365
Days in Horse Country – Feeding Grain
Every horse loves oats, but should every horse have
grain? This is a question that equine
nutritionists have asked for years.
The question you should ask yourself is whether or not your horse should have grain. While grain is a necessity for horses performing regularly at very demanding activities, such as racing and three-day eventing, it may not be necessary if your horse is just used for trail riding or enters a show a few times a year.
It’s easier to make a decision about whether to feed grain if you understand what grain really is. The grains most commonly fed t horses are oats, corn, and barley. They contain a lot of carbohydrates, which the horse’s body converts into energy. The result is that the horse who eats grain has a lot more vim and vigor than the horse who doesn’t. This is useful if your horse is an equine athlete with a demanding training and show schedule. If you just want to poke around on the trail on the weekend, however, grain can be your worst enemy because your horse will be full of excess energy and may become hard to control. He may also put on too much weight.
Grain also provides nutritional value in addition to energy, which is why some horse experts believe that all horses should be fed oats in particular. Oats are a good source of fiber, and they keep better than other grains. Corn, on the other hand, is fed most commonly because it is cheap. It gives horses a good energy boost, although if overfed it can cause colic, laminitis, and diarrhea. Barley is high in protein and harder to digest than other grains. Too much of it can cause laminitis.
When it comes to whether you should give your horse any of these three, the basic rule is don’t feed grain unless you absolutely have to. If your veterinarian or professional trainer tells you your horse needs grain, then by all means, provide whatever the pros recommend. But if you are planning your horse’s diet on your own, avoid including grain in the mix. Avoiding grain will save you money, and your horse is more likely to behave if his energy level isn’t through the roof.
Michael