1963-Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1963 November Voice | Page 18

NOVEMBER
IKING H I 8JRSE
Light Horse Breeds Call For Change In Rations
Horse Rations
Horses, oats, and timothy hay go
together—like sugar ’n cream, and Gil­
bert and Sullivan. Yellow com and
hogs are just as synonymous; yet no
sell-respecting swine producer of to­
day would leed pigs a diet of corn
only, despite the fact that it is recog­
nized as an excellent grain when used
properly. By the same token, it’s
time for a change in horse rations.
We’ve shitted from ponderous, slow,
draft horses to stylish, animated,
speedy light horses. Simultaneously,
horses have become suburbanites,
which means that they are kept in
close confinement and rely largely on
their caretaker lor feed. During this
same period of transition, we have
made tremendous scientific break­
throughs in the field of nutrition.
But few changes have been made in
horse rations; in altogether too many
cases, horsemen still feed the same
old oats and the same old timothy
hay.
Requisites of a Good Horse Ration
First and foremost, a good ration
must be-balanced. It must provide
feeds in quality and quantity to fur­
nish the necessary energy (carbohy­
drates and fats), proteins, minerals,
vitamins, and perhaps unknown fac­
tor and additives. Secondly, it must
TABLE 1
be palatable—horses must eat and like
it. Also, liberal margins of safety must
be provided to compensate for varia­
tions in feed composition, environ­
ment, possible losses of nutrients dur­
ing storage, and differences in indivi­
dual animals. In addition, the feeder
should give consideration to (1) the
quality and availability of feeds, (2)
the character and severity of the work,
and (3) the age and individuality of
the animal. Under many conditions,
it may be more satisfactory to buy a
good commercial feed than to use local
grains and hays.
Whether home-grown or ready-mix­
ed, it is my opinion that a minimum
of four different rations are needed
to accommodate different classes, ages,
and uses of horses. These are set forth
in Table 1.
Suggested home-mixed horse ra­
tions are listed on pages 46 and 47 of
U. S. Department of Agriculture Bul­
letin No. 2127 entitled, Light Horses
(from Supt. of Documents, U. S. Gov­
ernment Printing Office, Washington
25, D. C.; price 20 cents). For a good
commercial feed, horsemen should see
a reputable local feed dealer.
Rations and Amount to Feed
Rations and amount to feed should
be regulated according to the needs
(Continued on Page 21)
HANDY HORSE FEEDING GUIDE
FEED ALLOWANCE
(It requires 5 to 20% less pelleted then non-pelleted feeds, primarily because of alleviating waslage.
The recommended allowances given herein are based on use of pelleted feeds.)
Pleasure Horses — Ridinfcj Horses
Hard
Use
25% Supplement —
A 25 % protein
supplement plus
minerals, vita­
mins, and addi­
tives. Lbs. daily:
replace portion
of regular grain
ration by
amounts indicated.
Concentrate —
A 14% protein
concentrate, lo
be fed with lo­
cal hoy or
pasture. Lbs. daily:
100 lbs. wt.
of horse.-
Concentrate
Local hay
Complete —
A complete 13%
protein ration,
with all needed
roughage and
concentrates
combined. Lbs. daily:
100 lbs. wl.
of horse.
Junior —
A 20% protein
feed for
suckling foals
to past weaning.
Lbs. daily:
25% supplement
to replace
portion of
Complete, lb.
for lb.
Lbs. daily:
100 lbs. wt.
of foal.
2-3
Medium
Use
2-3
Light
Use Horses &
Horses in
Training Brood
Mares &
Stallions 2-3 3-4 2-2 % 1 l-l
J/4-l %
J/4-l Vi y*-% Vi-1
2/5-
1 V4-1-1 /3
y4 J/4-l
1-1 V a «/,
1V4-1V, iv«-i%
V*
1 %-2V'a 1 %-2 1 ’/4-1 V a 1 %-2%
i-i
4-5
1V4-2; in
breeding
season:
stallions
1 Vi-2Vi
Foals
efore
After
eaning
Weaning
Yearlings
& 2 year
Horses
Idle
1-2 1-2
l’/4-lVi
1-1 Vi 3/4-1 V*
l '/4-1 V* 1 %-l %
Va-l 1 '/4-1 Vi 1 %-2 1 %-l V a
1 1-1% 1-2 %-l i y4-i Vi
Vi
2/5-%