GENERAL FEEDING GUIDELINES & CARE BASICS

1. Know the weight and age of your horse.
2. Feed and water at regular times, especially when horses do.
not have access to pasture.
Make sure to have water available to you horse at all times, except...
Allow horses to have sips of cool water, timed approx. 10 minutes apart, when heated from a workout.
Do not let them drink freely until cooled .
3. Feed small amounts often and hay before grain.
I feed four times a day. Grain twice a day with hay, and hay four times a day, when not pastured.
Wait until horse is completely cooled after hard work
before feeding grain.
4. Avoid sudden and radical changes in the horse's diet.
5. Make sure to lock all grains in a secured area. Some horses are glutinous if get loose and will not stop eating if they find their way into a feed bin
Hence, Colic, Founder and maybe death.
6. Avoid moldy and dusty feeds (especially important for preventing
respiratory problems) and keep feed boxes clean.
If your hay is dusty, but mold free, soak or wet it thoroughly in water.
7. Feed horses as individuals, according to their nutritional.
needs for the type of work they are doing, and for their condition, age and health issues.
8. Examine teeth regularly and have teeth floated ( sharp edges filed).
9. Control internal and external parasites with regular treatment program (an absolute must for healthy horses).
10. Provide adequate exercise for horses not working.
11. Don't overfeed (overfeeding and fattening horses with lack of exercise is a major cause of Founder).
12. Make sure you have a regular de-worming program. Parasite infestation is the number one cause of Colic .
Colic can cause founder.


Take me to learn more about parasites of the horse.