The quantity of food required depends on the individual horse and the work it is doing. As a general guide the total daily intake for horses between 150 and 160 centimeters is 11 to 12 kilograms and for animals over 160 centimeters, 12 to 13 kilograms.
For a horse exercised daily and worked solidly one day per week, the proportion should be 50 per cent bulk to a corresponding weight of concentrate. Horses in fast, hard work would require an increase in concentrate but the proportion of bulk in the diet cannot be below one-third of the weight of the total intake or the concentrates will cause trouble in the digestive system. The horse is unable to cope with large quantities of concentrate foods at the one time. The golden rule is: feed little and often. Bulk foods such as hay may be given in larger quantities because they are eaten more slowly. Concentrates, however, should be given in small quantities not more than 2 kilograms in any one feed. The amount of concentrates fed to the horse will depend on the type and the amount of work it is doing.
Horses should never be worked immediately after feeding, as most of their blood will be concentrated around the stomach and intestines helping to absorb the food. Exercise at this time will cause indigestion and possibly severe colic (see the Common ailments listing). Fresh, clean water must always be freely available to the horse except immediately after hard exercise.
If the horse becomes too ‘frisky’ the solution is either to cut the grain back until the animal is more manageable, or to increase the exercise period.
A horse receiving 13 kilograms of food should have 6.5 kilograms of concentrates and the same amount of hay. The concentrates might comprise 4.5 kilograms of oats, 1 kilogram of bran and 1 kilogram of a mixture of cracked corn, sunflower seeds and milo. A racehorse eating this type of ration would be working regularly and hard. It would be exercised from forty-five minutes to one hour daily.
Suggested Diet for Horse in Hard Work
Morning Feed
1.5 kilograms oats
200 grams cracked corn
500 grams oaten chaff
500 grams wheaten chaff
1 kilogram lucerne
Noon Feed
1.5 kilograms oats
500 grams oaten chaff
500 grams wheaten chaff
1 kilogram lucerne
500 grams carrots-3 days per week
Evening Feed
1.5 kilograms oats
225 grams cotton-seed meal
500 grams wheaten chaff (de-gossipoled)
500 grams oaten chaff
33 grams calcium
1 kilogram lucerne
55 grams salt mixture
500 grams cracked corn, sunflower, A prescribed iron tonic (in honey milo mixture if possible)
225 grams powdered milk
250 grams vitamin and mineral (spray dried) pellets (including vitamin E)
1 kilogram of mixture of boiled barley, corn, milo and linseed*
OR 1 kilogram of bran and molasses*
*The last two should be given on alternate nights.
- At 6.30-7.00 p.m., when closing for the night, give sheafs of oats to good doers.
- Provide rock salt permanently, either in food bin or on wall.
- If possible, give long green feed in mid-afternoon. Some horses may not eat the whole lot—if this is too much, reduce everything in quantity rather than upset the balance of the diet. Some horses may consume this quantity by being fed four meals per day rather than three. Any change to a horse’s feeding program must be introduced slowly, as their stomachs are very sensitive to change.
Complete Commercial Rations
It will be more convenient for the average horse owner or those with small numbers to purchase a complete ration. A good quality mix from a reputable supplier will have been formulated by a nutritionist. These are available as a pellet or a loose feed. Some pellets may require the addition of hay or chaff. They can be purchased by the bag, and one bag lasts about a week. This avoids the need for a large feed-room with several different bags or bins. Complete rations can be used on their own, or concentrates may be added if necessary if the horse is in hard work.
No matter what ration you are feeding, it is important to regulate the ration according to the appearance of the horse’s droppings. There should be a reasonable quantity of manure, and the bulk of droppings should just form upon hitting the ground. If the droppings appear small in total quantity, and have small firm units, then the horse is becoming constipated.
If this is not rectified, the horse can develop an impaction colic. At the next feeding the horse should be given 2 liters of warm bran mash mixed with molasses or linseed oil instead of its normal meal. This should be continued at each meal until the droppings loosen. It may be necessary to give this laxative meal as a twice-weekly routine. Impaction colic is one of the most common forms of colic, and if it is not rectified the horse may roll and develop a twisted bowel which can be fatal. Finally, remember that it is not economical to feed good food if the horse has not been wormed or had its teeth attended to.