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FEEDINGThere a five different categories of horse feeds: roughage (hay and chaff); energy (grains, stud mix and coprice); protein (sunflower seeds, soybeans, lupins and good lucerne chaff); vitamins; and minerals (primarily calcium, phosphorus and salt). When deciding what to feed your horse, and how often, there are four basic things to consider: the type of horse and the condition it is in; the level of exercise the horse will be getting; whether the horse is a mare in foal or lactating; and whether the horse is still growing. For a horse kept in a paddock, you should first look at the horse. Is it fat, thin or just right? Then look at the pasture. Is it a pasture-improved paddock or native pasture? (See Chapter 4.) Is the grass growing and high in protein (Spring and to a certain extent Autumn), not growing much but green (Winter), or cured and low in protein (Summer)? In the Canberra region, it is quite likely that your horse will need supplementary feed in both Summer (energy, protein and calcium) and in winter (energy and roughage). As a rough guide, a stabled horse will need at least 1 % of its body weight in roughage (good quality lucerne hay), and supplementary grain if the horse is being exercised. Calcium supplements may also be required. Growing horses and mares in foal or lactating will also need vitamin and mineral supplements. If you have had no previous experience of stabling horses or of breeding, do seek some professional advice.
WATERINGA horse needs between 30-50 litres of water a day depending on the size of the horse, the weather and the amount of work it does. Horses should have water available at all times, but especially in summer. If a horse is yarded or stabled and doesn't have access to self-filling drinkers, water buckets should be cleaned and filled morning and night and whenever empty. Some horses will stop drinking when taken away from their home paddock or stable. This often happens when a horse is transported a long distance to a competition. If a horse refuses to drink for more than a day it is essential to provide electrolytes either in the form of a saline drench or in the horse's feed. Horses don't recognise that they are dehydrated and may continue to not drink for several more days if nothing is done. To test for dehydration, pinch a fold of skin along the neck. If the skin sticks together the horse is dehydrated. (Practice this on a normal horse first.) If you are unsure about administering electrolytes, call a vet. |
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