Feeding barley

[Teehee]

Hello, at the moment I have been feeding my ponies some corn, but the good weather is on it's way and was thinking to slowly change over to using some oats... To my surprise I can't get oats here (they only have the chemically treated stuff for seeding... :confused: ) anyways I do have the option of using barley or wheat. I've decided on Barley but looking on the internet it recommends it to be crushed or boiled...

I was wondering if it can be soaked instead? How long would you have to soak it for? Does anyone else use it? Or even heard of it being used without being soak, crushed or boiled?

Thanks,

[Jessey]

Not being funny - I know nothing about horse keeping in spain :o but from your avatar your ponies look like good doers and on a lovely green field....why do they need oats or barley (which we use for weight gain)? :p

J x

[Teehee]

Not being funny - I know nothing about horse keeping in spain :o but from your avatar your ponies look like good doers and on a lovely green field....why do they need oats or barley (which we use for weight gain)? :p

J x

Well, the part of Spain I live in is very similiar to UK, from what I've heard of...
Here Winter starts raining in September up to pretty much May!!! :D Oh, and snow too!!! :cool: hehehe
So, they have beautiful green grass when they're not soaken wet or getting snowed on!! ;)

So, I'm giving them the feed as a treat when they come in and because also they are both in foal, so I want to make sure they're up to par when baby comes along! :D

[Jessey]

Well, the part of Spain I live in is very similiar to UK, from what I've heard of...
Here Winter starts raining in September up to pretty much May!!! Oh, and snow too!!! hehehe
So, they have beautiful green grass when they're not soaken wet or getting snowed on!!
That sounds familiar :D

If you can avoid it I wouldn't feed straights (corn, oats, barley etc) as they are not nutritionally balanced for horses until you get into blending them, and for those in foal the imbalance could be critical.

I don't know alot about spanish feeds, but a friend of mine ships her horses feed in from spain to the UK :p she uses Primero (http://www.primeroequine.com) as she thinks it is a fantastic feed and the only compound mix that suits her and her horse, its a lot of fibre and oil rather than starches which is a good thing :D I achive the same but by combining the different ingredients as its easier for me that way :D

I would also definatly consider that if you are only giving it as a treat and/or not the reccomended daily allowance then you will be best to supplement their vitamins and minerals - this is especially important with in foal mares as foals don't get vits and minerals in their mums milk (can't pass through can't remember why), all of these must be passed to the foal before s/he is born where they are stored in the body for the first few months until they can really begin eating feed or enough grass to get these themselves :p - I'm not sure what is available in your area, I'm sure Google would be happy to help you check ;) :D

[Teehee]

That sounds familiar :D
If you can avoid it I wouldn't feed straights (corn, oats, barley etc) as they are not nutritionally balanced for horses until you get into blending them, and for those in foal the imbalance could be critical.


Thanks, I feed them a bit of soaked beet pulp with a handful of corn twice a day, they both have their own mineral blocks with Calcium, phosforous and a whole bunch of other minerals, which they have been using. They have 8-9 hours a day grazing and straw at night.
But as they recommend the corn in the winter but don't recommend it in the summer because it puts on fat, so was thinking of changing slowly over to the barley, at least so they get an extra bonus while babies are sucking...

[Jessey]

But barley will cause weight gain and probably lots of energy too, it is used here specially for weight gain but less so now as it is so heating :p

Glad you have got their mineral blocks etc, that sounds perfect :D

If they don't really need the feed, could you just give them chopped veggies to keep them busy :D

[Teehee]

But barley will cause weight gain and probably lots of energy too, it is used here specially for weight gain but less so now as it is so heating :p

Glad you have got their mineral blocks etc, that sounds perfect :D

If they don't really need the feed, could you just give them chopped veggies to keep them busy :D

Well, now they're looking pretty good, ;) maybe they don't really need the feed anymore... (once it stops snowing ...! lol ;) )
Veggies, you mean carrots and apples no? What other veggies can they have? I know potatoes are a no-no...

[puzzles]

Jessey and the others have very good points: potatoes are only a no-no because they are so high in starch - just like straights and what you are already feeding! :-)

horses are not designed to sigest starch. 80% of their digestive system is specifically designed to digest fibre alone, so rather than feeding unbalancing straights (an inevitable problem even if you feed a balanced mineral and vitamin supplement, as you are), it is far healthier for your horses (reducing their porential risk of developing laminitis, azoturia and other feeding-related conerns, such as over-excitable bahaviour) to be on a high fibre, forage-based diet instead.
to put it simply, starch is rapidly turned into glucose during digestion, and this sugar is released into the blood as energy very quickly, exaggerating many horses' temprements into excitable, uncontrollable animals (and you can't blame them!). this sort of energy is useful for horses in hard work who require short blasts of a lot of energy (such as racehorses and showjumpers who need quick bursts of speed and energy).
fibre is difficult to digest, and so this energy is released slowly into the bloodstream, giving plenty of energy yet spread over a long period of time 9fro example horses inrest-hard work, such as endurance, dressage or hunt horses who need stamina and plenty of calm energy.

alfalfa (lucerne, a legume) is high in protein, calcium and fibre, providing lots of slow-release energy as well as other benefits.
i strongly recommend a fibre feed from the Dengie range here in the UK - i know someone who has it sent to her in Holland, so is it possible that you casn get it, too?

