How to use oil pastels. Features of working with dry and oil pastels

Feeding a horse can be a challenging task. There are so many different types of feed available, and no two horses are exactly alike. The amount and type of feed given will depend on the type of horse, its age, weight, health, workload, climate and what feed is available in your area. Read the article below to learn about how to feed your horse.

Steps

Part 1

Provide your horse with plenty of fresh, clean water. Horses require approximately 20-60 liters of water per day. If possible, make sure water is always available to the horse. Otherwise, give your horse water at least twice a day and give him some time to drink.

Provide your horse with sufficient structured carbohydrates. Structured carbohydrates such as hay and grass form an essential part of a horse's diet. Horses consume hay and grass in large quantities, as they are their main sources of food. In reality, horses eat about 7-9 kilograms (or 1-2% of their body weight) of hay daily, so make sure your horse always has plenty of it.

Provide your horse with limited amounts of unstructured carbohydrates. Unstructured carbohydrates such as oats, corn and barley are also important for horse nutrition. Give your horse grain in small quantities throughout the day. Every day horses need 200 grams of grain for every 45 kilograms of their body weight. Give the grain in 2-3 parts, equally spaced throughout the day.

Supplement your horse's diet with supplements containing proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals. Although your horse will get most of his calories from his primary feed in the form of hay and grass, you should give him fortified supplements daily to fill in any nutritional gaps. Proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals are important components of a horse's diet, but they are not required in large quantities.

Use vitamin and mineral supplements as needed. If you think your horse is not getting enough vitamins and minerals in its diet, you can use horse-specific vitamins. Just be careful not to overfeed your horse with vitamins. An excess of vitamins is just as harmful as their deficiency.

Give your horse treats in moderation. Giving your horse treats to reward him is a great way to strengthen your bond with him. Just be careful not to overuse treats, otherwise your horse will begin to demand them and may even start checking your clothes for treats.

Part 2

Determining your horse's nutritional needs

1. Measure your horse's weight using special weight tape or platform scales (designed for weighing horses). Platform scales provide a much more accurate result and should be used instead of a weighing tape whenever possible. Assessing the condition (condition) of a horse is best done by recording its weight dynamics. Weigh your horse every two weeks and chart the changes.

   Calculate your horse's total daily nutritional requirements (forage and concentrate). A horse should consume approximately 1.5-3% of its body weight, with the average being around 2.5%. For determining daily requirement horses in feed use the following equation: Horse weight/100x2.5=Total daily ration

   Determine what horse weight dynamics you require. Do you want to maintain your horse's current weight (use a maintenance diet)? Do you want to reduce her weight due to her health condition (use a restricted diet)? Or do you want to gain weight in your horse that was lost as a result of a previous disease, or simply make up for it?

   • The best strategy for creating a feeding plan is to use the horse's desired weight rather than the horse's current weight in the calculations. For example, let's say you have an underweight horse that weighs 300 kilograms. If her ideal weight should be 400 kilograms, you should not feed her at 2.5% of 300 kilograms. You need to feed her 2.5% of 400 kilograms.
   • Use the same approach for an overweight horse. Feed based on your desired weight rather than your current weight, which means you will feed your horse less than his current weight requires. This will cause the horse to lose weight soon.

2. Control the energy levels provided by forage by mixing different types. Different types of forage provide a horse with different amounts of energy, which depends both on the type of forage (grass, haylage, hay, straw) and the type of grass that composes it (rye, timothy, orchardgrass). The time of year when horse grazing is possible also affects energy value stern. In spring the grass is very rich in energy, while in winter it is very poor in it. For stored hay, the time it is mowed affects its energy value. Oat straw in general is very low in calories. In the best way definitions nutritional value forage is its analysis.

   Determine what type of energy production is right for your horse. Some horses are very hot-tempered (quickly excited and easily startled). In this case, feeding horses with slow-release energy sources (fiber and oils) helps; these are the safest sources of energy and cause the least number of health problems. Other horses are lazy and lack the spark of enthusiasm. IN in this case Feeding horses fast-digesting energy sources (starchy oat and barley flakes/pellets) may help. Starch can contribute to a number of health problems and should not be fed to some horses.

   If you are unsure about how much feed to feed your horse, consult a professional. If you are unsure how much you should feed your horse, talk to your veterinarian. Some horse feed manufacturers include feeding recommendations for horses on their products that you can use.

Part 3

Adjusting horse nutrition

Adjust your horse's nutrition in the direction you require. A horse's nutritional needs will depend on the amount of fresh grass he eats in the pasture, as well as his activity level. Assess your horse's nutritional needs each day to increase or decrease the amount of feed given to him accordingly.

• If your horse has been grazing in the pasture all day and eating a lot of grass, he won't need much hay.
• If your horse has had a busy day and has been ridden a lot, then you should provide him with more feed to replenish the calories he has burned.

