Feeding Your Horse - Are Additional Supplements Necessary?

Horses are herbivores, designed to graze. In the wild a horse’s diet will vary depending on the type of grazing
available, some days they will have access to rich grass pasture and other days to nothing better than scrubland.
Our modern lifestyle removes the horse’s natural way of feeding either through restricted grazing opportunities or
quality of grazing available. For most of us it is a battle between restricting rich grass intake to prevent our horses
from becoming overweight or laminitic, whilst maintaining sufficient fibre and nutrients to maintain good health. Your
grazing pastures will probably be sprayed to remove weeds, which unfortunately also removes many of the plants
that can be beneficial. In Winter most of us will have our horses stabled overnight and feed hay or haylage and a
balancer plus any number of additional herbs and supplements. Research has shown that supplementary vitamins
and minerals are just as important for our horses in Spring and Summer, as a grass only diet can be lacking in many
of the vitamins and minerals required to maintain good condition and a healthy coat and digestive system. There are
numerous feed manufactures and a vast range of balancers and additional supplements available. You may need to
try several combinations before you find the best diet for your own horse, as a lot will depend on the breed of horse
and your horse’s exercise regime. Speak to other owners in your livery yard to see what they use and seek
guidance from the feed suppliers, may of whom will happily provide you with feeding guidelines to suit your horse.
My traditional piebald cob (gypsy vanner) came to me with very poor skin condition, having been a brood mare,
living as part of a natural herd. I feed her a balancer with additional herbs and a preparatory skin supplement all
year round and by treating her condition from the inside we seem to have overcome the problems, but it has taken 2
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How To Choose The Proper Hay For Your Horse How To Choose The Proper Hay For Your Horse by Michael Colucci

To have a strong and healthy horse it is important for you to feed them properly. Feeding them quality hay will give them the important nutrients and minerals they need. The amount of proteins needed by a horse are dependent on their metabolism, age, and rate of work. An adult horse will eat about 2% of its body weight every day, and experts recommend that half of the food eaten daily should be hay.

If your horse ways a thousand pounds, they should be eating at least ten pounds of hay each day. All hay is basically divided into two categories which are grass and legumes. Legume hay is much more nutritious than grass hay, and has more calcium and protein. While hay will not give horses all the vitamins and nutrients they need to stay healthy, it is essential for all horses whether they are used for competitions or not.

Once you have decided which type of hay is best for your horse it is important to study it. Find out if you like the smell or feel of the hay. Check inside the bales of hay to get a better look at it. Though some of the hay may be discolored, this is not a cause for concern. Choose hay which is green and soft. The stems on the hay should be fine. Don't buy hay which smells moldy and looks fermented.

Purchase hay which has been harvested while the plants were still in bloom. Study it to determine how mature it is. Don't purchase hay which has lots of dirt, weeds, or other materials which are not healthy for your horse. Make sure the hay doesn't have diseases or insects which could harm your horse. Ask the the person who grows the hay about any problems they've had with harvest in their area. Avoid purchasing hay from bales which are heavy or seem like they are wet. These are likely to have mold in them.

Once you have purchased the hay you want to place it in a dry place which is not in the sun, rain, or snow. If this is not possible, cover it with something than can protect it from these weather conditions. You may also want to have the hay checked by a specialist to make sure it is rich in content. The health of your horse is important, and you want to make sure you buy the best food you can afford.

Michael Colucci is an experienced horse competitor and writes articles for horsegathering.com - A free site that includes horse articles, horse and tack marketplace, event calendar and a horse discussion forum.

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The Importance Of Equine Supplements To Promote Good Health The Importance Of Equine Supplements To Promote Good Health by David G. Petten

If you own a horse, you are probably aware of the money, effort, and time you must invest in order to insure your horse maintains good health. It is just as important for horses to receive yearly check ups as it is for people, and to find the right products, supplies, and supplements that will help your horse maintain its healthy status. Supplements are often a good way to do just that.

As with humans, there are a number of different types of supplements available for your horse that cover a variety of equine needs, and will help your horse stay on the track to good health. You can consult your veterinarian for a list of the necessary supplies, and to learn what they do and how they can actually benefit your horse.

One of the most important aspects of a horse's health is maintaining healthy feet. It is absolutely essential that you be sure to re-shoe your horse whenever necessary and that you check its feet frequently. There are various problems that can occur with a horse's feet that can cause lameness, so this should be done regularly. There is an array of supplements available that can help promote foot and hoof health.

Antioxidant supplements are also a good idea. This can be just as important in horses as it in people, and making sure your horse has the right antioxidants can most definitely promote good equine health.

Calming supplements can also help your horse by keeping it more relaxed and comfortable. Since horses are alert creatures, they are often very aware of their surrounding sand can react very quickly.

One of the most important aspects of equine health is keeping your horse free of worms. There are supplements that can help you do just that. Give your horse one of these supplements on a daily basis, and he or she will most likely remain worm free.

Another important equine supplement is that used for digestion. Keeping your horse's digestive tract working smoothly is quite important, since digestive problems can lead to major health issues. There are a bunch of supplements from which to choose that will help promote your horse's digestive health.

It is important to remember that not every supplement or type of supplement will work for your horse. It may be a good idea to consult your veterinarian about whether or not you should consider giving them to your horse before actually doing so. You can also get more information about which ones are okay to give your horse.

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