HORSE FEED FACTS
Seventy-five percent of a horse’ s breeding goes down his throat. This is just another way of saying that the horse ' s maximum genetic potential in reproduction, growth, body form, speed and endurance cannot be achieved unless he is fed properly. Indeed, feed is the most important influence in the environment. To the end that better rations will be used, the following horse feeding facts are presented:
• Grass hay and farm grains are inadequate in quantity and quality proteins, in certain minerals and vitamins, and in unidentified factors.
• Horses have a smaller digestive tract than cattle, and the cecum is on the wrong end. Thus, horses cannot eat as much hay and grass as ruminants, cecum synthesis( microbial activity) gives only a limited assist in synthesizing proteins and vitamins, and there is reason to question the efficacy of absorption so far down( the cecum) in the digestive tract.( See illustration).
• Artificial conditions have been created in horses. In the wild state, they roamed the plains in bands; with plenty of outdoor exercise on natural footing, feed derived from unleached soils, by
Dr. M. E. Ensminger, Ph. D. Clovis, California
and unforced production. Today, many horses spend 95 % of their time in a stall or corral, are exercised before daylight, are forced for early growth and use( are ridden and raced as 2-year-olds), are put under terrific stress when shown, ridden, or raced( when running, horses expend up to 100 times the energy utilized at rest).
• Horses differ from other farm animals and should not be fed the same feeds. They are kept for recreation, sport and work; are fed for a longer life of usefulness; should not carry surplus weight; and are fed for nerve, mettle, animation, and character of muscle.
• In a classic rabbit experiment at Washington State University( using rabbits because of more numbers and quicker reproduction, but we have reason to believe that the results apply to horses also), alfalfa hay produced on low phosphorus soils resulted in 9.8 % lower weaning weights 12.0 % more matings per conception 47.0fv lower breaking strength of bones Of course, phosphorus is only one of the several minerals making up that all important 5 % of the body weight of a horse.
It ' s Time For a Change
During the past 25 years, the feed required per pound of gain of meat animals( beef cattle, sheep, and swine) has been reduced by 14 % and rate of gain has been increased by 21 %. But no such progress has been made in feeding horses! Too many horsemen are still feeding the same old oats and the same old timothy hay. It’ s time that we up-grade horse feeds. Marks of a Good Horse Feed
A good horse feed is balanced; which means that it provides the necessary energy, protein, minerals, vitamins, and unidentified factors. Also by selecting the proper feed, you can meet the needs of the horse( s) for maintenance, growth, reproduction, and work( riding, driving, or running).
• Minerals— A good horse ration usually contains in proper a- mounts and balance, salt, calcium, phosphorus, iodine, iron, copper, sulfur, cobalt, and manganese.
• Vitamins— Good horse feeds generally contain Vitamins A, D, E, K, the B vitamins— riboflavin, thiamine( Bj), pantothenic acid, B12, choline, folic acid, and niacin( nicotinic acid); and the unidentified factors found in such products as distiller’ s dried solubles, alfalfa leaf meal, condensed fish solubles, and brewer’ s dried yeast. It now appears that unidentified factors have a prohibitive effect on ulcers in certain farm animals and in man. Also, optimal results with horses during the critical periods( growth, gestation- lactation, and when under stress as in racing or showing) appear to be dependent upon providing unidentified factors.
Results More Important Than Cost Per Bag!
As is true when buying anything— whether it be a suit of clothes, a dinner, or what not— horse feed should be bought on a quality basis; rather than what is the cheapest— results are more important than cost per bag. If this were not so, one might well buy and feed many cheap products, including sawdust.
14 VOICE of The Tennessee Walking Horse