1. Schedule feedings an hour before or after riding your horse. Do not feed your horse immediately before or after exercise, as this will result in poor circulation to the organs and may affect digestion. Plan your horse's feedings based on his activity schedule.

   • If your horse is facing particularly strenuous exercise, schedule feeding three hours beforehand.

2. Make changes to your horse's diet gradually. If you need to change the type of feed you feed your horse, don't just switch to a new feed. Start by replacing 25% of the old food with new food. After two days, replace 50% of the old food with new food. After another two days, replace 75% of the old food with new food. After the next two days, you will be able to completely switch the horse to the new food.

• If you have regular access to a weighbridge, keep a record and estimate your horse's weight dynamics. A horse that has gained weight has not necessarily gained fat; it may have increased muscle mass.
• Feed your horse little and often. A horse's stomach is small compared to its body size and cannot hold much feed.
• Platform scales are expensive and not everyone has access to them. Ask veterinarians, feed suppliers, and horse stables if they have platform scales and if you can use them periodically. Remember that it is not the weight itself that is important, but its dynamics.
• If one horse requires nothing more than forage and other horses housed with him are given supplements, provide him with “empty food” in the form of low-calorie straw chaff to give him something to chew.
• Depending on how you feed your horse, you may need additional hay as some of it may spill onto the ground or bedding.
• Weigh the feed, do not feed the horse scoops. Determine the scoop's weight capacity for each type of feed.
• Give your horse plenty of forage - grass, haylage, hay or oat straw - to keep your horse's stomach full all day. This will help maintain intestinal motility and the production of digestive juices, which will help avoid behavioral and health problems in the horse.
• Prepare food daily and remove any uneaten food. Mixing feed daily instead of mixing it once when you purchase it will allow you to better monitor your horse's diet and what he eats. If your horse leaves any feed or becomes ill, you may be able to remove certain supplements from his diet.
• Use forage and supplements good quality. Poor quality food with mold or rot can lead to colic. Cheap or poor feed may not be eaten by the horse at all and may be a waste of money in the long run.
• Always ensure that feed storage area is securely closed from horses at all times. Using baskets with zippers or elastic bands will help prevent your horse from eating more than necessary.
• For horses that eat feed too quickly, place it in a grain bucket 1-2 large stones. When eating feed, the horse will have to move stones to be able to get to the grain.

Warnings

• Do not overload your horse's diet with too many supplements. An excess of vitamins and minerals is just as bad as a deficiency. Give supplements only when needed, not “just in case.”
• Never allow your horse to push you away while feeding (in fact, you should not allow this at all, but especially when feeding).
• Follow your horse's feeding schedule. Do not change feeding times (for example, do not feed her at 7 o'clock one day and at 8 o'clock the next). If you feed your horse, feed it at the same time every day.
• Do not feed your horse immediately after exercise, as this may cause colic. Allow the horse to cool down properly before feeding it to avoid colic. You can tell that a horse has cooled down when the nostrils stop flaring and breathing heavily.
• Some types of supplementary feeds must be pre-prepared before serving. Sugar should be soaked and flax-seed boil, if this is not followed, both can be dangerous for the horse. The flakes usually need to be ground to be digestible, but they are not dangerous in their raw form.
• Just like people, horses can suffer from allergies. Allergies to barley and alfalfa are quite common. Allergy symptoms usually appear as a rash. Your veterinarian can help you diagnose allergies.
• Some owners want to feed their horses better and give them too complex a diet, which is often unbalanced because of this. Variety is a good thing, but it comes in limited quantities. It is better to give your horse the opportunity to try different foods than to directly feed him different types of forage, grasses, fruits and vegetables. Don't give anything in excess. Make dietary changes gradually (see more detailed information higher).
• Poor feeding causes a number of medical and behavioral problems, including the following.
  • “Oral” bad habits(for example, sucking on feeders and other things), eating wood and manure, the appearance of stomach ulcers. Be sure to make sure that your horse always has forage available so that he does not develop these problems.
  • Laminitis, irascibility. Avoiding starch and sugar in your diet can help protect against such problems.
  • Azoturia (increased excretion of nitrogen in the urine). Feeding your horse according to his workload and reducing feed on rest days will avoid this problem.
  • Colic. Feed your horse little and often, with plenty of fiber and quality supplements to help prevent colic. Make dietary changes gradually (see more about this above).
  • Obesity, exhaustion. Regular assessment of the animal's condition, keeping a written record of its weight dynamics and monitoring the energy received will help to avoid this.

Horses are smart, beautiful and incredibly elegant creatures that have coexisted next to humans for thousands of years. They have always been excellent helpers in many areas: from agriculture to military affairs. Nowadays, they have changed the vector of activity, turning it towards participation in competitions and assistance to farm owners. Before you start breeding these amazing animals, you should find out what horses eat and how to properly structure their daily diet.

