Feeding Horses

The manifestation of high performance and breeding qualities of a horse largely depends on adequate feeding. Horses, unlike ruminants, are less capable of digesting fiber, therefore, hay should be prepared for them in the budding phase of legumes or panicle sweeping in cereal grasses. For feeding horses, it is better to use good meadow, steppe, clover or alfalfa hay, vetch-oat mixture, oats from cereals, corn and barley; wheat bran and carrots are also useful.

Good hay is fed without preparation. Straw, preferably oatmeal, is best steamed or flavored with molasses, bran, mixed feed. The bran is given wet or mixed with other concentrates. It is desirable to crush or crush the grain; after such processing, it is better absorbed. This is especially important when feeding foals and older horses.

Photographer Olga Dulova

Depending on the breed, sex, age and physiological state, the level of metabolic processes in horses may differ; the need for nutrients changes accordingly. For example, a high level of nutrient concentration characterizes the diet of stallions during the breeding season, mares in the last three months of pregnancy and the first three months of lactation, as well as intensively trained horses and foals in the first year of life. Heavy draft horses consume less nutrients per 100 kg of live weight than trotting and riding horses.

Feeding breeding stallions

Nutrient requirements for breeding stallions depend on their live weight, intensity of use in mating, work performed, temperament and breed. In the pre-breeding and breeding periods, the energy nutritional value of rations for stallions of all breeds is increased by about 25%. The stud stallion should be above average body condition. Feeding rates and approximate rations for stud stallions are given in table. 12-14.

Article on Feeding and Drinking Hygiene Horses

11. The need for stallions and breeding queens of trotting, riding and heavy draft breeds for nutrients

Index Stud stallions Breeding mares pre-occasional and breeding periods Not accidental period Singles Foals (from the 9th month) Lactating Dry matter per 100 kg of live weight, kg 2.5 2.2 2.2 2.5 3.0 For 1 kg of dry matter, feed units 0.8 0.72 0.65 0.7 0.8 exchange energy, MJ 8.37 7.53 6.88 7.32 8.37 crude protein, g 134 94 one hundred one hundred 125 digestible protein, g 94 66 70 70 87 lysine, g 0.7 0.6 0,4 0.45 0.5 crude fiber, g 160 180 200 200 180 table salt, g 2.4 2.1 2,3 2.4 2.4 calcium, g 4.5 4.0 3.0 4.5 4.5 phosphorus, g 3.2 3.0 2.0 3.2 3.2 magnesium, g 1.0 1.0 1.3 1.3 1.3 iron, mg 80 80 80 80 80 manganese, mg 40 thirty thirty thirty 40 zinc, mg 32 32 25 thirty thirty copper, mg 8.5 8.5 8.0 8.5 9.0 cobalt, mg 0.5 0.2 0.3 0,4 0,4 iodine, mg 0.5 0.2 0.3 0,4 0,4 carotene, mg ten 8.2 13 15 15 vitamins A (retinol), thousand IU 4 3.3 5.2 6 6 D (cholecalciferol) thousand IU 0.48 0.36 0.18 0,4 0.5 E (tocopherol), mg 35 thirty 20 25 25 B1 (thiamine), mg 3.5 2.5 2.5 3.0 3.0 B2 (riboflavin), mg 3.5 2.5 2.5 3.5 3.5 PP (niacin), mg 8.0 6.5 6.5 6.5 8.0 B3 (pantothenic acid), mg 5.0 5.0 3.0 5.0 5.0 B4 (choline), mg 160 150 one hundred one hundred 160 Sun (folic acid), mg 1.4 1.4 1.0 1.4 1.4 B6 (pyridoxine), mg 2.4 1.45 1.4 1.5 2.4 B12 (cyanocobalamin), μg 5.5 5.0 5.0 6.0 6.0