FEEDING MYTHS

FEEDING MYTHS…BUSTED   We tend to spend lots of time learning about horses. We take lessons, go to clinics, watch YouTube videos, and talk with each other. One topic that we don’t spend a lot of time researching is feeding. It’s okay to admit it- we are likely to take advice from our trainer, farrier, or riding buddy but we don’t tend to check the facts. The science of feeding horses has changed a lot over the past couple decades, but we haven’t all stayed up to date. Many of our past practices were actually detrimental to our horses. Here are some, but not all, of the most common myths we’ve all heard. Take a moment to think about each heading before you read the rest of the paragraph, and then read with an open mind. Don’t believe everything you think! Feeding protein makes a horse “hot.” Nope. Think of protein as building blocks. Feeding protein gives a horse the nutrients he needs to build and maintain muscle, bone, ligaments, and other structural parts of his body. If he is healthy and feeling good, he may have energy to burn, but it’s likely from sugars, not protein. Horses can use protein as an energy source but it’s an expensive process, metabolically speaking, for his body to do that. Too much protein isn’t good for my horse. It turns out that horses are quite efficient at excreting extra protein, and they do this by passing it in their urine. If you have a horse whose stall smells very strongly of ammonia, that is exactly what he’s doing. His body didn’t need all the protein, so it was excreted. This is a good reason to re-examine your feed choices and have your hay analyzed. If you don’t know how much protein is in your hay, how can you determine his overall protein intake? At the other extreme, consuming too little protein is a concern. A horse that isn’t eating enough protein will show a wasting of muscle structure, poor hoof integrity, and a poor coat. You will likely see a big change in his topline. Protein is vital because it builds the horse. Exercise then conditions the horse. Sweet feed makes my horse hot. Not exactly. He could be eating pellets and be just as hot. The likely reason is that he is eating more sugars and starches than he needs. Sugars and starches equal energy, and when fed in concentrated rations, can elevate a horse’s glucose level, leading to a need to release that extra energy. Horses release energy by moving- it’s what they are meant to do! But you should not swing too far the other way and try to eliminate sugars and starches. Horses need energy for basic body functions and to perform as we ask them to. The more performance we demand, the higher the level of energy they need to consume. Whether a feed is textured or pelleted isn’t the deciding factor, as some pelleted feeds contain more sugars and starches than some textured feeds. The fact that your sweet or textured feed contains molasses doesn’t mean that it contains a high level of sugar either. Gone are the days when molasses was mixed into feed; now it is sprayed on instead. To help you manage your horse’s energy level, there are feeds on the market that release carbs at a slower rate and over a longer period of time to help minimize that “sugar rush.” Horses should be on a low carb diet. Again, not exactly. This is a misunderstanding of terms. Carbs are more than just sugars and starches. Fiber also is a carbohydrate and is one of the most important parts of a horse’s diet. It should be the largest part of his diet, in fact. When we talk of a low carb diet, we are usually referring to a low NSC or non-structural carbohydrate diet, and this means sugars and starches. Low NSC diets are recommended for horses with metabolic issues, such as Cushing’s, Insulin Resistance, and Metabolic Syndrome. Remember though, he still needs NSCs for energy. You can’t cut them out completely or his body will start to use protein and burn muscle mass to fuel his movements. In a nutshell, a horse with certain metabolic issues needs a low NSC diet but not a non-NSC diet. All horses need carbs in their diet. What matters is their health, their work level, and the type of carbs you are feeding. Do your research when comparing feeds. There is no legal definition of “low NSC” or “low carb” feed, so a feed with an NSC of 20% can be promoted as low carb as can one with a measurement of 10%. When comparing feeds, always compare the numbers, not just the wording, to get a better picture. Although not all feed companies use the same methods for determining nutrient levels, it’s the best we have at present. Concentrated feeds should be the main part of a horse’s diet, with hay being secondary. FALSE! It should be the other way around. Hay and/or forage should be the largest part of your horse’s diet. The purpose of commercial or concentrated feeds is to fill in the nutritional gaps that your hay and forage can’t supply due to their composition. Again, having your hay analyzed will help you determine whether your horse needs more protein, more calories, and more vitamins and minerals. Maybe you need to add a high calorie feed, maybe you need to increase protein, maybe you just need to add a ration balancer. Since hay/forage should be the largest part of his diet, it makes sense to have it analyzed. If your horse can’t eat forages because of dental issues, you could consider a high fiber complete feed (not just a senior feed) and feed it according to recommendations on the bag. And remember…feeding as recommended means by the pound, not the coffee can. I don’t need to feed as much as