The natural habitat of horses is meadows and fields generously strewn with grass. For about 20 hours every day they are busy eating the green cover of the earth. The animals' stomachs are relatively small for their impressive size, so they eat in modest portions, but often.

Animal nutrition in the natural environment

Freedom-loving creatures, obeying the call of nature, constantly explore new areas in search of food. As a rule, in the steppes they are used to making do with fleshy plant stems and tall grass. The summer diet consists of forbs, and in winter they have to eat frozen root vegetables.

Diet of domestic horses

Considering high degree Due to the physical stress that a domesticated horse is exposed to during racing or agricultural work, the culinary menu of horses has expanded significantly. The animals needed a lot of high-energy food rich in vitamins and minerals, so experts began working on creating an optimal nutrition plan.

With the improvement of equestrian sports and the increase in the number of loads, the need arose to use nutritious feed consisting of compound feed, bran and numerous premixes.

Features of the digestive system

The structure of the digestive system of horses is very similar to the structure of the human body.

They bite off food with their front incisors and chew it with their molars.

During the chewing process, saliva is released, which helps soften the food, which enters the stomach through the esophagus. A mature animal, weighing up to 500 kg, has a stomach with a capacity of up to 15 liters. The main difference between this organ and the human one is that it cannot stretch: food passes through it according to the same principle as in the esophagus. Accordingly, the digestion process in horses is not efficient enough.

Small intestine, with medium length 22 m, zoned into 3 parts: duodenum, small intestine and ileum. Bile coming from the liver helps break down food in it.

The cecum, up to 120 cm in size, helps the small intestine in breaking down food. Through the colon it passes into the rectum, which is about 30 cm in length. Animals do not have a gallbladder. There is a theory that due to the fact that the horse is a herbivore, it does not need a strategic reserve of bile to process heavy food.

What to feed a horse: types of feed

All existing types Experts divide horse feed into 2 types:

• voluminous: rough and juicy;
• concentrated.

The main differences between them are nutritional and energy value.

In addition to these broad groups, there are several more varieties: food based on industrial processing residues, animal origin and vitamin complexes.

Traditionally, feed is divided into several types: green, rough, juicy and combined. The correct ratio of these varieties is the main component of success in animal breeding.

Green feed

Based on the name, it is not difficult to guess what this species is. In terms of the amount of protein and calorie content, it is similar to grains: the only difference is that green foods contain more vitamins and minerals. In summer, it becomes a fundamental component in the feeding pattern: adults eat about 60 kg of grass, and the young generation eats 40 kg.

Roughage

This variety includes:

• hay;
• straw;
• chaff;
• haylage

Hay is very important during the cold season: it makes up about 50% of the total daily diet of animals. There are 2 types:

• sowing: the most popular types are timothy and clover-timothy;
• natural: the most bright representative- meadow hay.

A mature individual should eat approximately 20 kg of hay per 500 kg of live weight daily. In situations where the animal is subjected to active physical activity, it is necessary to reduce the amount of hay and by increasing the proportion of oats.

Straw contains much less useful elements, and it is poorly digested by the body of horses. Sometimes you can partially replace hay with it, but you shouldn’t overuse it. Corn and oat straw are allowed for consumption in quantities of no more than 5 kg daily. Chaff is higher in calories compared to straw. Horses can only be fed chaff from awnless bread, 4 kg per day.

Haylage or wilted grass became widespread in the 80s, but nowadays it is unfairly forgotten. Animals eat it with great appetite. In terms of nutritional value, it is in the same weight category as grass. Mature individuals can be fed up to 8 kg daily.

Juicy feed

Among the wide variety of tasty succulent foods, it is recommended to feed animals beets, potatoes and carrots: they contain many valuable elements. Carrots are especially useful due to their significant amount of carotene.

Carrots and potatoes are given both raw and boiled. It is preferable to feed sugar and fodder beets raw. Recommended daily intakes of succulent feed can be seen below.

In addition to root vegetables, some farmers give horses silage - green parts of plants prepared using the fermentation method.

Combined feeds

This variety includes the following grains:

• corn;
• wheat
• rye;
• barley.

The best option for horses is oats: the recommended dosage is from 2 to 7 kg daily, depending on the degree of workload of the horse. If the animal was used too actively in agricultural work or training, it is recommended to feed oats approximately 3 hours after the end of work. Barley should be given in moderation, about 1.5 times less than oats. Rye should only be given to horses that work hard. It is important to closely monitor the horses' reaction to this grain, because... it tends to swell in the stomach. Wheat should be given no more than 2 kg daily.

Remains of technical production

This variety includes:

• pulp;
• cake;
• molasses;
• meal;
• wheat bran.

