The Stable Savvy Bran Mash

There's been a great deal of debate on bran mashes. Many people feed them weekly, some just because they like spoiling their horses, others claim benefits for colic prone horses, still others say bran mashes are at best unnecessary and at worst potentially harmful.

Personally I would tend to agree with all of the above in part. Bran mashes should never be fed to young horses or pregnant/nursing mares. The phosphorus content is far too high and could potentially cause skeletal issues. But for all other horses a weekly mash is far from dangerous. Current research has dis-proven bran mashes having any laxative effect on horses, however they are an excellent way to get additional fluid into a horse, which may be beneficial to a horse who tends to colic and certainly won't hurt anything. In addition, I don't know about you, but I love to spoil and pamper horses, and most clearly love mashes.

That said, my favorite way to make bran mash:

1 1/2 Pound Bran (Approximately 3 Quarts)
1/2 Pound Rolled Oats (Approximately 1 Quart)
1 Pound Crimped Corn (Approximately 1 Quart)
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
1 Cup Molasses
1 Tablespoon Sea Salt
1 Teaspoon Lite Salt (Potassium Based)
1 Teaspoon Epsom Salt (Magnesium Based)
2 Carrots Grated/Chopped
1 Apple Grated/Chopped
Boiling Water

Mix all ingredients other than the apple and carrots together with just enough hot water to make a dough like consistency. Mix in apple and carrots once other ingredients and well mixed. If your horse gets a daily grain ration you will need to decrease your horse's normal grain ration by approximately 1-3 pounds on the day this mash is fed depending upon how rich his normal ration is.

Defending the Art of Riding

I was having a conversation with a non-horsey acquaintance a few days ago about riding. His daughter, who is seven is horse crazy and is hoping Santa will bring her a pony. This is not likely to happen, but his wife had been thinking about maybe looking into a horseback riding summer camp next summer or maybe some lessons. My acquaintance thinks the idea of taking riding lessons is absolutely ridiculous. After all he says "I've been on a horse, who needs lessons to sit on a horse?"

While I will allow that with the exception of some therapeutic situations anyone can sit on a horse and be packed around at a walk and think they are pretty hot stuff, I also know that the kind of riding practice and the standard to which I aspire requires far more than simply sitting there like you would upon a sofa.

As I tried to explain to the gentleman with whom I was having this discussion, riding well is an art something akin to the performance of a ballerina. Yes anyone can put on tights and a tutu and go skipping about the floor. Some will probably be naturally talented enough to avoid seriously embarrassing themselves; but professional dancers have spent many years in lessons and countless hours of practice perfecting the skills necessary to execute the awe inspiring display of athleticism and artistry that is witnessed in a professional ballet company.

I referred him to several online videos and asked him to see what he thought about the need for lessons after he witnessed not just someone sitting on a horse, but someone riding well. The videos I gave him are as follows:

WEG 2006 Dressage Freestyle - Andreas Helgstrand
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKQgTiqhPbw&feature=player_detailpage

WEG 2010 Dressage Freestyle - Edward Gal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8zWMDb5pQk&feature=player_detailpage

Rolex 2007 Cross Country - Karen O'Conner
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=l1eiBcINTF4

Freestyle Bareback & Bridle Free Reining - Stacy Westfall
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=acCFvBubQ-Q

Spanish Riding School
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Pn6Jmqs9IHQ

Polo Match
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Mb0ioBw6Yds

WEG 2010 Jumping Finals - Hickstead (horse, various riders)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=oD13PLawec8

My question for you is this: have you had similar discussions with non-horse people? Do you have other videos that are your favorite "this is what riding really is" videos? How else have you defended the art of riding?

How Much Does History Matter?

I had a conversation a while back with someone about the past behavioral history of a particular horse. It made me think about how much history should matter when we decide what horses are appropriate for what riders and what settings.

