Hi, I was wondering what kind of feed you all use. The stable where I'm at used straight oats, as where my friend, and trainer, use pelleted grain. I have come to the conclusion that on straight oats, the horses tend to have more energy, as with the grain they were calmer.
Feed
- Thread starter ~alison~*
- Start date
I'm not altogether sure, but I think grain is higher in energy than oats, depending on what kind of grain it is and how it's processed. Generally people in the horse world feed oats because it's a "safe feed." What I mean is, for the horse's health they need to be fed on a schedule and have to have a certain ration formulated for each individual. This requires fairly efficient feeding management, and in a situation where that's not always possible oats is safe because it has it's own source of roughage (which keeps the horse's digestive tract healthy), whereas grain does not. Horse's need to be exercised when they're stabled regardless of what they're being fed otherwise their body codition will suffer. So, I would say they probably just need to go outside a little more often.
The issue of equine nutrition is a confusing one so what I've said is the general case. Hope I helped!
By the way, at the stable where I ride each horse is fed hay, and they all have their own specific grain serving depending on age, the amount of work done, and weight, among other things. Each of them also receives a mineralized salt block, and are turned out at the very least one day per week.
[This message has been edited by CLAUDIA (edited 19 November 1999).]
The issue of equine nutrition is a confusing one so what I've said is the general case. Hope I helped!
By the way, at the stable where I ride each horse is fed hay, and they all have their own specific grain serving depending on age, the amount of work done, and weight, among other things. Each of them also receives a mineralized salt block, and are turned out at the very least one day per week.
[This message has been edited by CLAUDIA (edited 19 November 1999).]
Claudia:
I thought that Oats were grain? Anyway....
I use oats, beetpulp, corn, supliments, crunchies and bran sometimes.
I thought that Oats were grain?
Anyway....I use oats, beetpulp, corn, supliments, crunchies and bran sometimes.
We feed our horses a pelleted feed. The horses are able to utilize 100% of the feed. If you look at the manure of a horse on sweet feed or other whole grain, you will see grain in the manure. Yes, the horses are also calmer as their diet is more balanced and they are healthy!
Sorry, I was comparing oats to other grains commonly fed to horses. Oats are a lot different than other grains, such as barley and wheat. The point was that many people tend to use oats because it doesn't take a lot of feeding management, and it won't really harm them if they eat a rather large amount of it or if they aren't fed consistently (think of a young person learning how to care for horses; mistakes can be made). At the same time it will give them the extra energy they need to do the work we ask of them, because they can't get enough from grazing. When I said that oats are good for the health of their digestive tract I was not saying that other grains aren't. Since the horse's digestive system is designed to deal with almost continuous amounts of roughage, oats are "safe" because each individual piece contains a roughage source as well as the extra energy working horses need, while other grains aren't like this. Oats also contain less energy per pound than corn, barley, and various premixed food sources. Then again, it's also not a natural food for horses. There are different pelleted feeds to suit different horses, so as long as someone has bought the right kind for your horse and only feeds it in the amount necessary he should be okay. Each horse is an individual and will require different recipes.
Oh yeah, never change feeds abruptly, as I'm sure you know.
I'm sorry if I offended people somehow, I had no intention of doing that. I was only trying to tell others what I've learned about equine nutrition.
Oh yeah, never change feeds abruptly, as I'm sure you know.
I'm sorry if I offended people somehow, I had no intention of doing that. I was only trying to tell others what I've learned about equine nutrition.
Claudia:
I'm not offended, just checking something out! No hard feelings I hope, it just sounded kind of different the way you said it. 
I'm not offended, just checking something out!
No hard feelings I hope, it just sounded kind of different the way you said it.
No, absolutely no hard feelings!
I should try to be clearer when I post messages on the board. Sometimes I'm so eager to help someone with a problem that I get in a rush and make everything I've typed into a confusing jumble, especially if I'm lacking time! Ooops!
I love to learn about equine nutrition, and I'm constantly reading about it and learning from my animal nutrition classes all that I can about horses. I plan to go to the University of Kentucky and enter their equine nutrition program. WISH ME LUCK!!
I should try to be clearer when I post messages on the board. Sometimes I'm so eager to help someone with a problem that I get in a rush and make everything I've typed into a confusing jumble, especially if I'm lacking time! Ooops!
I love to learn about equine nutrition, and I'm constantly reading about it and learning from my animal nutrition classes all that I can about horses. I plan to go to the University of Kentucky and enter their equine nutrition program. WISH ME LUCK!!
Hello-
Thank you all for your help! Also, they use beetpulp. (not that important, but oh well
) Well, lately I have been turning her out more often, and she seems to be doing better.
