Nutrition and Diet for Horses in Different Life Stages
There are lots of factors that come into play when determining the proper balance of nutrients to provide your horse. Age, weight, activity, climate and health all come into play. Also, don’t forget that an important aspect of nutrition is water! The average horse will require 12-15 gallons of water a day, and this could increase to as much as 25 gallons for horses doing work in high temperatures. Because feed accounts for nearly 70% of the cost of maintaining your horse, you want to make sure you are getting the most out of the feed you choose!
Horses in different life stages have different nutritional needs.
In Pregnant mares, there are actually three phases which all have different nutritional needs. In early gestation your mare will need around 18,000 calories a day, increasing to 22,000 in late gestation and 34,000 in lactation. In early gestation requirements are very similar to the regular maintenance needs of your mare, and forage should still make up the majority of the diet. Be sure to provide a mineralized salt block in addition to free-choice loose mineral. If you only have access to a poor quality pasture, also include a balanced concentrate feed at between 0.5 and 0.75% of the mare’s body weight.
In late gestation, the mare requires 15% more energy than in early pregnancy. At this stage in the game you will need to provide concentrate, as forage will not meet all the nutritional needs of your mare, and the foal growing inside her!
When your mare is lactating, she will require even more energy, up to two times as much! You will need to provide 2.5 to 3% of her body weigh tin feed. Be sure to provide a concentrate along with forage, usually a ratio of 50:50 is sufficient.
The growing foal’s needs also change rapidly. By 90 days old, your foal will need food to supplement mother’s milk. You should supplement a foal diet daily with one pound of grin mix per month of age. Weanlings should be fed to maintain a steady growth rate. You will need a high quality protein, lots of trace mineral and vitamins, balanced calcium and phosphorous ratios and 14% protein for weanlings. Protein should be decreased to 12% for yearlings.
In older horses, feeds with added fat and digestible fiber should be used to maintain a good body condition. Control NSC levels to avoid insulin resistance. A dietary level of 12 percent should be provided, along with processed hay (hay cubes, etc.) to make consumption easier for horses with poor dentition.
If you have questions about your pet’s diet, ask your veterinarian! They will be able to assist you in coming up with a proper feeding plan for your horse’s specific needs.