Behavioral history is often a deciding factor in what use a particular horse is put to. In some cases it can be the difference between a horse who removed from their herd to be sold or unfortunately even abandoned or euthanized. We assume that if a horse has demonstrated negative or dangerous behavior that they will reliably demonstrate similar behaviors again. This makes good logical sense, but I think we often forget to take into account the personalities and motivations of the horse involved and the particulars of the situations in which the previously demonstrated unwanted behavior occurred.

Horses are intelligent creatures who have their own personalities, motivations and ideas. Work with enough horses and eventually you will find a few that don't like you and you don't like them. These horses will go out of their way to test your limits, and only do as you ask begrudgingly at best. Yet they may be another person's favorite horse. Likewise you will probably find a few horses that you work exceptionally well with. Horses that will give you 125%, but may not give someone else the time of day. Sometimes I think we end up writing off horses as having "behavioral problems" when they simply have a personality conflict with a particular rider or handler.

Or perhaps the environment is to blame. Some horses due to past experiences or personality quirks are simply not reliable in a given setting. I knew one mare that hated arena work and would buck, kick, lie down and roll, bite and generally make life difficult for anyone who took her into an arena. Anyone who saw her only in an arena setting would likely label her as "dangerous or advanced rider only." But she was a completely different horse on the trail. She quickly became everyone's favorite when it came time to take the newbie riders out on the trail. She never spooked, never bolted, would do everything she was asked, and never showed the smallest sign of being barn sour or herd bound. Likewise I knew a fabulous lesson horse who was an angel in any arena environment. He was as bombproof as they come and perfectly content to go nicely along even for a beginning rider. He was the kind of horse that took care of his rider and made his rider look far more capable than they were. Take him out on the trail however, and you were in for a nightmare. He would jig the whole way out and back, panic and bolt for no apparent reason, and call for the other horses constantly even if half the rest of the herd including his best friends were already right beside him. If you had only seen him on the trail you might call him "spooky" or "nervous" but he only demonstrated that behavior on the trail.

My point is that just because a horse has bitten, kicked, or dumped someone in the past doesn't necessarily mean that every interaction they have with humans is doomed to end badly. Horses are by their very nature dangerous to be around. We minimize those dangers through careful management and mindfulness of each horse's individual personality and limits. Writing off the use of a particular horse due to a handful of bad experiences, half of which you may not know all of the particulars about does not necessarily do anyone any favors. It may in fact deny the horse and future riders and handlers some very valuable experiences.

Joke: If Horses Could Change Lightbulbs

THOROUGHBRED: Who ME?? Do WHAT? I'm scared of light bulbs! I'm outta here!

ARABIAN: Someone else do it. It might get my silky mane dirty and besides, who's gonna read me the instructions?

QUARTER HORSE: Oh for Pete's Sake, give me the damn bulb and let's be done with it.

SHETLAND: Give it to me. I'll kill it and we won't have to worry about it anymore.

FRIESIAN: I would, but I can't see where I'm going from behind all this hair.

BELGIAN: Put the Shetland on my back, maybe he can reach it then.

WARMBLOOD: Doesn't anyone realize that I was sold for $75K as a yearling, but only because my hocks are bad, otherwise I would be worth $100K? I am NOT changing lightbulbs. I will delegate the changing of the lightbulb to my personal groom after he finishes shampooing my mane and cleaning my saddle.

MORGAN: Me! Me! Me! Pleeease let me! I wanna do it! I'm gonna do it! I know how, really I do! Just watch! I'll even rewire the barn afterward.

APPALOOSA: Ya'll are a bunch of losers. We don't need to change the lightbulb, I ain't scared of the dark. And someone make that damn Morgan stop jumping up and down before I double barrel him.

HAFLINGER: That thing I ate was a lightbulb?

MUSTANG: Lightbulb? Let’s go on a trail ride, instead. And camp. Out in the open like REAL horses.

LIPIZANNER: Hah, amateurs. I will change the lightbulb. Not only that, but I will do it while standing on my hind legs and balancing it on my nose, after which I will perform seven one tempis and a capriole. Can you do that? Huh? Huh? Didn’t think so.

