Information About Horse Food

Should horses be fed a vegetarian or vegan diet? How much should they eat to maintain a healthy weight? Why should a horse have access to a salt lick? The article below answers these questions as well as provides additional information about horse food.

Because horses are large animals, the amount they eat is proportionate to their size and weight. The average horse should eat about 15 pounds of food per day. Younger horses may eat less, while work horses can eat as much as 30 pounds of food a day. Although horses can eat quite a bit of food, their stomachs are not very large. Therefore, they must eat small amounts very frequently to get sufficient nutrients. A horse's digestive tract is designed to handle a vegetarian diet, but you must ensure a horse gets all the necessary nutrients. It is important to make sure the horse does not have worms and also that the teeth are maintained by filing them flat.

Horses can spend the better part of the day grazing on grass and hay. Grass and hay should make up the majority of a horse's diet. In months when it is impossible for the horse to find enough foraged food, supplements and additional feed can help make up the difference. It is important to recognize how much hay and grass is available and tweak the amount of additional food accordingly.

Horses love apples, and many like carrots, turnips and parsnips. Too many fruits and vegetables, though, are not good for a horse's digestive tract. A few apples every day, though, are not harmful. It is important to cut all apples and vegetables into strips prior to feeding them to the horse so that the animal does not choke.

Most grains need to be prepared especially for horses to avoid potential digestive problems. For example, barley needs to be soaked for at least 2 hours prior to the horse eating it. Barley swells when it gets wet so if it has not soaked up a sufficient amount of water before being ingested, the barley can swell in the horse's stomach. Likewise, bran should be dipped in water before served to the horse. It should also be given sparingly since it has laxative properties. Oats need to be given in small amounts because they create energy and could make a horse overstimulated.

Although most people do not associate eggs with horse food, one egg a day adds protein to the diet and does good things for the animal's coat. The feed bucket must be cleaned after the egg has been consumed because any residue will rot and attract flies.

Ideally, horses should always have access to a salt lick. A salt lick provides nutrients that a horse needs for proper digestion and health. A few licks of salt also force the animal to drink water, preventing dehydration. If the horse does not have access to a salt lick, adding a little salt to the horse's feed will suffice.