much normal (bale Lucerne) is equal to say 1kg of the cubes? I don't know much about the cubes but the Lucerne chaff is very dusty and don't want to feed to much of it because my horses waste it. I like lots of roughage in my horses diet, I feel that is most natural. How much would you recommend to feed of both products?
My horses get the Equifeeds conditioner meal, mixed with the chaff and cubes and 50g of full fat soya. Also grass bales morning and night. All are in good condition.
Answer:
To work out how much Lucerne is packed into one cube vs how much is found in a normal bale of Lucerne is very difficult indeed, and perhaps the supplier would be able to tell you. I would think that there is more Lucerne as such jam packed into a cube, and as you say, by feeding the loose bale , there is more wastage than if you were feeding the pellet. What would be interesting to me would be to compare the fibre content of the two feeds, unfortunately, that would only be possible by sending samples to a laboratory for testing. Does the Lucerne cube bag have an information label – it should by law?
Supplementing with Lucerne can work well in winter when grazing is poor and even the quality of roughage available is less than in summer. I would not reduce the amount of other roughage your horse is getting in the day, simply because one is feeding Lucerne cubes. In other words, I would not use the Lucerne cubes as a substitute for his normal roughage. Horses evolved to keep eating small amounts of food all day long. By allowing them access to roughage all day long, you are keeping them in a more natural state and they will be less susceptible to health problems as well as behavior problems related to boredom and hunger. In fact, did you know that a horse does not have a gall bladder like we do? Bile is secreted into his digestive system continuously, and cannot be stored for release when he eats a meal? That means he needs to keep nibbling all day long (or at least a good portion of the day) to keep his digestive tract healthy. If grazing outside is very poor or not available at all, I would suggest purchasing a large round bale of Eragrostis or a similar hay, and keeping it in the area where your horse is turned out during the day. (ideal if your horse is in a large paddock – if you can keep it under some kind of shelter, so much better!) Your horse is then free to eat as much roughage as his body needs and will keep him busy for quite a long time! If he is in a small paddock, he will need to be given hay while out. Keeping horses is expensive, but if you try to manage them well, you can cut costs and reduce wastage. For instance, use a teff manger outside in the paddock (even a drum sawn in half with a rubber hose top so the horse does not cut himself on the edge, will do well) instead of throwing it on the ground, and that will help it keep longer. By cleaning out the roughage your horses did not finish overnight and putting it out for him to finish in the day instead of just throwing it out with the stable bedding you can save on roughage as well. Use teff nets (or make them) with smaller holes. Not only will it keep your horse busy for longer, it will reduce the mouthfuls of teff coming out of the nett and less should fall to the floor. I like to build deep hay mangers in the stables on floor level. The horse eats more naturally with his head down, with less bits falling into his eyes and face like with a manger or a teff nett too high. There is no fear that he will get tangled in his net and there is not much wastage because the horse eats over the manger and most bits just fall back in. They are very easy to clean out and unless your horse decides to poo in his manger, it is very clean as well, meaning you can re-use any uneaten hay. Getting hay into the manger is much quicker than a net – you simply throw a slice of hay in!
Work out how much your full fat soya is costing you. You should get the same results by feeding vegetable oil. (Although these days even oil is getting really expensive!) Instead of the Lucerne and Full fat Soya, you could also substitute with sugar beet. Sugar beet is a super feed and sits in between a forage and a cereal. It is slightly lower in protein than Lucerne but still high in energy with loads of roughage. Do some sums to see what would be cheaper for you. If you have a neighbor with horses, try to buy your roughage together, as you could negotiate discount if you buy more at once as a bulk order – the same with your hard feed. If you buy together with your neighbor, you could get some bulk discount.
Your horses are in good condition, so I think what you are doing is working for you. Try to think about ways that you could save money or prevent wastage instead of substituting one type of roughage for less of another.
Hi there, I have a question regarding Lucerne Cubes. I have started to add a 1kg scoop of Lucerne chaff with 1kg scoop of Lucerne Cubes to my horses morning and night feed as our grazing is low and roughage is expensive.