MINIATURE: I bet you think I can’t do it just cause I’m small. You know what that is? It’s sizeism!

PAINT: Put all the lightbulbs in a pen, tell me which one you want, and my owner will bet you twenty bucks I can get it before the quarter horse.

POA: I’m not changing it. I’m the one who kicked the old one and broke it in the first place, remember? Now, excuse me, I have a grain room to break into.

PERCHERON: Guys? Um, guys? I hope you don’t mind, but while you were all arguing I went ahead and changed it. Then I changed all the other light bulbs in the barn so I don't have to hear you all whine about it for a while.

Top 10 Reasons I Am Thankful For Horses

Today is Thanksgiving and I have so many things to be truly thankful for, not the least of which is the horses in my life. So after watching David Letterman the other night (love his top 10 lists) I sat down and made a list of why I am so thankful for horses (in no particular order).

1. They constantly show us that it isn't how big you are on the outside, it is how big you are on the inside that counts. Yes, ponies can be very naughty and trying to one's patience; but they never cease to amaze me with the huge size of their personalities, their bravery, and their sheer determination.
2. They remind me to be present in each moment. To lay my worries at the barn door, and simply experience each moment with them. Horses have pasts and futures, and while they remember their pasts, and act to influence their immediate futures, they do not get stuck in either as we humans do. Horses simply are what they are in the present moment.
3. They inspire me to believe in the impossible even when the world gets me down. In those moments when I ride and the horse and I achieve perfect harmony, if only for a few moments, everything in the world becomes perfect, and it is entirely possible to fly.
4. They never lie, and they never manipulate. With horses, what you see is what you get. In a world full of people with endless agendas who will say and do anything to further those agendas it is refreshing to deal with creatures who will always be honest with you. That doesn't mean that you'll like what they think or "say," but at least you're never left trying to read between the lines.
5. They have the ability to heal wounds no human can. From many years of involvement in therapeutic horseback riding, hippotherapy, and equine assisted psych I have gathered probably a hundred stories of the awesome power horses have to heal. Whether it is a troubled teen who finally found the difference between agressiveness and assertiveness with a horse; the ten year old autistic child who had never spoken saying "horse" clear as a bell after a summer of riding lessons; or perhaps the child with spina bifida who could not stand or walk gaining the strength and balance to start doing so on the back of a horse; the stories are many and varied. One thing however is clear, horses simply by being horses have the ability to help heal what we humans have failed to.
6. Horses constantly teach us the meaning of patience. Trying to rush a horse through a learning experience is like trying to stop a tsunami. If you loose your temper you might as well go home, because you are likely to make things worse rather than better.
7. Horses judge based only on what really matters. They don't care if you are wearing perfectly polished dress boots, or a beat up pair of sneakers if you're a dependable leader and caretaker. They don't care if their pasture mates are shetland ponies or percherons or if they are bay, black, grey, or chestnut. As long as everyone can find their place in the heard and play by the rules, they are content.
8. I will never grow bored of the paradoxical nature of horses. They are incredibly strong and fast, but they are also amazingly graceful, and capable of great gentleness. They tend to be cautious, but can also exhibit great bravery under the right circumstances.
9. Horses don't understand love the way we do, but they understand something far more powerful: trust and respect. We don't know if a horse loves their human, or if that would be sufficient motivation for them to do as the human asked. But we do know that if you gain a horse's trust and respect and give him the same and you will have a lifelong partner you can always depend upon.
10. Horses never think they are too old, too beautiful, too important, or too busy to play. Whether they go roll in the mud, see how far they can fling the nearest bucket, or race the gathering storm around the field, horses do what feels good. They don't get self conscious or inhibited about a little harmless fun. We humans could stand to learn something from them.
    

The Perfect Winter Equestrian Wardrobe

The weather is colder, and as I sit here typing this, it is raining outside. Time to start hauling all the winter clothes out of storage. My winter stuff is mostly layers. I tend to be one of those people who run hot and cold, so adjustability is always top on my list.

