Feed and water
The horse is a herbivore, and in the wild it will spend 16-18 hours per day grazing. Unless the horse spends all its time in pasture, we have to feed it.
There are different types of feed that can be used: forage feeds, concentrate feeds, wet feed, minerals and vitamins. You have to distribute feedings as evenly over the day as you can, and feed your horse on at least three, but preferably more, occasions per day.
Remember that if you are unsure, or need help understanding the contents analyses, it is always best to contact a feed expert.
Roughage
The roughage is the horse's most important feed, and the one you should give it the most of.
Hay, haylage and ensilage are common types of forage feeds that you can give your horse. The hay should be should be green with plenty of leaves, and free from dust and mould. When you calculate the amount to give your horse, estimate at least 1 kg of dry substance per 100 kg horse and day*. Since the hay contains a small amount of water, you normally count 1.2 kg of hay/100 kg horse and day. A simple way to calculate the body weight of your horse is to use a weight band to measure its girth. This will tell you the weight of the horse.
To make sure the horse gets all the nutrition it needs, it is important to have its forage feed analysed, and to calculate an appropriate ration accordingly. A good forage feed may enough on its own, unless you have a colt, a pregnant or lactating mare, or a horse in hard training. However, if your forage feed is somehow lacking in nutrients, you have to supplement it with a concentrate feed. There is a number of different concentrate feeds, which have varying contents and thereby varying effects.
It is important to remember that a bale of haylage/ensilage will eventually go bad as the bale's preservatives stop functioning. How long this takes depends on factors such as temperature, dry substance and bale size.
Concentrate feeds
The concentrate feed is a supplement, and which one you should choose depends greatly on the contents analysis of your hay, your horse and what you do with it. Is your horse energetic or lazy, does it have trouble gaining weight, is it a little chubby, does it work hard, is it a growing colt, is it pregnant or lactating? There are lots of factors to consider!
Examples of concentrate feed include oats, barely, wheat bran and different forms of ready-made mixes, some in pellet form.
Wet feed
Beet pulp and carrots are two examples of wet feed. Beet pulp is a by-product from sugar production. It contains a lot of sugar, which provides energy and gives a nice coat. Beet pulp may also be a good way to help the horse's digestion. It must always be soaked and allowed to swell properly before being fed to the horse, otherwise it entails a great risk of choke and colic. Carrots contain carotene, which is then converted into A vitamin. Carrots can be given in fresh or dried form. If you give your horse dried carrots, these too should be soaked for a good while before feeding.
Minerals, vitamins and salts
By conducting a feed analysis, you will find out if and how much you need to supplement the feed ration with vitamins and minerals to make it complete. Salt is a substance that the horse needs continuously, the amount varies depending on exertion and heat. The horse should therefore always have access to a salt lick.
Water
The horse must have free access to water, and it can drink up to 50 litres per day. If the horse has an automatic water drinker, it is important to make sure it has a good water flow; at least 6 litres per minute. If it fills too slowly, the horse might give up before it has actually had the amount that it needs. In general, horses will prefer water buckets to drinkers, and drink more from these, but it is more work filling the bucket(s) and making sure the horse always has water. If the horse does not have free access to water, there is a great risk of colic and obstruction.