My question is this, and it seems like other people have no idea what I mean, how much normal (bale Lucerne) is equal to say 1kg of the cubes? I don't know much about the cubes but the Lucerne chaff is very dusty and don't want to feed to much of it because my horses waste it. I like lots of roughage in my horses diet, I feel that is most natural. How much would you recommend to feed of both products?
My horses get the Equifeeds conditioner meal, mixed with the chaff and cubes and 50g of full fat soya. Also grass bales morning and night. All are in good condition.
Answer:
To work out how much Lucerne is packed into one cube vs how much is found in a normal bale of Lucerne is very difficult indeed, and perhaps the supplier would be able to tell you. I would think that there is more Lucerne as such jam packed into a cube, and as you say, by feeding the loose bale , there is more wastage than if you were feeding the pellet. What would be interesting to me would be to compare the fibre content of the two feeds, unfortunately, that would only be possible by sending samples to a laboratory for testing. Does the Lucerne cube bag have an information label – it should by law?
Supplementing with Lucerne can work well in winter when grazing is poor and even the quality of roughage available is less than in summer. I would not reduce the amount of other roughage your horse is getting in the day, simply because one is feeding Lucerne cubes. In other words, I would not use the Lucerne cubes as a substitute for his normal roughage. Horses evolved to keep eating small amounts of food all day long. By allowing them access to roughage all day long, you are keeping them in a more natural state and they will be less susceptible to health problems as well as behavior problems related to boredom and hunger. In fact, did you know that a horse does not have a gall bladder like we do? Bile is secreted into his digestive system continuously, and cannot be stored for release when he eats a meal? That means he needs to keep nibbling all day long (or at least a good portion of the day) to keep his digestive tract healthy. If grazing outside is very poor or not available at all, I would suggest purchasing a large round bale of Eragrostis or a similar hay, and keeping it in the area where your horse is turned out during the day. (ideal if your horse is in a large paddock – if you can keep it under some kind of shelter, so much better!) Your horse is then free to eat as much roughage as his body needs and will keep him busy for quite a long time! If he is in a small paddock, he will need to be given hay while out. Keeping horses is expensive, but if you try to manage them well, you can cut costs and reduce wastage. For instance, use a teff manger outside in the paddock (even a drum sawn in half with a rubber hose top so the horse does not cut himself on the edge, will do well) instead of throwing it on the ground, and that will help it keep longer. By cleaning out the roughage your horses did not finish overnight and putting it out for him to finish in the day instead of just throwing it out with the stable bedding you can save on roughage as well. Use teff nets (or make them) with smaller holes. Not only will it keep your horse busy for longer, it will reduce the mouthfuls of teff coming out of the nett and less should fall to the floor. I like to build deep hay mangers in the stables on floor level. The horse eats more naturally with his head down, with less bits falling into his eyes and face like with a manger or a teff nett too high. There is no fear that he will get tangled in his net and there is not much wastage because the horse eats over the manger and most bits just fall back in. They are very easy to clean out and unless your horse decides to poo in his manger, it is very clean as well, meaning you can re-use any uneaten hay. Getting hay into the manger is much quicker than a net – you simply throw a slice of hay in!
Work out how much your full fat soya is costing you. You should get the same results by feeding vegetable oil. (Although these days even oil is getting really expensive!) Instead of the Lucerne and Full fat Soya, you could also substitute with sugar beet. Sugar beet is a super feed and sits in between a forage and a cereal. It is slightly lower in protein than Lucerne but still high in energy with loads of roughage. Do some sums to see what would be cheaper for you. If you have a neighbor with horses, try to buy your roughage together, as you could negotiate discount if you buy more at once as a bulk order – the same with your hard feed. If you buy together with your neighbor, you could get some bulk discount.
Your horses are in good condition, so I think what you are doing is working for you. Try to think about ways that you could save money or prevent wastage instead of substituting one type of roughage for less of another.
