We all know that next to water, forage is the most important part of a horse’s diet. Without it they just can’t survive.
With the high prices of forage there are a few ways you can get a little more out of the forage you feed.
- Start by selecting the best quality hay your budget will allow – higher quality means more nutrition in every bite.
- If practical, weigh out the appropriate amount of hay your horse should eat at each feeding so that the excess isn’t wasted. On average, a horse should eat between 1.5-2% of his body weight in forage per day.
- You may also choose a feed that contains yeast cultures (prebiotics) and direct fed microbials (probiotics) like Lactobacillus Acidophilus. These elements will help your horse’s hind gut better digest and utilize the forage it takes in.
- If your horse is on pasture, a good practice may be to divide your pasture into sections and rotate sections on a frequent basis to allow for maximization of forage produced.
- If hay or pasture is in truly short supply, try utilizing a hay extender product. While it is always beneficial to keep at least some long-stemmed roughage in the diet, using a hay extender can make the few bales of hay you have last quite a bit longer.
I have found a way to make my hay last longer,and that makes my horses much happier too,its called the Freedom Feeder,now when i feed my horses instead of them going threw it in an hour or so i put there hay in a free access small mesh hay net and its like they are out grazing, it satisfy’s your horses natural grazing needs and it really improves there attitude,and it makes there feed time extended by at least three hrs, so they are not standing around chewing wood or eating dirt because they are hungry,or bored , if you would like your horses to be as happy as mine and want more information on the Freedom Feeder go to http://WWW.FOREVERNATURALEQUINE.COM and check them out,you wont be sorry
Hi Judy, Thanks for sharing the tip! ~Gina T.