Feeding Your New Horse

After paying stabling fees for your horse, feeding him is probably your next greatest cost. It is important to feed a balanced ration to keep your horse healthy and happy. Many companies try to sell fancy supplements, but it all comes down to the basics.

Horses are hind gut fermenters, meaning their basic need is for forages. Forages are provided to horses in the form of hay. As a general guideline, horses should be fed one to two pounds of hay for every 100 pounds of body weight. This amount can vary greatly depending on the activity level of your horse. The hay should be of high quality, free of mold and other debris. If your horse is involved in sporting events such as barrel racing, harness racing, steeplechase or flat track racing, you may want to feed a high protein supplement, but before doing so, check with your veterinarian.

Pastures can be another source of forage for your horse. A high quality pasture could provide for almost all of your horse's nutritional needs. About one to two acres of pasture is required for each horse.

Additional grain is necessary for growing horses and horses who exercise or perform, as stated above. Grain is usually provided in the form of crushed oats or corn with molasses. Grain is usually fed twice daily. The amount of grain should be carefully regulated so you don't upset the digestive tract of your horse. This is particularly important if your horse has not been eating a grain diet for a while. For example if your horse was in a pasture for the summer and is now being moved into the stables for the winter be careful about the amount of grain you feed him. A call to a veterinarian that is familiar with your horse should elicit the information you need.

Nutritional supplements can be offered in the form of free choice mineral blocks and salt blocks placed in the stall or pasture. Many companies try to sell fancy supplements for horses. The majority of these are not necessary and are a waste of money. Most horses can receive all the nutrition they need through a high quality forage diet. If in doubt, consult your veterinarian.

As with all animals, horses require access to fresh clean water at all times. The source of water should not be next to the hay feeder or it could become full of hay, which would prevent your horse from gaining access to the drinking water.

Some horses can have certain medical problems and need to be fed in a certain way. Also, some horses have allergies, similar to people, to hay or dust. These horses cannot have hay or be exposed to dust. So to provide forage to these horses, they need to eat fresh grass. Other horses may suffer from colic when given grain or other treats. These horses should be kept on a strict diet of forages.

By taking the time to provide your horse with a nutritious diet, you are ensuring that he will have a healthy life. Also, by providing a complete diet, you will save money by having fewer medical and veterinary bills.

Until next time,

Teia

Horse Breeds - The American Quarter Horse

The most popular horse in America today is the American Quarter horse. There are over 3 million of this breed registered and their use continues to increase. Although the Quarter horse has not been around as long as the Arabian horse, it is more popular in terms of use and ownership in America.

The Quarter horse got its name from racing quarter mile lengths in Europe. These horses were brought to America by some of the original colonists, who retained their love of racing.

Colonists would race these horses down quarter mile tracks, marked off on wagon roads or wide paths through the bush. To create these powerful racing horses, they combined the best qualities of several different breeds. Arabian or Turkish stallions were bred to English mares to produce a horse that was well muscled and close to the ground.

Cowboys, seeing the speed and agility of these horses, started using them to herd cattle. Quarter horses proved to be very agile; they could literally turn on a dime. This type of agility proved very useful to the cowboys when rounding up cattle, as they could turn and accelerate rapidly.

Nowadays, Quarter horses are used in most horse competitions. Fifty percent of all registered horses in the United States are Quarter horses. One competition they are used for is called barrel racing. Barrel racing involves a race around barrels placed at predetermined locations. This race requires the horse to turn around each barrel as close and as fast as possible. The object of the race is to get through the course in the least amount of time. An event like this, involving quick changes of direction, is a perfect event for the Quarter horse.

The American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) is the main Quarter horse association in the United States and it is the largest horse association with over 300,000 members.

A membership to the AQHA costs $40 a year, (life memberships are also available at a reduced per year cost) and gives you access to the many services the AQHA offers. Their website, http://www.aqha.com, gives a large amount of information and offers a breed registry. You can search pedigrees back through four generations using their website. All Quarter horse show dates and show results are also available on this website.

It doesn't matter whether you are an exhibitor, a racer, or a cowboy. The AQHA provides individualized service for every segment of the Quarter horse association.

The Quarter horse has proven to be one of the fastest and most agile horses in the world. If you want a horse that can turn on a dime and accelerate quickly, the American Quarter horse is the horse you should consider obtaining.

Until next time,

Teia