Mixing Own Feed
Question:
I would like to begin mixing my own feed. I have Friesian horses - 4 mares and a colt. I have been advised to mix crushed mielies, sunflower seeds, oil (linseed or canola), 10% meal e.g. Equifeeds, oats, garlic, carrots and soya bean meal to make up a good feed for the breed; however I have no idea of the proportions of each to mix in order to make up a balanced feed. Also, once mixed, how many kilograms do I feed daily? Do I need to add an extra vitamin / mineral mix into their food as well e.g. Codlevine? Please advise. Many thanks.
Answer:
It is very brave of you to want to mix your own feed and I can tell that you absolutely have your horse’s best interests at heart here, so well done to you!
Feeding horses is a costly business and of course everyone wants to try and save money as far as possible but at the same time not compromise on their horse’s good health and well-being. Mixing one’s own feed, however, is not a cheaper or easier option for the average horse owner I believe. In situations of farms and studs that have large numbers of horses to feed, facilities to mix feed and that are often far from any feed store, mixing their own rations becomes a viable option. These farms always have their feeds professionally balanced and tested and still mix different types of feeds for the different horses they are catering for – ie broodmares, stallions, foals etc. (or they should be!)
By taking a balanced, scientifically formulated ration, like the 10% Equifeeds, and then adding extra mielies, oats, seeds and other grains, causes the ration to become unbalanced. The only way to check the actual levels of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and other ratios of the feed is to actually have it sent to a laboratory to have it tested. That is the ONLY way to know that you are in fact feeding a balanced ration, if you are making up your own ration.
Because you have a youngster to feed, your correct formulation becomes even more important, as young horses have very specific requirements that have to be taken into consideration.
The most important checks we generally use when deciding on a ration are as follows: digestible energy requirements; (ie does the ration provide enough calories or energy to keep the horse alive and provide for the extra work he may be doing.) minimum crude protein measurements; (ie does the ration provide enough protein that the body needs in order to grow and function properly) Calcium:Phospherous ratios; (very important as it affects bone growth and maintainance as well as a host of other body functions) and trace Mineral and Vitamin levels. (too much of any vitamin or mineral can be toxic, too little can cause health problems too.)
Having kept Fresians for many years I can tell you that they are very good doers generally, and require less hard fed than many other breeds to stay fit and healthy. That means that your feeding regime can be simplified greatly and they will still be getting all the nutrients they require.
If I were you, I would stick to a balanced formulation of hard feed – a 10% or 12% general mix will be fine for your adult horses, and your youngster should be getting a mix formulated for his age (for example, try Spurwing’s 14% Supagrowth, Equifeeds’ Roberton 15 % Feed or Vuma’s Vigour 15%) . Pick a feed that is readily available to you, check for high quality and also make sure that the company has professionals available to you that you can approach for advise on their feeds. Add a cup of sunflower oil (or any other vegetable oil, like corn oil or canola oil) to their feed daily as a way of keeping their coats shiny and healthy, especially now in winter when the air is so dry. Garlic is great so keep adding that to their ration as well. Carrots and apples will keep the feed interesting and give a little ‘juiciness’! Provide them with good quality hay (roughage) and that should be enough to keep them in great condition. I have never had a Fresian that needed extra Lucerne to keep in good condition. If you are worried about the condition of the roughage, especially in winter, you can add a vitamin supplement like Super Codlivine or a small slice of lucern to their hay ration at night. I like to feed a probiotic to my horses, as it improves their ability to digest roughage in the gut, absorb nutrients and has a host of other benefits. I have also found that since feeding a probiotic, my horses needed slightly less hard feed to maintain their optimal weights.
I hope that helps you – very often we are so afraid that we are not doing enough that we tend to overdo things and really, it is not necessary! Feed companies have taken the time, effort and costs to make sure that their food is balanced and contains everything your horse needs. In my book it is worth paying extra for and much less effort than trying to source ingredients, test rations and run the risk of harming my horse.
