Equine Nutrition
Roughage is a term used to describe grass and hay. This is an integral component of a horse's diet. In nature, this is what horses primarily eat. This is what theri bodies are adapted to digesting. When we put them in a small paddock or a stall we think they can dtand around all day with nothing to eat. This is detrimental to both their gut function and their mental state.
Horses need 2% of their body weight in roughage daily. An average hrse weighs 1000 pounds, so this equates to 20 pounds per day. When horses have planty of roughage in their intestines, the incidence of colic decreases and their gut function improves.
There is an incidence of horses getting cecal impactions due to coastal bermuda grass hay. This incidence is low and the hay with shorts, fine stems is usually the culprit. Coastal hay is what is most readily available and least expensive in this region. When buying coastal hey, look for long "runners" in the hay and of course sweet smell. Musty smelling hay is moldy and should not be fed to horses.
Pregnant Mares
Don't forget that mares in the last 3 months of gestation (pregnancy) need a feed with higher protein. Pregnancy last an average of 10 months in the horse. The foal does most of it's growing during the last 3 months that it is in the mare's uterus; this requires a great deal of protein as well as minerals like calcium. Also, milk production requires a large amount of enery and protein. Most commercial feeds have a lactating mare/foal feed with higher protein.
Hay and grass are also necessary to provide the energy to produce milk and a healthy foal. Horses need approximately 2% of their body weight in forage (grass or hay) per day. This would be about 20 pounds per day for an average sized horse. Pregnant mares need even more!
