Horse Nutrition

Horse Nutrition, or the feeding of horses, is something every caretaker for equines should know. Proper horse nutrition is a necessary aspect of horse ownership, and you need to know what comes from what, and what is best for your horse. The horse has a delicate digestive tract, and what goes into it must be free of all contaminants, like molds and chemicals that could be harmful to your horse. Horses must NEVER be fed any contaminated fermentable, like lawn clippings and pre-fermented meal mixtures. Horses need a constant supply of clean and fresh water at all times, as horses drink almost twelve gallons a day, and even more in hot weather or when eating dry forage like hay - and for a working horse or for a mare that is lactating water may need to be quadrupled in amount to adequately supply what the horse needs for that day, not only does it keep the horse alive it also plays a vital role in digestion of foods like forages and grains, which are eaten, chewed, predigested in the saliva, and then swallowed. Horses produce over ten gallons of saliva a day.

Nutrition that supply energy for horses are fat and carbohydrates - protein is a critical element for muscle formation and upkeep. Horses that are pregnant, hard working, or lactating need higher amounts of feed and of water in their nutrition, in order to function, to remain healthy and to remain fit. The fat that can be found in plant matter is usually in the low levels of the plant, and can be added to increase the available amounts of energy and density to the diet. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for a horse in its nutrition and are found in forage, such as hay, grasses, and grains - which have soluble carbohydrates that can be easily converted into glucose for energy. It is important you do not shock the horses system with too many sugars or carbohydrates at one, as this can cause problems like colic and laminitis.

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