Wheat bran is rich in phosphorus and protein and is suitable for feeding any animal age category. It is recommended to give up to 1 kg to the younger generation, and up to 2 kg to adults daily. It is also useful to feed up to 1 kg of sunflower or soybean meal and cake daily. Dried pulp and molasses are included only in the feeding scheme of working horses.

Animal feed

This type is presented in 2 variations:

• return;
• fish flour.

They contain a lot of proteins and minerals, so they are used mainly when there is a lack of protein in the diet. Recommended dose: up to 300 g daily.

General feeding features

The content of various feeds in the animal feeding scheme depends on the degree of workload of the animal. During the period of increased physical activity, you should feed your horse large amounts of concentrates. However, concentrated feeds should not be overused: voluminous feeds are more beneficial for horses, the proportion of which should reach up to 80%. daily norm.

Feed based on grass, hay and grains, which was so monotonous just a few decades ago, has now reached a new level. A lot of research is devoted to the development of horse feed: scientists almost every year create new nutritional supplements and develop feeding schedules taking into account physical activity animal.

Ready-made schemes

Experts have developed schemes with clearly defined daily doses of feeding horses.

Daily norm for a horse, live weight 500 - 550 kg

Approximate nutritional plan for stud stallions

Approximate rations for young horses of trotting and riding breeds

Approximate diet options for working horses, live weight 500 kg

Approximate nutritional plan for mares

Nutrition of pregnant mares and foals

The feeding schedule for pregnant mares is somewhat different from the standard schedule. In the warm season, they should graze the pasture for at least 6 hours every day, and in winter they need to diversify their diet with oats, bran, meadow hay, silage, carrots and sprouted grains, which have a positive effect on pregnancy. It is important to ensure that the food of pregnant mares contains 7 g of phosphorus and 17 g of calcium daily.

The foal feeds on mother's milk, which contains all the necessary nutrients. From the age of 2 months, it is recommended to feed 1 kg of rolled oats daily, increasing this figure to 2 by the 4th month of life. Babies learn to eat hay by watching their mothers.

What not to feed a horse

To protect animals from unwanted diseases, livestock specialists do not recommend feeding horses the following products:

• cabbage: causes fermentation processes in the stomach;
• fresh bread: provokes colic and intestinal blockage;
• fruits, with the exception of watermelon and apples: bananas, for example, are destructive to the digestive system of horses;
• dried fruits: negatively affect the digestion of animals;
• chips and cookies: they contain more preservatives and dyes.

You should not experiment with or feed your horse prohibited foods: this list was compiled based on many years of observations of animals’ reactions to the listed components.

Features of animal watering

Clean water should always be freely available. It’s difficult to say whether water is more important than food or vice versa, but it is recommended to water animals up to 5 times a day. In the hot summer season, the amount of water consumed can be 75 liters, and in winter time it drops to 20 liters.

Before feeding concentrated feed, it is recommended to give the animals water. A sweaty horse should rest for at least half an hour before drinking. Recommended water temperature -11 0 C.

Rules for eating

It is very important to adhere to the basic instructions for the feeding schedule:

1. Proper distribution of daily feed intake. This helps improve the digestive process of animals and avoid laminitis and inflammatory processes in the hooves. Meals should be frequent and in small doses. Since gastric juice is constantly produced in the animal’s body, it can only be neutralized by food, which should be openly available in the form of hay. This will prevent the occurrence of gastritis or ulcers. The most acceptable option: 4 split feedings a day. Horses should not be allowed to feel hungry: in such a situation, they will eat food without chewing, which will stretch their small stomachs, which are not designed for large volumes, and will not allow the body to absorb all the necessary substances. In addition, there is a danger of blockage of the intestines, which are so densely located inside the horse.

   

2. Creating conditions for constant chewing. Considering the fact that initially the animal had round-the-clock access to provisions, it ate frequently. The air entering the body along with food saturates the stomach and helps get rid of the feeling of hunger. Plus, chewing relieves boredom.

   

3. Changes in the power plan should occur smoothly. By introducing new food components gradually, it is possible to grow those microorganisms that are necessary to digest the new components in the menu. Otherwise, colic and diarrhea may occur.

   

4. Keep animals and all equipment clean. Compliance with all necessary sanitary and hygienic standards will maintain the horse’s health at the proper level.
5. Water is the basis of life. The daily fluid intake is 35 liters, and with the onset of heat this figure increases. Water helps maintain the required body temperature and lubricates joints. In the cold season, it is recommended to heat the water.

   

6. Eating immediately before work is contraindicated. The minimum time between meals and active exercise is 1 hour. Failure to comply with this rule can lead to disruption of digestive processes. In addition, a full stomach does not allow the lungs to expand, which in turn negatively affects the functioning of the cardiovascular system.