I would like to begin mixing my own feed. I have Friesian horses - 4 mares and a colt. I have been advised to mix crushed mielies, sunflower seeds, oil (linseed or canola), 10% meal e.g. Equifeeds, oats, garlic, carrots and soya bean meal to make up a good feed for the breed; however I have no idea of the proportions of each to mix in order to make up a balanced feed. Also, once mixed, how many kilograms do I feed daily? Do I need to add an extra vitamin / mineral mix into their food as well e.g. Codlevine? Please advise. Many thanks.
Answer:
It is very brave of you to want to mix your own feed and I can tell that you absolutely have your horse’s best interests at heart here, so well done to you!
Feeding horses is a costly business and of course everyone wants to try and save money as far as possible but at the same time not compromise on their horse’s good health and well-being. Mixing one’s own feed, however, is not a cheaper or easier option for the average horse owner I believe. In situations of farms and studs that have large numbers of horses to feed, facilities to mix feed and that are often far from any feed store, mixing their own rations becomes a viable option. These farms always have their feeds professionally balanced and tested and still mix different types of feeds for the different horses they are catering for – ie broodmares, stallions, foals etc. (or they should be!)
By taking a balanced, scientifically formulated ration, like the 10% Equifeeds, and then adding extra mielies, oats, seeds and other grains, causes the ration to become unbalanced. The only way to check the actual levels of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and other ratios of the feed is to actually have it sent to a laboratory to have it tested. That is the ONLY way to know that you are in fact feeding a balanced ration, if you are making up your own ration.
Because you have a youngster to feed, your correct formulation becomes even more important, as young horses have very specific requirements that have to be taken into consideration.
The most important checks we generally use when deciding on a ration are as follows: digestible energy requirements; (ie does the ration provide enough calories or energy to keep the horse alive and provide for the extra work he may be doing.) minimum crude protein measurements; (ie does the ration provide enough protein that the body needs in order to grow and function properly) Calcium:Phospherous ratios; (very important as it affects bone growth and maintainance as well as a host of other body functions) and trace Mineral and Vitamin levels. (too much of any vitamin or mineral can be toxic, too little can cause health problems too.)
Having kept Fresians for many years I can tell you that they are very good doers generally, and require less hard fed than many other breeds to stay fit and healthy. That means that your feeding regime can be simplified greatly and they will still be getting all the nutrients they require.
If I were you, I would stick to a balanced formulation of hard feed – a 10% or 12% general mix will be fine for your adult horses, and your youngster should be getting a mix formulated for his age (for example, try Spurwing’s 14% Supagrowth, Equifeeds’ Roberton 15 % Feed or Vuma’s Vigour 15%) . Pick a feed that is readily available to you, check for high quality and also make sure that the company has professionals available to you that you can approach for advise on their feeds. Add a cup of sunflower oil (or any other vegetable oil, like corn oil or canola oil) to their feed daily as a way of keeping their coats shiny and healthy, especially now in winter when the air is so dry. Garlic is great so keep adding that to their ration as well. Carrots and apples will keep the feed interesting and give a little ‘juiciness’! Provide them with good quality hay (roughage) and that should be enough to keep them in great condition. I have never had a Fresian that needed extra Lucerne to keep in good condition. If you are worried about the condition of the roughage, especially in winter, you can add a vitamin supplement like Super Codlivine or a small slice of lucern to their hay ration at night. I like to feed a probiotic to my horses, as it improves their ability to digest roughage in the gut, absorb nutrients and has a host of other benefits. I have also found that since feeding a probiotic, my horses needed slightly less hard feed to maintain their optimal weights.
I hope that helps you – very often we are so afraid that we are not doing enough that we tend to overdo things and really, it is not necessary! Feed companies have taken the time, effort and costs to make sure that their food is balanced and contains everything your horse needs. In my book it is worth paying extra for and much less effort than trying to source ingredients, test rations and run the risk of harming my horse.
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