Educate clients about equine feeding fundamentals

How do you recommend starting a feeding program?

“Horses are grazers and thus are designed to consume small meals frequently throughout the day,” Raub said. “So, have owners start their feeding program on available hay and forage. They need to understand the quality and approximate nutritional value their hay and pasture is providing, how much pasture and/or hay their horse is consuming in a day, and then how much work the horse will do as well. Then they can add in a concentrate feed or supplement to provide it with the nutrients needed to perform that they may not be able to get from hay or pasture alone. Have them keep in mind small meals throughout the day are key to a horse’s health and well-being.”

Address their hay situation

Any feeding program starts with addressing the hay, Raub said. The different nutritional values of hay require close consideration, depending on location of the horse you’re caring for and the type of hay available, such as alfalfa, timothy, orchard grass, coastal bermuda and so on.

Also, the feed quality of a specific hay can vary greatly depending on soil quality, harvest conditions and forage maturity when harvested. For example, grass hay out of Ohio may not have the same nutritional value as grass hay from Colorado. You can even have significant differences in hay quality between sources that may be just down the road from one another.

“Along with the soil and forage maturity, hay storage is also a key factor. Is the hay sitting in a barn covered or exposed to the elements? Storage plays an important part in how hay holds its nutritional value and thus determining other needed feeds/supplements,” Raub said.

Evaluating hay quality

Start by visually appraising the hay. Look at the stem-to-leaf ratio (the more leaves the better) and check for a bright green color, a fresh aroma and an absence of dust, mold and foreign material. Just know, visual appraisal is not always as accurate as you think. A horse might not look or perform up to expectations, and that may indicate the horse is not receiving the nutrients they need. So, a professional analysis of the hay your client is feeding their horse is helpful to develop the appropriate feeding program.

How can owners determine their hay’s nutritional value?

Nutritionists often say, ‘Did you get your hay evaluated?’ In other words, when a horse owner is buying enough hay for several months, it’s recommended to get the hay tested for its nutritional value, which takes the guessing game out of it.

“There are multiple benefits you can recommend,” Raub said. “The owner will actually know the nutrients that hay is supplying. If someone is buying hay a month or two at a time in the open market and not from someone they usually buy hay from, consider getting it tested every time they pick up a load. Keep in mind when hay producers are having challenges getting good quality hay put up, like during times of drought or excessive moisture, you may not be able to get the hay you want but it is the only hay you can get.”

“Getting hay tested helps evaluate how a horse should be fed, and it also reveals if the plan should include a supplement with a concentrate or other feed type. Most folks blame the feed for a drop in their horse’s weight or change in condition, when it is really the quality of forage that has changed. The hay analysis will provide a starting point of where to go nutritionally to keep that horse performing”– Dr. Randel Raub, director of research and nutrition

How to take a sample for hay analysis

Using a hay probe, collect samples from 10-20% of the bales in a single load. Combine the samples and thoroughly mix them together. Grab two separate samples from the mixed samples, place each in a separate, labeled plastic bag (noting the hay source, type, cutting, date baled and date sampled). Then ship both samples off for analysis.

Don’t sample just one bale. Take random samples from throughout the load.

If a hay probe isn’t handy, advise your clients they can work with their local feed store to connect them with an equine expert who will come out and sample the hay. Contacting their local extension specialist office is another option, which may have a hay probe they could borrow.

Why is a scoop, not just a scoop when it comes to measuring how much grain or feed a horse should get?

“A scoop is not just a scoop — and everyone is going to use a scoop. People need to feed their horse the correct amount of grain or concentrate that matches that horse’s workload — not just the amount of concentrate, but the correct weight,” Raub said. “And a sweet feed compared to a pellet compared to an extruded feed — all weigh different amounts even though they all represent the same volume in a scoop.”

It is worth the investment for a small postal scale or even a hanging scale (like one for a suitcase or a fish), so you can actually measure the weight of the feed that is in the scoop they use. They also can measure how much hay they are feeding by putting a flake in a hay net and weighing it with a fishing scale, Raub said. Tell your clients to take the time to make that feed measurement on their scoop and mark it with a line. It can mean so much to a horse’s nutritional needs and management, especially when they have to explain that to you as their veterinarian, or if they’re working with a nutritionist.

How to evaluate the percentage (%) numbers on a bag of feed?

“There are usually three percentages you see on the bag: protein, fat and fiber. Raub said.

“Performance horses usually do not need more than a 12% protein concentrate feed, assuming it is a good quality protein source like soybean meal or even alfalfa. Then you have fat, which is pure calories. A hardworking horse may benefit from concentrates with 8-10% fat. You have to have calories to work! Then, fiber is probably the most misleading information on the tag. It really depends on the fiber source. Good ones are soy hulls and beet pulp (these have two times the energy value as a good, quality grass hay), alfalfa meal also can be a good source of fiber in pelleted concentrates.

“Our Sentinel line fits a wide range of horses at different life stages, and our team of nutritionists formulated our products to meet horses’ specific dietary needs,” Raub said.