   

7. The diet for each individual should be compiled individually. It is necessary to take into account character traits, weight and height, breed, level of exercise, general physical condition and metabolic rate.

   

8. First-class feed quality. Food must be clean and free of moldy fragments or dust: this can lead to respiratory diseases. You should avoid getting toxic substances into hay and plant food: horses do not have a gag reflex, and poisons are absorbed by the body along with food.

   

9. Healthy teeth. Your horse's dental health should be checked annually by your veterinarian. The horse must grind the feed thoroughly, since the body can only absorb all the necessary nutrients from well-chewed food.

   

10. Feed should be supplied in portions: First, animals eat hay, then move on to cereal and succulent feed. Roughage is distributed evenly between evening and daytime meals.

Vitamins necessary for horses

The zoological market is full of all kinds of vitamin mixtures, herbal granules and compound feeds that keep animals’ bodies in good shape:

Among the complex additives are:

• digestive stimulants: Yoa-Sacc;
• amino acids tryptophan, lysine and methionine;
• probiotics;
• vitamin and mineral supplements: Feedbalancer.

There are many other varieties, but these supplements are the most popular.

In the horse nutrition plan, all components must be well balanced, especially in the winter. Only a competent combination of useful elements will allow the body to function properly and help the animal feel healthy and energetic.

Video - How and what to feed horses correctly

Feeding horses is one of the most important topics on keeping and caring for animals. After all, the health and longevity of a horse will depend on a properly formulated diet. In our article we will try to understand the most basic issues of nutrition and, in general, what different horses eat.

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Basics

Feeding horses is based on an individual diet, depending on the load, breed and living conditions. Feeding should be the most nutritious, since when doing hard work, animals spend a lot of strength and energy. Feeding pregnant mares should be just as nutritious and high in calories.

Feeding sports horses deserves special attention, since it is impossible to show good sports results without having good nutrition. Moreover, the digestive system of thoroughbred horses is more vulnerable, so their diet is compiled individually based on specially prepared mixes. But let's talk about everything in order.

Water is the source of vitality

The horse's body consists of approximately 60% water, so the animal tolerates even hunger more easily than thirst. However, the required amount of water is determined by the living conditions and activities of the horse. For example, during intensive work or if horses eat dry concentrated feed, more water will be needed. The approximate amount of moisture required under normal stable conditions is about 40 liters per day.

The horse should always have access to clean, fresh water. The best solution for this would be an automatic drinker. If you water a horse by hand, it is important that the water is not stagnant and cold, otherwise colic may occur. You should also not give the animal water after hard work. The horse needs to be walked away, cooled and given to drink after about 20-30 minutes in small sips. In winter, heated water is provided.

If a horse loses about 15% of its water total weight this will cause severe dehydration and death.

Basic food for horses

A healthy moderately working horse should eat up to 16 hours a day. The amount of total feed depends on the age of the horse, conditions of keeping and work, but it does not exceed 2.5% of the total weight. The ideal diet is three times a day, but if the animal is on vacation, then feeding it twice in small portions will be enough.

Hay and grass

The main food for horses, both in nature and at home, is plant food, namely grass and hay. A horse can get 99% of its nutrients from plants and quality hay. However, not every hay can satisfy the needs of a horse. It is important to harvest high-quality, varied herbs and dry them properly, preserving valuable substances. The most nutritious hay is harvested in spring and early summer.

In nature, animals eat hundreds of types of herbs, plants, roots and leaves per day, which cannot be said when kept in stables. Therefore, you cannot get all the necessary substances from the field with hay alone, which means that other components must be introduced into the diet of a domestic horse. For example, a green substitute is grass pellets for feeding in winter. However, a horse should always have good hay at his feeder: both in winter and in summer.

Cereals

Cereals form the basis of the concentrated feed diet; they provide energy and strength to horses. Therefore, it is very important to calculate the daily dose of grain depending on the working conditions and use of the animal. Cereals are used for fattening horses and for maintaining physical fitness. These include corn, oats, barley, wheat and rye. It is important to remember that such food is quite coarse and starchy, therefore, to improve absorption, they are prepared by boiling, crushed, flattened or steamed with boiling water.

Oats are nutritious nutritional values is the most suitable feed for horses. Contains starch, so it quickly gives energy and has a “warming” effect. This is why the feeding of sports horses is based on oats.

Corn is rich in starches and fat, so horse fattening is based on it. However, it should not make up more than 25% of concentrates in the diet. Barley does not provide much energy, it has little fiber, so it should not be given more than 50% of the diet. As for additional supplements, they are given as needed. Among the mandatory ones that improve the appearance of horses, the condition of the coat and skin are fish oil, yeast and vitamin groups.