However...She is really nasty to other horses, and lunges at the wall when the other horses are near, and really seems not to want anything to do with them. But I know that they are herd animals (obviously), and she acts lonely whenever she is turned out alone. But I'm not sure if I should try turning her out with other horses or not, because I would feel awful if she hurt one of the other horses. My trainer told me that when she turned her out with her horses (she isn't at the barn where I board her, but my mare used to be at her barn), she didn't hurt them, but didn't like them, so she quit turning them out together.
If I do try turning her out with another horse, should I turn her out with another dominant one, or a more passive one? Thanks for any suggestions!!
Thank you all for your help! Also, they use beetpulp. (not that important, but oh well
) Well, lately I have been turning her out more often, and she seems to be doing better. However...She is really nasty to other horses, and lunges at the wall when the other horses are near, and really seems not to want anything to do with them. But I know that they are herd animals (obviously), and she acts lonely whenever she is turned out alone. But I'm not sure if I should try turning her out with other horses or not, because I would feel awful if she hurt one of the other horses. My trainer told me that when she turned her out with her horses (she isn't at the barn where I board her, but my mare used to be at her barn), she didn't hurt them, but didn't like them, so she quit turning them out together.
If I do try turning her out with another horse, should I turn her out with another dominant one, or a more passive one? Thanks for any suggestions!!
Claudia - I had to laugh at your description of oats as a 'safe feed'. Ha! It may be good for their gut compared with some cereal feeds, but my horse turns into a raving loony if he gets a sniff of them (or any other grain, for that matter, pelleted or otherwise). He sneaked into the feed room one day last year and pinched about a pound of oats from another horse's feed before I found him - for three days, I was too chicken to ride him. He spent most of this time on two legs or running around screaming! Oats? I don't think so...
Alison - if it's possible, could you put your mare next to a fairly passive horse in the stables for a few days, then turn them out together? If they have a chance to form a pair bond in the safety of the stable, then they'll probably be okay turned out together. Also, if they've formed a pair bond, they might even be okay turned out together with the other horses. If you're really worried about your mare hurting one of the other horses, could you take her back shoes off and use boots if you need to ride her on hard surfaces? Used to do this with my horse, who shared a field with a show horse for a while.
Alison - if it's possible, could you put your mare next to a fairly passive horse in the stables for a few days, then turn them out together? If they have a chance to form a pair bond in the safety of the stable, then they'll probably be okay turned out together. Also, if they've formed a pair bond, they might even be okay turned out together with the other horses. If you're really worried about your mare hurting one of the other horses, could you take her back shoes off and use boots if you need to ride her on hard surfaces? Used to do this with my horse, who shared a field with a show horse for a while.
Hi Myrmex!
Geez!! I've never heard a story like that before; I hope it doesn't happen again! There's a horse at our barn that acts similarly about getting into the grain, but he'll do the same thing with hay. Quite the sneaky piggy.
I enjoy hearing all the stories from everyone that actually has experience with different things concerning horses. I can't wait until it's my turn!
Oats certainly don't sound safe from that perspective!! I'll have to tell my professor that story.
Good Luck with your horse Alison!
Geez!! I've never heard a story like that before; I hope it doesn't happen again! There's a horse at our barn that acts similarly about getting into the grain, but he'll do the same thing with hay. Quite the sneaky piggy.
I enjoy hearing all the stories from everyone that actually has experience with different things concerning horses. I can't wait until it's my turn!
Oats certainly don't sound safe from that perspective!! I'll have to tell my professor that story.
Good Luck with your horse Alison!
Thank you everyone for your help! I appreciate it. Well, there is an older Quarter Horse that she used to be stabled next to who seem to like Chloe (my mare). However, her owner is a young girl who has seen Chloe on her bad days p), and doesn't want her horse to get hurt. There is another horse who is quite friendly, but wild, and runs around quite a bit. But, who knows, she might be just right! Thanks Again!! Have fun riding!
p), and doesn't want her horse to get hurt. There is another horse who is quite friendly, but wild, and runs around quite a bit. But, who knows, she might be just right! Thanks Again!! Have fun riding!I would agree with whoever said to stay away from oats. I have had meek, sleepy horses turn into insane lunatics from a cupful of oats. Girly gets grass hay in the winter, for the extra energy in bitter weather i give her a small scoop of sweetfeed and the kids and i scavenge leftover corncobs from the fields around us, SHELL it(no cobs!) and i'll throw a bit in her food. In the summer she is on straight grass(plus our spare carrots, beets and apples from our garden). Oats ARE the cheapest thing to feed your horse at least here in Canada, but i'm not sure its the best. My 19 year old mare took a friend for the ride of his life on oats. She was on fire!!!
newrider.com