Basic Pony Feeding Rules

There is simply so very much more to training and raising horses than nice horse riding sessions and coaching for sport or shows. One important aspect of horse care away from the action and the glory but makes a contribution to it at once is horse feeding. Some basic guidelines to recollect that ought to be adhered to:

Check the weight of your horses. Feeding them properly comprises knowing how much your horses weigh. This should not be complicated: just use a horse weight tape to determine their heart girth.

Calculate the pounds of hay needed for your horses to remain healthy. A well-balanced equine diet is an essentially low grain % combined with high bulk %. It’s crucial to avoid feeding your horses grain too much. In general, the best feed diet is one and a half pounds of hay for every 100 pounds of horse weight.

Figure out the pounds of grain required too. Naturally, there are horses that don’t require any grain in their diets. In general, only horses doing regular heavy work or sport, young and growing horses, and lactating broodmares need the grain content. Ask your vet about how much grain is required for your steeds—remember though that particular grain have specific weight.

Don’t overfeed. A loving equestrian might easily become confused about how much her steeds are chewing, so aside from being a loving equestrian, be a responsible one too. And take care to lock away feeds—horses that make their way to the grain stash will eat up until they get colic or founder.

Don’t underfeed too. Obviously, this extreme is to be avoided too. Thin, feeble horses might not be getting enough nourishment. You could be either underfeeding her hay or grain, or underfeeding her nutrition.

Supplement. Always supplement any kind of diet and feeding regime with whole food supplements and necessary nutrients. You can opt to administer a home made recipe through a syringe, or just mix it into suitable amounts of feed. But the nutrient elements you supplement will rely upon the hay you’re feeding, as different forms of hay provide different amounts and kinds of nutrient elements, so it could be best to get the advice of your vet.

Ensure the presence of a fresh water source. Horses and humans have many things in common particularly when it comes to the physical structure of their bodies. And as people need lots of fresh, clean water, so do horses. There are numerous diseases that can result from not getting enough water, for example colic, loss of appetite, and more. For an equestrian living in regions where the climate always freezes water supplies, this job can be more daunting, and so is manifold more important.

These basic rules can be further expanded and extended, but it’s sufficient to not lose touch with their elementals. As an equestrian, your duties not only end with making a steed a safe mount for horse riding or teaching her maneuvers for sport and shows—you also must take care feeding her.

Horses are Heather Toms’ passion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100’s of articles with other horse lovers… like all things about cheap horse rugs