Several years ago I saw a list entitled something along the lines of "100 Must Have Items for the Perfect Wardrobe" in one of the fashion magazines...I want to say it was in Glamour but I may be wrong. Their list was all fine and good, but decidedly disfunctional for those of us who would rather be in the barn than anywhere else. In reality we all end up having two wardrobes, one for horse stuff, one for the rest of our lives. So, for kicks and giggles I put together my own versions of the list; one for fall/winter, one for spring/summer. So, for everyone's interest, my fall/winter list, based on the weather in Utah and being at the barn 7 days a week, riding 5 of those days on average (57 items for those counting).

• 14 pairs wool or other warm tall boot socks. (Extras are good in case of holes, boot leaks, etc.)
  
• 7 sets moisture wicking long underwear. (Seriously, great investment, don't leave the house without it.)
  
• 7 long sleeve tees/turtle necks.
• 2 hooded sweatshirts (One to wash, one to wear).
  
• 1 quilted vest.
• 1 insulated jacket.
• 1 uninsulated, hooded, waterproof rain/wind protective coat (AKA a shell).
  
• 5 pairs fleece lined riding tights.
• 2 pairs jeans/cargos/windpants for non riding days.
• 1 pair uninsulated waterproof rain/wind protective over pants.
• 1 set sweatpants & sweatshirt. (Stashed in car or bottom of tack trunk for the inevitable "I didn't know I could get this filthy/soaked" moments we all run into occasionally.)
  
• 2 pairs inexpensive thin knit gloves. (AKA magic gloves; great alone for grooming/tacking, or as additional warmth under work gloves.)
• 1 pair insulated work gloves.
  
• 1 pair fleece lined riding gloves. (I'm not big on the super insulated ones. Too much interference with my rein aids.)
  
• 1 pair fingerless knit/fleece gloves. (Great over riding gloves or magic gloves for extra insulation without loss of finger mobility on really frosty days.)
  
• 1 knit/fleece headbands or beanies.
• 2 bandanas. (Tied over hair help prevent helmet/hat/windblown hair and add lightweight head/ear insulation.)
  
• 1 knit/fleece neck gaiter/balaclava.
  
• 1 pair insulated, waterproof tall riding boots.
• 1 pair absolutely waterproof uninsulated tall rubber muck boots. (AKA wellies. Uninsulated ones are just as waterproof, cheaper, and give you flexibility for use during warmer months.)
• 1 pair fleece/quilted liners for tall rubber muck boots.
• 1 pair fleece/heat reflecting insoles for tall rubber muck boots.
• Good schooling helmet...of course safety comes first.
• Metal super grippy "cheese grater" style stirrup pads. (Okay, not really a wardrobe item, but rubber ones get slick when boots get muddy. These pads don't, and I prefer to not have to chase my stirrups around all winter.)
  

The Grooming Challenge That Is Mud

The good news is the stifling heat and insect swarms are over. The bad news is the mud is coming, and the temperatures are falling. Some ideas on tackling mud:

• Seasonal Grooming Tools My go to tools for mud removal: a metal curry (shedding ring), a pair of jelly scrubbers (one for each hand), and a long bristled flick brush. Once the mud dries I use a metal curry to scrape it from the hair of the horse's neck and body, then I'll put a jelly scrubber on each hand and rub the mud off face (smaller soft nub side) and legs (larger nub side). It is amazing how fast it goes when you can get both hands after it. Then a flick brush makes quick work of getting all the dusty remains off your horse.
  
• Tail Protection Keep that lovely tail either in a bag or a mud knot to keep the mud from turning it into a mudsicle.
• Trim Those Feathers Unless your horse's breed requires feathers to be preserved, you'll have much better luck keeping his legs clean and dry if you keep them trimmed short.
  