[Jessey]

Veggies, you mean carrots and apples no? What other veggies can they have? I know potatoes are a no-no...
Yep :D no Potatoes or onions they are not good for horses, but all fruit (mine love bananas, oranges, nectarines, plums etc plus the normal apples) and almost all veggies (sweede, parsnip, carrots, cabbage, brocolli etc) I just give mine what ever I have left over in the fridge each week or the peelings etc when I cook dinner :D Do be aware that fruit and veg has lots of natural sugars in it, so only feeding each type occasionally is best :p but saying that parsnips are very high fibre and low sugar and great and can be fed ever day without problems :p

[Teehee]

Yep :D no Potatoes or onions they are not good for horses, but all fruit (mine love bananas, oranges, nectarines, plums etc plus the normal apples) and almost all veggies (sweede, parsnip, carrots, cabbage, brocolli etc) I just give mine what ever I have left over in the fridge each week or the peelings etc when I cook dinner :D Do be aware that fruit and veg has lots of natural sugars in it, so only feeding each type occasionally is best :p but saying that parsnips are very high fibre and low sugar and great and can be fed ever day without problems :p

Thanks!! :) I've never though they'd eat oranges... Do you have to peel the orange or do you just chop it up skin and all???

i strongly recommend a fibre feed from the Dengie range here in the UK - i know someone who has it sent to her in Holland, so is it possible that you casn get it, too?
Thanks, for the information, I'll have to check that out with the dealers around here... :)

[Jessey]

Mine get the fruit skins and all, even the banana peel :D of my 3 they all liked sifferent things, Bo loves the oranges and nectarines, Phoenix would eat anything and Jess has only just learnt that apples are for eating :rolleyes: Just give it a try and see what they like :D
I used to take Bo out for rides and pick fruit from the hedges, blackberrys, apples, cherrys etc and we would have great fun seeing what we could find along the way and what he liked best :D

[Teehee]

Mine get the fruit skins and all, even the banana peel :D of my 3 they all liked sifferent things, Bo loves the oranges and nectarines, Phoenix would eat anything and Jess has only just learnt that apples are for eating :rolleyes: Just give it a try and see what they like :D
I used to take Bo out for rides and pick fruit from the hedges, blackberrys, apples, cherrys etc and we would have great fun seeing what we could find along the way and what he liked best :D

:eek: :D I'm absolutely amazed... I thought they could only have grains!!! And to think I've been throwing all these extra treats to the chickens!!! ;) I can just imagen my grey pony with a purple mussle from eating blackberries!!! :D hehehe

[Jessey]

In some countries fruit is a big part of their diets, I think its some of the arab countries they feed prunes and dates alot, and I think its some of the canary islands that bananas are fed alot :D I think you just find that most places just feed more of what ever is native - for us (and propably you guys) apples and carrots :p
Re Blackberrys, in the wild horses will seek out blackberry bushes, the leaves etc are a fantastic remedy for belly ache so if they feel colicy they will go looking for them :D

[Teehee]

In some countries fruit is a big part of their diets, I think its some of the arab countries they feed prunes and dates alot, and I think its some of the canary islands that bananas are fed alot :D I think you just find that most places just feed more of what ever is native - for us (and propably you guys) apples and carrots :p
Re Blackberrys, in the wild horses will seek out blackberry bushes, the leaves etc are a fantastic remedy for belly ache so if they feel colicy they will go looking for them :D

Oh, blackberry bushes... we have tonnes of them... that's very interesting that they're good for belly aches... It's amazing how animals know how some plants are good to make them feel better!!! :cool:

[puzzles]

plus herbs like;

nettles
hawthorn
red clover
dandelions
carrot leaves
thistles

[Teehee]

plus herbs like;

nettles: They actually eat these?? :confused: :eek: They hurt like the dickens if you touch them!!!
hawthorn: Not to sure if we have them here?
red clover: definitively yes!
dandelions: I knew that people could eat them in salads... but horses... that new!! :)
carrot leaves: I thought these were poisonous...?
thistles: These have very nasty thorns also!!! :o Ouch!!


Note: I had to google some up to find out which was which!!! :D

[puzzles]

nettles - dried, 50g: not often eaten fresh!
hawthorn - a couple of handfuls
red clover - can be dried, 50g
dandelions (and root) - can be dried, 50g
carrot leaves - by the handful
thistles - can also be dried

[Jessey]

Bo used to periodically go to stay at my friends house, on of their small pastures always got overrun with nettles and her horses won't eat them, but Bo thinks they are great and will mow them down fresh :D he will also browse on hawthorn hedges and thistles fresh :D