Compound feed

Compound feed for horses includes special granules and muesli containing all the necessary substances, enriched with vitamins and minerals, and often with medicinal plants. All granules are produced separately for different horses and are divided according to their composition into complex, for breeding horses, yearlings, for racehorses, and protein. Each type is selected individually, taking into account the recommendations of the veterinarian. Standard feed for horses has the following composition: oats, wheat bran, wheat, barley, cake, feed flour, meal, chalk, salt, sunflower oil, feed grain product.

Muesli for horses contains a set of cereals with a balanced set of protein and other elements. Have different composition taking into account the needs of horses, for example, food for ponies, for warming up or, conversely, for feeding during rest. However, they contain a lot of sugars, are high in calories and are eaten quickly, which is bad for digestion. For good salivation, they need to be mixed with forage, pulp or coarse chaff.

Feed additives

Supplements in the diet include bran, as well as vitamin supplements. Bran is a derivative product after processing wheat, which consists of a small shell of grains. It preserves many vitamins and also helps better digestion of other foods. Among the total feed, bran should make up about one third. It is better to give them in the form of a mash, pre-soaked.

As for vitamin supplements, they come in special and complex varieties. The former are introduced into the diet from the recommendations of a veterinarian or, if necessary, to support the body. Secondary feeding for horses can improve the diet if the animal works a lot and at the same time does not receive all the necessary amounts of nutrients from the main feed. For more details, also watch the video from Global_Star_TV_Russia.

Digestive stimulants

• Yoa-Sacc is a concentrated yeast culture that increases the level of yeast in the intestines, improving digestibility;
• amino acids – necessary for protein metabolism. This includes tryptophan, lysine, methionine;
• Probiotics – increase the concentration of beneficial microflora in the intestines, preventing the development of digestive imbalances;
• feedbalancer - produced by different companies with different names and are needed to eliminate imbalances in the diet of horses that eat oats or bran excessively.

Treats for the horse

Do you want to pamper your horse? Many people, for example, give their horses sugar. But such coveted white cubes are not beneficial, so their supply should be reduced to a minimum or replaced with other delicacies. Offer them chopped carrots or apples, special cookies. This good source vitamins and fiber,

But because it's too high level It’s not worth giving them sugar all the time. Remember, this is just a treat and you can only feed them no more than once a day. Complete Guide for feed additives and production complexes, look in our next article.

1. The diet should be based on roughage. This is what the structure of the horse’s intestines was designed for by nature - digesting a large volume of roughage.
2. Select only special feed for horses; it is not suitable for pigs or cows in any case.
3. When feeding whole oats, it is good to add straw chaff to it, this will improve salivation and digestion (for 200 grams of oats - 5 liters of chaff).
4. Add 25-100 grams of salt to the food once a day (depending on work and degree of sweating). It is best to hang a salt stone.
5. Never give several fertilizers at the same time.
6. Feeding horses should be regular, in small portions over time.

Video “About diet from the words of a horse breeder”

14.11.2014

Horses can be called grazing animals, therefore, their diet includes pasture in the form of grass. IN winter period horses consume large amounts of hay High Quality. There are regions where horses extract grass from under the snow in winter, raking it with their hooves. Such horses are accustomed to year-round grazing, which cannot be said about horses kept in stables. The amount a horse can eat depends on its age, weight, and how active the horse is. Like all herbivores, the horse’s digestive tract is adapted to digest plant fiber.

About the diet of horses

If the horse is protected from doing very hard work, then it will have enough grass in the pasture and hay in the winter. All this horse food must be of very high quality.

When buying horse feed, always pay attention to the quality of the hay. There should be no mold or dust in it, otherwise it can lead to diseases of the horse’s respiratory system.

Alfalfa hay is very rich in proteins, however, it should not be fed to the horse in large quantities, otherwise it can lead to diarrhea.

In order to create a horse’s daily diet, it is important to rely on the type of horse, its vital activity, activity, age and many other criteria. In addition, the climate and weather conditions of the horses’ stay are also important. To begin with, you can sketch out an approximate schedule for distributing food for an adult.

Daily ration

According to experts, an adult horse is capable of eating up to 2 tons of oats per year, hay harvesting should be at least 5 tons, as well as feeding with bran 1.5 tons, succulent feed in the amount of 1 ton. In addition, the animal needs salt, which should be at least 13 kg for 12 months. The most important parameter by which the menu of an adult horse is compiled is its weight.

An adult weighing 500-600 kg needs the following daily food list:

• hay - 10-15 kg;
• concentrates - 4-6 kg;
• bran - 1-2 kg;
• juicy feed - 2-3 kg.

Besides weight, the determining factor in determining a horse's diet is its type.

1. Working type horse. Such an animal needs to regularly combine succulent and roughage types of food with concentrates. In addition, the horse's health requires components from premixes and yeast. Depending on the degree of load, the more there is, the less roughage feeds need to be given to the horse. Most The diet (about 70%) should be concentrates.

