Horse diet

In order for your horse to live a long, healthy life you'll need to satisfy all its nutritional needs. Horses are natural grazers and grass constitutes the staple of their diet but when this is not available, or if you can't allow your horse to endlessly graze, you'll need to think of a substitute type of feed. In any case you'll need to provide your horse with a supplement to grass so it enjoys a healthy and varied diet. Read on for more detail about horse diet.

A crucial dietary supplement for your horse is known as long feed and consists of fibre and roughage that is vital in ensuring the smooth running of your horse's digestive system. Ensure your horse has plenty of hay when it can't access grass in order to keep it fit and healthy. But be sure to weigh feed: the daily recommended amount a horse should eat is between 1.5 and 3 % of its bodyweight (average 2.5%). A smaller – but important – part of your horse's diet are straights. Straights such as cereal or grains will nourish and energise your horse. The more work your horse carries out and the more it competes the more straights it will need, but be careful not to overfeed. If the energy isn't being burned off there's a danger your horse will become overweight if it receives too much straights.

Other food sources are compound mixes: these are special mixes designed to meet the nutritional requirements of different kinds of horse. High-energy mixes are better for horses used frequently in competition, for example. Be sure to read manufacturers guidelines when purchasing compound mixes. Succulents such as apples and carrots are also very good for your horse, and can be used to reward good behaviour etc – but don't overdo it.

Remember also to give your horse free access to clean water: they can drink 5 – 10 gallons of water per day so this is important. Feed your horse in small amounts and frequently (as your horse is a natural grazer), try not to alter feeding times and do not use your horse for at least an hour after it has eaten.

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A balanced diet is a great way to ensure the good health of your horse, however horse insurance can look after the unexpected.