Nothing is more important than ensuring your horse is happy and healthy. Doing this can be challenging though because horses have delicate digestion systems. As a result, you must be aware that there are feeding mistakes that people make. You must know what they are so you can avoid them. Let’s discuss the most common mistakes and the horse feed decisions you should be making.

Calculating by volume

Firstly, there is calculating by volume. The feed for horses can vary in weight quite a bit. This is the case even when they look the same. So, a mistake lots of owners make is feeding their horses what seems like the right quantity of food. Unfortunately, eyeballing alone won’t suffice here. You have to calculate your feed by weight, not volume.

Choosing poor quality hay

The second mistake relates to nutrient-deficient hay. Some people believe they are saving money by buying a cheaper product. However, it’s vital to understand that not all hay is equal. Some variants can be deficient in nutrients that are essential to your horses. Unsuitable hay can also lead to lung problems, colic, and harm a horse’s well-being. Before giving hay to your horses, see to it that it’s naturally dense. It must also be free of mould and dust.

Underfeeding

This is a mistake owners commonly make with senior or working horses. Workhorses have to eat more to make up for the energy spent during the day. What’s more, senior horses usually have more digestive issues. They lead to certain types of horse feed being more difficult to digest. The result is malnutrition. To prevent this mistake, check that you have enough pasture or hay. Also, include concentrates or supplements for your ageing or working horses.

Overfeeding

This is a major problem because overfeeding horses is very easy. Such an error can result in obesity, equine metabolic syndrome, and conditions such as laminitis. To prevent it, you should limit treats. Test any hay too so you know what nutrients you must supplement into the diet. Knowing the supplements your horses need helps to stop overfeeding and over-supplementing.

Maintaining a decent diet can also be challenging when you use feeders that aren’t right for the horses. As a result, you’ll want to be sure you are using the most suitable ones to deliver the right amount of horse feed.

Water quality

Having good quality water is also important. Like with other animals, horses need free access to a decent source. The challenge though comes with ensuring they will drink it. Water needs to be the ideal temperature. If it’s too cold, that could put them off, causing impaction colic.

Ignoring dental health

Without our teeth, we couldn’t chew our food. This would impact our well-being considerably. For us humans, we have many options to guarantee that our teeth stay in good health. We can’t say the same for horses though. Not paying attention to their dental health can lead to them having trouble chewing food. It can lead to nutritional deficiencies. Therefore, horses need access to great dental care.

High quality horse feed

At JS Hubbuck Ltd, we work hard to ensure that clients have all the items they need to keep animals. This includes feeds, housing solutions, and various animal health goods. We’ll offer friendly advice and product information to ensure you choose products carefully. This way, we’ll ensure animals are healthy and happy.

So, if there’s anything we can help you with, especially horse feed, please let us know. We’re a family business and ensure you get a fantastic service every time.