Average daily ration of a working horse:

• hay - 7 kg;
• haylage - 7 kg;
• silage - 5 kg;
• oats - 5 kg;
• premix - 50 g;
• salt - 40 g.

1. Sports horse. In this case, the main parameters for creating a diet are periods of a sports lifestyle, body weight, and more. In general, such a horse needs hay, carefully selected concentrates, as well as sweet carrots and high-quality premixes. It is better for these animals to select easily digestible, high-quality feed.

Average daily allowance for a sport-type horse:

• hay - 7 kg (preferably legumes and cereals);
• yellow corn - 1-2 kg;
• herbal flour as a concentrate - 1 kg;
• molasses - 500 g;
• premix - 100 g;
• salt - 50-60 g.

1. Mare. The diet of a lactating or pregnant mare has its own subtleties. In this case, it is very important to adhere to the advice of specialists so that the mare can give worthy offspring.

Average daily diet for a mare:

• hay from cereals and legumes - 4 kg of feed for every 100 kg of the weight of such an animal;
• mixed concentrates - oats 40%, barley 35%, yellow corn 25%;
• cake – no more than 1 kg;
• vegetable crops (beets and carrots) – approximately 5-6 kg;
• silage - 4 kg.

Almost before the appearance of the foal, the mare is significantly reduced in the amount of succulent and roughage feed crops, and legumes and silage are also replaced.

1. Foal. At this stage of life, it is important for an animal to receive the necessary substances for growth and development from the mare’s milk. A growing body needs minerals and vitamins, so the stallion owner must give him full access to the feeder where there is salt. The most turning point The life of babies is their withdrawal from feeding with mother's milk.

In general, the daily diet of such an animal should include hay, flattened cereals (oats), wheat bran, and cake. Sprouted oats (grains), molasses, as well as the favorite food of horses - carrots, will be very nutritious and rich for the foal's body. Then, with the help of specialists, you can calculate the dietary needs of the stallion, which is growing and needs new nutrients in the feed.

Types of Horse Feeds

The average horse's menu should always have hay, roughage, green and succulent feed, as well as feed concentrates, vegetables and treats available. To understand how appropriate it is to use a particular type of feed for different horses, you need to know what useful substances all currently existing horse feeds have.

Green feed

Always used in warm seasons. Horses should be switched to fresh vegetation gradually so as not to upset their digestion. Experts insist that horses should not be fed stale grass or vegetation with frost.

This type of food includes:

• meadow and pasture crops;
• seeded legumes and cereal crops;
• root crops from melons and root-tuberous plant crops;
• all kinds of algae;
• hydroponic food.

The main value of such feeds is the liquid accumulated in a large volume; in a dried state, they retain many nutrients.

Roughage

This is mainly cereal-legume or meadow hay. It is very important that it is high-quality hay; it contains a lot of fiber that horses need. All herbivorous animal species require this type of roughage.

Rough feeds include:

• Hay obtained after collecting grass, legumes, cereals, perennials and annuals. It is important to distinguish the value of plant crops by their parts. The most valuable are the leaves, the upper parts of the stems, as well as the flowers. Most often, mixed grass hay is prepared for horses.
• Haylage, roughage using a canned method of preparation, when grass plants are dried to a moisture content of 50-60%. This option for harvesting vegetation allows you to save up to 90% of valuable substances and feed components.
• Straw, the moisture content of which must be at least 20%. An excellent alternative to hay.
• Twig feed, which is collected using thin branches of birch trees, young maple, flexible aspen, climbing elm, spreading willow, poplar, hazel, pine needles, etc. Even if partially, twig feed will become an alternative to hay or straw.

Concentrates

In this case, the food consists of cereals and legumes. Concentrates are suppliers of essential nutrients. They are indispensable for pregnant mares, lactating mares, young animals, as well as very active horses.

Main components of concentrates:

• oats,
• barley,
• beet.

Concentrates are designed to complement the horse's main diet, which consists of pasture grass and hay.

• Representatives of cereal crops: nutritious barley and yellow corn, field rye and fresh wheat, oats and millet, as well as sorghum.
• Representatives of legumes: yellow and green peas, dietary soybeans, lupines and lentils, beans and vetch.

Juicy feed

This is a horse food consisting mostly of moisture (70-92%).

Juicy feeds include:

• Silage, canned juicy, rich grass. Due to lactic acid bacteria, it creates a special environment that promotes the preservation of almost all valuable qualities of plants. For preservation, fresh wild or seeded plants, green corn, tops of root crops, sunflowers, pulp and tubers are selected.
• Combined silage, which contains harmoniously combined plants. A distinctive feature of this feed is the level of coarse fiber, but difficult to digest by the horse’s digestive system. Such food is much more nutritious than fresh vegetation.
• Root and tuber crops, which include sugar beets, raw, ensiled or steamed potatoes, pumpkin, and carrots, valuable for young animals.

