Feeding the right nutrients to your horse is very essential for overall health, performance, and longevity. Your horse can be a companion animal, a competition horse, or used on a farm.
A balanced diet based on the individual requirements of the horse will keep them fit. We will delve a bit deeper into what's a good horse diet, the role of supplementation, and how horses sometimes ingest insects when grazing—all that and what to do if you have insect-eating pets.
Forage in a Horse Diet
Forage forms the foundation of a horse's diet. Horses are natural grazers, and their gastrointestinal system is geared to digest grass and other fibrous plant-based foods.
Good-quality hay or pasture grass should make up the majority of their diet because they meet their fibre needs which helps keep them healthy and their gut going well and prevents problems like colic.
Forages will always maintain the activity and health of the digestive system. Since almost constant grazing is needed in the digestive system, giving your horse a good amount of forage will help keep it working properly.
Forages also provide roughage that keeps the gastrointestinal tract balanced for the horses.
Grains and Concentrates for Energy
Some horses also need grains or concentrates in addition to forage to replenish their energy requirements. Horses engaged in such active ways of life would need grains such as oats, corn, and barley for them to acquire the calculated calorie intake to enable them to perform effectively in riding, jumping, and racing.
However, some horses are not grain hogs; horses that do not have to undergo much work-would only need small amounts of grain.
Grains or concentrates must be fed only after balancing their consumption with the level of activity of the horse, age, and level of metabolism. Overfeeding grains would lead to colic and laminitis, hence great care must be taken by equine nutritionists or veterinarians in diet adjustment.
Vitamins, Minerals, and Supplements
Despite the balanced diet, horses may not get enough of the different vitamins and minerals from these forages and grains. Supplements might become crucial as a complement to keep them healthy.
Supplements can be important in horses regarding their joint health, coat condition, digestion, or general vitality, depending on the age of the horse, its level of activity, and health status.
Use a veterinarian's help to tailor the supplements to what your horse needs. Most horse owners ask how to choose the right health supplements for horses simply because there is such an overwhelming number of supplements.
A veterinarian can tell you if your horse needs joint supplements such as glucosamine, digestive supplements, or sometimes even electrolytes to rehydrate.
Grazing and Accidental Ingestion of Insects
The only time horses are thought to consume insects is probably when they are grazing on grass and occasionally swallow an insect while feeding.
Bees, ants, flies, beetles, and other small insects are frequently found in grass or hay. While eating grass, horses swallow some of these insects unknowingly. Thankfully, this "roughage" does not upset the horse's digestive system because it is a robust one and can easily handle the swallowing of insects.
If you do have other pets on the farm or in your home that feed actively on insects, including reptiles, birds, or your more exotic pets, it is worth hunting down quality feeder insects such as crickets, mealworms, and Dubia Roaches.
The Treat Market in Equine Nutrition
Like any human, horses appreciate the occasional treat. Treats are used for training purposes, as a form of positive reinforcement, or simply to shower love on your horse.
Some favourite healthy options include carrots, apples, and other horse-specific treats. While treatments are wonderful for bonding with your horse, they should be given in moderation and not replace core parts of their diet.
Select appropriate treats that are healthy for your horse and make sure to avoid over-sugared or filled with artificial additives products. Stick to natural horse-friendly nutrients, which enhance the overall nutrition without providing too much excess calorie.
Conclusion
The horse's dietary needs play a significant role in keeping the horse healthy and energetic. Its diet will consist of good quality forages, grains, supplements, and sometimes treats.
All of these will need to be regulated and altered according to the nutritional needs of the horse. Of course, while eating grass and hay, some insects may inadvertently pass through the digestive system. However, the diet should ideally consist of plant material such as grass and hay.
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