Feeding Regimens - What Happens When You Missed Feeding Your Horse?

Have you missed feeding your horse again? There is no need to worry as it is not much of a major concern. Variations in your feeding rations will not hurt your horse; in fact, it could even be a good thing. There is no need for you to cut short your summer barbecue with the family because you need to run to the barn to feed your horse at a specific time. If you deliver his feed ration few hours later or earlier the specified time, it would not harm him in any way. If you try to vary the feeding schedule, it might help in the prevention of behaviors such as stall kicking and pacing.

One method you can incorporate feeding flexibility is to give your horse free choice of hay and after that, enough grain to maintain his condition. Make sure you divide the meals into as frequent as possible to imitate how the digestive system of the horse works (since naturally, they are all-day grazers). Chowing down a heavy meal that consists of starchy grain can lead to digestive problems,like colic or even ulcers in horses. On the other hand, an athletic horse needs to eat on a strict schedule. This is to meet the energy demands of his body to compensate for the energy lost during heavy training and strenuous competitions.  Every calorie is precious for such horse; and giving meals at the same time every day can optimize digestion so that his body can absorb all the energy from the grain.

Be careful, though, of grain feeds and meals rich in carbohydrates. Ideally, you need to introduce your horse to hay at the first chomp on his meal. This will be followed by high-carb meals like the grain. This is to allow your horse to digest his feed better and reduce digestive problems. But prior to exercise for your heavy working horse, hay should be restricted. Allow one hour to pass by after a meal and before you horse goes to training. If you own a heavy working horse for competitions, they should be fed more than three times a day.

Feeding your horse is essential to his health. How you feed your horse, as well as the timing of the feeding plays a role in maintaining the balance of the digestive system. Once the balance of the system gets disrupted, problems will start to occur, and commonly, ulcers in horses will result. Observe proper feeding practices and consult your veterinarian if necessary.