More about silo

Basically, horses are given corn and sunflower types of such feed. To prepare silage, a canned method of processing fresh succulent vegetation is used. To do this, the herbs are placed in a specially created acidic environment (due to lactic acid bacteria); as a result of this treatment, the herbs retain almost all important microelements and vitamins.

As for sunflower or corn silage, you should not feed such food to the animal as a single pure feed. For getting maximum benefit such products are mixed in equal parts with hay or other similar feed. Due to this food, the functioning of the animal’s digestive system is significantly improved, which makes it easier to digest coarse food.

Treats

Favorite treats for many horses include apples, carrots, and other vegetables and fruits. As a mineral supplement, horses are given salt in the amount recommended by the veterinarian. Lack of salt in a horse's body can cause it to lick clay structures, as well as dirt.

About junk food for horses

Some plants can be dangerous to horses because they are poisonous. Foxglove, lily of the valley, spotted weed, as well as elderberry and spurge can cause poisoning in horses. A large number of clover, as well as sweet clover, can lead to bloating. Bran from rice and wheat, fed in large quantities, has the same properties.

The importance of water for horses

The horse drinks a lot: three to five buckets of water every day. Water ensures the secretion of saliva to digest food, and also stabilizes the salt balance of the body.

Water for a horse should always be clean and fresh. You can't give too much cold water young animals and pregnant mares. The optimal water temperature for drinking in winter is fourteen to sixteen degrees.

About the basic rules for feeding horses

Feed little and often.

If you feed very generously, the food quickly passes through the stomach. In this case, the digestion process will not be completed, which can cause diseases of the digestive system.

There should be a lot of fodder.

There should be a lot of forage in the feeder. A horse must consume a lot of forage in order for its intestines to function properly. A horse, being in a stable and constantly chewing, is calmer and does not have behavioral deviations.

A sudden change in diet is undesirable.

A horse’s usual diet involves the development of certain microflora in its intestines. By suddenly changing your diet, you will provoke the death of beneficial bacteria. Toxins from dead microflora can lead to colic in horses.

Containers for feeding and watering horses must always be clean.

Horses do not like buckets with an unpleasant odor; this leads to a decrease in appetite. Clean feeding containers will help prevent horses from getting sick.

Give horses only clean, fresh water.

Dehydration of a horse due to lack of water can lead to its death. A horse will never drink dirty water, she is more likely to suffer from thirst.

You cannot put a horse to work immediately after it has eaten.

When using compound feed, strenuous exercise should be done with the horse an hour after feeding. If this is not observed, blood will rush to the muscles and the process of digesting food will slow down. The stomach, when it is very full, compresses the lungs, making it difficult for the horse to breathe.

When feeding, an individual approach is important.

A horse's nutrition depends greatly on the work it does. A balanced diet for each horse will ensure a healthy life.

The quality of feed and forage is very important.

The fodder should not contain mold or dust. Muesli and mixed feed should be stored in clean, closed containers to protect them from mice and insects. You need to buy feed additives only from well-known manufacturers.

Perform disease prevention regularly.

If a horse develops sharp edges on his teeth, it makes chewing difficult. This requires the intervention of a veterinarian to file down the sharp edges. Periodic deworming of horses is necessary, since worms have a detrimental effect on the digestive organs, causing horses to lose weight.

A consistent feeding schedule is important for the horse

The horse's digestive system should not be empty. The important thing here is the regularity of feeding, when the horse already knows when the food will enter its stomach.

Quality horse feed

Today, many well-known manufacturers produce concentrated feeds that supplement the horse’s diet.

For many years now, the Argo company has been professionally preparing horse feed. Muesli intended for sports horses and young animals deserve special praise. Mineral supplements are also good, as well as feed, which also have a healing effect. When consuming these feeds, the horse's joints are in excellent condition. Argo also produces treats for horses made from fruits and vegetables.

About Russian manufacturers

Russian manufacturers producing Russian muesli for horses do not lag behind foreign ones. Muesli "Blaga" is produced under the strictest quality control of raw materials. They contain herbal granules, dry fruits, sunflower cake and vitamins. Such dry food for a horse, along with fresh grass, is very important.

About Grand Prix food

This famous company always pleases horse owners with high-quality feed. When formulating feed, the company uses leading vitamins foreign companies. Grand Prix is ​​engaged in the production of compound feed, as well as dietary supplements for horses, and also produces treats and medicinal feed additives. Grand Prix horse food allows your pets to always be in good shape.

The Sunflower company is another domestic manufacturer of high-quality horse feed. The product range of this enterprise includes high-quality hay, cake, and concentrates for horses of various ages. "Sunflower" horse feed always delivers Leningrad region in a short time.

By choosing quality feed for your horses, you will provide them with long life and excellent performance.

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