1.  “Can you recommend what and how much he should be getting…? “
Thank you for your reply. Here is the additional information that you need. I have had him one and a half years and the only hay available on the island is oat and barley hay. They get one bale a day. That way, they have hay 24 hours a day. There isn’t anybody who can test our hay and we do not have access to ready-made feeds unless imported from the main land. The cost is prohibitive and I was told that a bag would last only 4 days. A bag costs 25 euros plus shipping. I already give him oil in his food. About one cup a day plus molasses and an all around vitamin. Both are up to date on their wormers and vaccinations. I am sorry that there is not much more that I can tell you, but if you need anymore just let me know. Thank you once again for your help.

Bill Schurg’s Answer:
Many thanks for the additional information. The fact that you have owned this one horse for 1.5 years would suggest that the horse has been gaining weight with the program you have started. Oat or barley hay that is not too mature can be a very useful and valuable feed, however one bale per day for two horses may be adequate forage but it depends on how many pounds or kilos the bale weighs. If it is a light bale or if the forage is mature forage then the nutrients available to the horse may need further supplementation above what you have currently been doing. Again, with the older horse since it is gaining even small amounts the addition of small amounts of additional beet pulp and corn with slightly more oil should continue the gaining state. As far as the younger horse is concerned, balancing this diet really would be easier and more accurate if we know the composition of nutrients within the hay. One lab that can evaluate hay samples is located in Wisconsin and who may want to contact them for information about having a sample of your hay evaluated. The lab is Dairyland Laboratories, Inc. 217 E. Main St. Arcadia, WI 54612 and their phone number is 608-323-2123. If you contact them you will ask for information on doing a N7H – Equine Choice DE analysis. Lastly, both of your horses should be consuming at least 1% of their body weight each day of the hay and most likely will be eating closer to 2% of body weight each day. The amount of supplemental feed coming from your other sources will be at about .5-1% of body weight each day.

 

2.  “I have a 9 y.o. Arabian gelding who recently began chewing wood…?”

I have a 9 y.o. Arabian gelding who recently began chewing wood and is starting to show signs of tension. He is generally a high-strung type, but is now beginning to pace and show other signs of tension. His weight is excellent. He is on full board at a stable I have been at for about 2 years. He has a decent run with his stall for turnout, no grass left. I exercise him almost daily. He is fed Purina Horse Chow complete feed pellets, 10%, with supplements of 1/8 cup flax seed, Strongid daily wormer. Sometimes I add soy meal. He also gets a squirt of soy oil to bind it. He receives 2 flakes hay am and pm with 1 flake at lunch. He is in Michigan, so the hay quality tends to run rather hot (compared to Texas). Any suggestions?

Bill Schurg’s Answer:

Based upon the information you have provided regarding your 9 year old horse, I don’t see anything nutritionally that would lend itself toward the behavior changes you are seeing. However, if your horse has previously had access to some pasture for grazing and now there is very little this could be one reason you see some changes. Also, if the weather has been cooler than normal along with various inclement conditions like unusual rainfall, these environmental aspects could be reflected in the behavior as well. If a stable mate has been moved recently might also be reason for pacing etc. It may also be possible that this horse is suffering from some type of health related illness or condition (i.e., ulcers etc). I would suggest that you have a veterinary wellness check-up done as it appears that with good weight and a desirable feed program those aspects most likely are not the cause of the changes you are seeing. Since you do not indicate the total amount of feed fed daily or the weight of this horse, I have to assume that he is not being overfed or underfed. However, if he is receiving more nutrients than needed or there is some imbalance of nutrients this could have some effect on behavioral changes.
3.  “What is your opinion of Senior Feed…?”

Bill Schurg’s Answer:

Many feed companies have created “Life Cycle” type feeds for horses. Equine Senior is one form of these feeds. It is a complete feed that furnishes nutritional support for the older horse. It is a product that is more highly digestible and palatable for the older horse. It is thought that as horses age their metabolic systems are less efficient. Thus, most senior feeds have a higher level of protein, fat and fiber than other feeds. Generally, the level of fiber is about 16% and it is a more highly digestible form than what is in other feeds, grains and hays. Senior feeds are “complete feeds” so they could be fed to an older horse as the sole feed source, however most horse owners would still offer some hay as well. A typical older horse weighing about 1000 pounds would require 12-14 pounds of this feed daily. If the horse was lightly working the daily intake would go up about 2 pounds per day over the maintenance requirement. If hay is being fed or if pasture is available a reduction in the amount of equine senior may be necessary. If the older horse has severe dental problems which affects chewing and palatability you can soak the senior feed with water to form a mash. Lastly, as with any feeding program it is important to provide the horse with access to plenty of fresh clean water at all times and have a source of salt available.

4.  “Can you recommend what and how much he should be getting…? “
I am so glad I have found this site. I really need some advise on feeding. I live on an island that is only now starting to get interested in horses so we don’t have any vets or someone to ask advise. My first concern is about their food. I am getting confused about what to give them. We don’t have all those ready made feeds, only the old fashioned way of doing it.
I have a 7 year old ex racehorse who doesn’t put weight on easy. He has continual access to hay and is fed morning and night sugar beet. 11/2kilos corn, 2 kilos Soya bran, a vitamin supplement and molasses. From the time I have had him he has slowly gained weight, was 370kilos now 440kilos but he is still not where he should be and I am not sure that he has the right balance in his feed. I was adding barley but was told to stop this. He has not worked hardly at all in the one and a half years that I have had him due to one problem or another and has really calmed down from the maniac that he was.
Next is the 15month old yearling that gets the same as above but in a smaller quantity. Can you recommend what and how much he should be getting? He also has vitamins and calcium added. I really hope that you can help as I am getting confused with all the data on the net and from what people say about feeding.
I don’t want my horses to suffer any problems.

Bill Schurg’s Answer:

Thanks for your question regarding your 7 year old horse and long yearling. First, in every horse diet one should realize that the horse should eat about 1.5 to 2.0% of their body weight each day. Since you did not give me the actual amount in kilos or pounds of the hay I will have to make some assumptions. Further, your 7-year-old horse has gained about 70 kilos based on the information you have sent however I don’t know what time frame it has been from one weight to the current one. However, the horse has gained weight on the diet that you have been feeding. If you need to gain further weight you can most likely add another .5kilo of beet pulp and .5 kilo of corn. Or another way to increase energy density in your diet would be to add 1-2 cups per day of vegetable oil to the grain mixture. This would aid in putting more weight on your horse. It would be quite appropriate to have your hay analyzed first so that a more appropriate supplementation program could be designed.

This is especially true for the younger horse. The mixture that you are currently feeding most likely will not be balanced for this growing horse. If the hay is average quality hay this horse should be fed at minimum 1-1.5% of it’s body weight in hay daily and .5-1.0% bodyweight of a balanced grain mixture for a growing horse. If you have access to a growing horse mixture like equine junior that would be appropriate.

If you can provide me with additional information on the type and quality of hay your are feeding these horses I would be happy to aid you in designing a more effective balanced diet.

 

5.  “What kind of schedule you would recommend in order to get my new horse accustomed to living in a grass paddock…?”

I am about to move my horse from barren California to luscious Missouri where my other horses live in rich green paddocks and eat grass all day. My horse from California barely eats grass and gets fed hay 2x daily. I was wondering what kind of schedule you would recommend in order to get my new horse accustomed to living in a grass paddock and grazing all day.

Bill Schurg’s Answer: