The horse in training

Four (4) separate feeds is the ultimate pattern for horses in work, however, three feeds is quite satisfactory. The reason for dividing the ration up into a number of small feeds is that as the horse has evolved as a continual grazing animal, it only has a small stomach. Increasing the amount of feed at a single feed increases the rate at which food passes through the stomach and small intestines (the sites of optimum digestion and absorption) into the large intestine where the products of digestion are absorbed less effectively and the rapid fermentation of grain can cause digestive upsets.

Palatability

A good ration for a horse must be palatable. Unless the horse consumes the ration readily, it is not successful, regardless of how well balanced it may be, or what chemical analysis may indicate.

Feed by weight not volume

As discussed in the section on grains, there are considerable differences in density amongst horse feeds. In feeding by volume, severe discrepancies may arise.

Therefore to ensure that the horse is in fact getting the required intake, always weigh feeds and dispense the supplements accurately. There is no need to use scales each time a feed is made up, however, measure the weight of each ingredient (oats, corn, protein feed, etc.) in a standard 'dipper' then calculate the number of dippers required to reach the desired weight. This should be performed each time a new bag is opened or a bulk storage bin is filled up.

Regular weighing of grain can act as a guide to the quality of feeds and thus ensure that horses are given feeds of equal quality.

Artificial Environment

It must be remembered that the horse in training is in an artificial environment and is subject to stresses, both physical and mental, and therefore has to be fed and treated in a more or less artificial manner. Stress can significantly increase the horse's requirements for energy, protein and vitamins, and these must be taken into account when formulating a ration for the horse in work. We still do not know what adverse effects there are to a horse's system when putting them under lights.

Spelling

The reasons for spelling a horse are many and varied. Often the reasons are unsoundness, loss of condition, loss of appetite, turned out to grow or mature, general inability to stand up to training, both mental and physical, or even an owner going on holidays.

It stands to reason that if the horse is being spelled to rest and recuperate and if the horse is to return to work in a condition in which it can stand up to the rigours of training, it must be fed properly during a spell.

Poor nutrition during a spell can severely hamper the healing and recovery process so that often the horse will return to work in a worse condition than when it left.

The unsound horse being spelled for periods of up to 12 months must not be allowed to get too fat. Approximately one month before returning to work, the grain ration should be increased.

Feeding Horses As Individuals

Some horses become very excitable when fed oats, the exact reason being unknown. Horses which tend to become difficult to manage when fed oats often remain tractable when fed barley, corn or rice at the same energy level. Because barley and corn are more dense than oats they need to be fed at lower rates than oats to provide the same amount of digestible energy. Often corn and to a lesser extent barley are blamed for exciting horses or for causing a horse to put on excess weight. This is often due to the same volume of corn or barley as oats being fed.

Below are some amounts of grains, grain by-products and oil containing equal digestible energy to 1 kg of oats.

For a more complete list see page 2.

Barley 0.900g = 1 kg Oats
Corn 0.830g = 1 kg Oats
Pollard (wheat) 1.0 kg = 1 kg Oats
Pollard (rice) 0.830g = 1 kg Oats
Bran 1.2 kg = 1 kg Oats
Oil (corn or sunflower) 0.340g = 1 kg Oats