Over the years I've had the pleasure of speaking to thousands of customers and listening to their concerns about obesity, gastric ulcers, boredom and consumption of manure, dirt and shavings for their meal fed horses (or donkeys, mules and grazing barnyard companions). They really want to feed more hay or transition to free-choice to satiate their herd, but they don't have the confidence to make the switch. Feeding limited amounts of highly palatable/digestible energy hay perpetuates the vicious cycle of much anticipated meals, followed by periods of time without forage. And that's not the way horses were designed to eat. So, the gastric acid discomfort builds up, boredom begins and our horses become increasingly anxious - and sometimes aggressive - come meal time. Read on to learn how a simple shift in your approach and forage selection can 1) reduce or eliminate meal time stress and 2) give your horse more chew time and bulk (without the weight gain). Physically and mentally, all grazing animals are designed to forage, at will, throughout the day and night on a variety of forages with a vast array of fiber content. They also move from place to place while doing so. This innate grazing behavior:
Can My Horse Really Eat More or Free-Choice |
NSC is a term describing the carbohydrate content of plants - defined as WSC% + Starch% or ESC% + Starch%, depending on the vet or nutritionist you are consulting. For individuals that are overweight or have Cushings Disease (PPID), Insulin Resistance (IR) or Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy (PSSM), the recommended NSC levels in the diet should be 10% or less. According to Equi-Analytical’s common feed profile: NSC (WSC% + Starch%) levels of grass hay in the normal range are 8.037% -17.663%. |
What is NDF?
According to Equi-Analytical’s common feed profile:
NDF levels of grass hay in the normal range are 55.524% - 69.319%.
Importance of Routine Dental Exams When Feeding High NDF/Mature Forage
Routine dental exams are a necessity for all of our beloved companions, regardless of what they eat. Higher NDF/ mature forage requires optimum mastication (grinding), which requires unobstructed motion of the jaw. Any condition causing pain can discourage the required chew time necessary for proper digestion.
The Digestible Energy (DE) Factor
The lower the DE, the less calories assimilated per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of hay.
According to Equi-Analytical’s common feed profile:
Horse digestible energy levels (Mcal/lb) of grass hay in the normal range is 0.811 -1.008.
5 Tips for Transitioning Successfully to Feeding More or Free- Choice Forage
1. Implement Slow Feeders
Slow feeding prevents individuals from picking through it to eat only the tastiest morsels (especially important with less palatable hay) and helps to regulate metabolism and insulin spikes.
2. Avoid Confinement
3. Supplement for Balance
All hay only diets should also include a healthy source of omegas with optimum 3-6-9 ratios (ground flaxseed or chia). Omegas are rapidly destroyed during the curing process of hay. A study at the Equine Science Society determined that feeding a 1000 pound horse 4.5 ounces of flax seed resulted in blood levels of omega-3 comparable to horses on pasture.
4. Feed Loose Salt to Avoid Dehydration & Provide Clean Water
5. Introduce New Forages Slowly
When your herd has adapted to the new forage, feed the less palatable hay separately or exclusively to achieve optimum results.
Concluding Remarks
- To the best of my knowledge, the palatability concept in feeding free choice or increasing meal sizes is rarely explored or written about, but certainly worth considering. Always consult your veterinarian when making any changes in your feeding program.
- Domestication of grazing animals designed to forage 24/7 on a variety of plants, brush and trees certainly presents challenges. In nature, their activities consist of walking and grazing, interacting with herd mates and periods of rest.
- On the other hand: confinement, feeding limited amounts of palatable, highly digestible forage and isolation can cause obesity, anxiety-related stress, vices and boredom – especially when they suppress a horse's natural instincts.
- Providing appropriate free choice forage, freedom of movement and a species appropriate environment will provide your herd with the basics of their natural lifestyle and instincts - despite domestication.
Helpful Resources Directly Related to This Article
- Are You a Prisoner of Feeding? Here's How I Broke Free
- How & Where to Test Your Horse's Hay & Interpret Results
- How to Introduce & Incorporate Free-Choice Forage: An Action Plan
- 9 Benefits of Slow Feeding Horses - Get Slow Feed Savvy
- Equine Gastric Acid - 12 Facts You May Not Know
- Equine Gut Health - The Need for Feed
- Why Horses Need Salt & Why Salt Blocks Are Not Enough
- A Safer Always Have Hay Source – Mature Grass Hay
- Sugar Content of Pasture & Hay: Q & A with Katy Watts, Founder of Safergrass.org
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Monique Warren invented the Hay Pillow® slow feeder and is the owner of Hay Pillow Inc.
Warren has been an equine guardian for over forty years and slow-feed advocate for over 10 years. She contributes equine nutrition and digestive and hoof health articles to publications such as Equine Wellness, The Journal, The Naturally Healthy Horse, Natural Horse Magazine, Nicker News, Horse Back Magazine, The Horse's Hoof, and Miniature Horse World Magazine. Equine nutrition and horses feet are her passions. She resides in Southern California.
- Watts, K. (2011) Does Sugar Concentration Determine Hay Preference by Horses? Retrieved from: https://www.safergrass.org/s/PalatabilityFinal.pdf
- Equi-Analytical Common Feed Profiles. Retrieved from https://equi-analytical.com/common-feed-profiles/interactive-common-feed-profile/
- Equi-Analytical Glossary of Nutrient Terms. Retrieved from https://equi-analytical.com/resources/glossary-of-nutrient-terms/
- Hoffman, P. C., Lundberg K.M., Bauman L.M. and Shaver, R.D. (2003) The Effect of Maturity on NDF Digestibility. Retrieved from https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/forage/the-effect-of-maturity-on-ndf-digestibility/
- Freeman, D. W. (2020, January 20) Nutrient Requirements for Horses. Retrieved from https://horses.extension.org/nutrient-requirements-for-horses/
- Kellon, E. (2021, May 24) Flax To Mimic Pasture. Retrieved from https://drkhorsesense.wordpress.com/2021/05/24/flax-to-mimic-pasture/
I loved snd agreed with your article. I wish I could find a grazing muzzle that would stay on
My horse gets 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon of pasture. I don’t feed any extra hay in the morning and 3 flakes of grass hay at night. Vet says his teeth look really good
But he is still heavy. He’s had an injury so not a lot of exercise. Walk trot twice a week he gets loose salt and Grand Meadiws supplements could you recommend a grazing muzzle?
Btw I have your hay pillow and a net. He has access to dry lot arena 20 hours a day. He’s had a negative IR TEST.
Hi Margie,
We offer Harmany grazing muzzles in our store. You may find our blog post: Sugar Content of Pasture & Hay: Q & A with Katy Watts, Founder of Safergrass.org helpful to determine the best times to turn him out.These links can also be found in this blog post!
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Monique
Warren
Monique Warren invented the Hay Pillow® slow feeder and is the owner of Hay Pillow Inc.
Warren has been an equine guardian for over forty years and slow-feed advocate for over 10 years. She contributes articles on equine nutrition and digestive health to publications such as Equine Wellness Magazine, The Naturally Healthy Horse, The Journal, Natural Horse Magazine, Nicker News, Horse Back Magazine, The Horse's Hoof, and Miniature Horse World Magazine. Equine nutrition and horses feet are her passions. She resides in Southern California.