A small number of horse breeds grow extra-long hairs below their knees and hocks, sometimes covering their hooves completely. Horse breeds with long hair include the Gypsy Vanner, Friesian, Friesian, Shire, and Dales Pony. What kind of horse has hairy feet? Feathering is a characteristic trait of the many of Read more…
The main cause of choke in horses is consuming feed too quickly. Hay, chaff and grains are the most common offenders, however consuming large feedstuff such as whole apples or foreign materials can also cause it (Feige et al, 2000). Can horses choke on food? Choke is a relatively common Read more…
In general, a healthy horse will have a smooth, fine, glossy coat, while the coat of a horse in ill health will lack the luster and shine derived from skin oils, making it dry and coarse. How does horse hair feel like? Horsehair can be very fine and flexible; mane Read more…
The amount of digestible fiber found in fresh forage and hay is generally between 30 and 50%. If feed is 100% digestible fiber, it causes stagnation problems in the tract and can lead to serious gastrointestinal disorders like enteritis or colic. How much fibre should a horse have? The horse’s Read more…
For optimum digestive health horses must receive at least 1.5% of their body weight each day in roughage (grass, hay, chaff and other fibre sources) which would equal 7.5kg for a 500kg horse. Can you feed a horse just chaff? Chaff or chopped straw is commonly fed to horses and Read more…
Roughage/Forage Roughage, found in hay or grass, is the bulk of the horse’s food. Grass or alfalfa hay, or a combination of the two, are good sources of roughage. Grass hay is generally higher in fiber and dry matter than alfalfa, but alfalfa may be higher in protein, energy, vitamins Read more…
Sugar beet is a great way to provide horses with extra calories but with a high fibre, low starch diet. Linseed or rapeseed oil can be added to it for even more energy. You can also feed it along with compound feed without unbalancing the overall diet. How does sugar Read more…
Another consideration is that chaff is mainly short fibre compared to the long fibre in hay and there is a higher risk of colic in horses fed all their fibre as short cut chaff. What is the most common cause of colic in horses? The most common types of colic Read more…
But feeding a chaff is a very useful addition to the diet, not only does it provide forage (which should be the foundation of any horse’s diet) but it also encourages chewing. This is important because unlike humans, horses only produce salvia whilst chewing. Is chaff or hay better for Read more…
grass. Their natural diet is mainly grass, which has high roughage content. Horses should be provided with a predominantly fibre-based diet, either grass, hay, haylage or a hay replacement in order to mimic their natural feeding pattern as closely as possible. What do horse like to eat the most? What Read more…