• Buy A Box of Rags Auto parts or home improvement stores will often have boxes of around 50 small, single layer terrycloth towels. These are affordable and are great for a million barn related chores, including scrubbing off mud. They are meant to be used and tossed, but can be washed a couple times to get more use out of them.
• Come Up With A Hot Water Source Sometimes there just really isn't a good substitute for even a small bucket of hot water. If you aren't one of the lucky few that have hot running water in the barn, try an immersion heater, or my favorite trick and old coffee pot. This was one of the coolest things anyone ever taught me. A twelve cup coffee pot can be purchased new or used quite cheaply. All you have to do is fill the resevoir with water and run it as you would if you were making coffee, but without the filter or grounds. It will heat the water hotter and faster than most immersion heaters. I've found that one full pot is ready in about 20 minutes and can be mixed half and half with cold tap water in an 8qt bucket to make just enough nice warm bath water to scrub off muddy legs. The coffee pot trick also works nicely for hot winter bran mashes.
  

To Clip Or Not To Clip...That Is The Question

In a few short weeks our horses will begin to get fuzzy as winter coats start to come in. We will all have the inevitable decision to make: to clip or to let it grow, and if we decide to clip and/or trim how much will we take off?

The answers to these questions will differ from horse to horse and rider to rider. A clipped horse will be less likely to sweat profusely, and what sweating he does do will dry more rapidly. Strategic trimming can also help his tack fit better, keep him cleaner, and possibly avoid skin conditions caused by the mud associated with the late fall and early spring. However an unclipped and untrimmed horse will be perfectly happy with no further protection than a good run in shed to keep the snow off and blunt the worst of the icy blasts. A clipped horse may need to be brought indoors at night and during stormy weather or cold snaps and will probably require round the clock blanketing of one kind or another. So it is all about finding the ideal balance for you and your horse.

Unless you plan to put your horse out to pasture for most of the winter and work him infrequently and not to the point where he will sweat you will probably need to do some clipping. On the other hand, unless you plan to train hard for more than an hour a day seven days a week and live in a fairly moderate climate you are unlikely to need to pull off a drastic clipping job. Most horse's winter time schedules fall somewhere in the middle. Trace clips and blanket clips often fit the bill well for these horses.

A true blanket clip includes clipping the horse's head, neck, shoulders and belly leaving a large patch over the back and haunches in the shape of an exercise or quarter sheet and the legs unclipped. Often the lower legs are also trimmed slightly to help keep them clean.

A trace clip, originally used for carriage horses traditionally includes clipping the head, and the lower half of the neck and body including the belly. Again, often the legs are trimmed to help with cleanliness. I like the additional coverage in this clip to the muscles of the neck and shoulder that are not protected by a blanket clip.

I've also often seen a modified low trace clip that only clips a narrow (4-6") path just under the jaw and down the underside of the neck, the front of the chest, between the front legs, and a wider (12-18") path down the belly. These are the areas that get the hottest the fastest, so it is a functional minimalist clip for horses that spend a great deal of time outside and will work sporadically and lightly through the winter. Even if you do not clip, you may choose to trim for many reasons. For example, trimming a bridle path and the longest whiskers under your horse's throat will help his bridle fit better. Trimming his feathers can help keep his lower legs clean and dry.

Whatever you choose to do, try these three great clipping and trimming tips:

1) Start with clean clippers and sharp blades. When was the last time the blades were sharpened? When was the last time you took the blades off and brushed all the sneaky hidden hairs out of the clippers themselves? Dull blades and hair choked motors will cause horse irritating noise, uneven (ugly) cutting, clippers that overheat and burn within minutes, and undue wear on your clippers.

2) Spray lubricants are great, but they don't remove hair buildup effectively. One of the best tips I ever got was to keep an old coffee can or sturdy plastic pan of liquid blade wash within arm's reach. Immerse the blades only while the clippers are still running when your clippers begin to get warm or between sections of the clip. This is the most efficient way to avoid hair build-up and cool your blades.

3) No mater how mad your clipping skills are, don't forget to draw out your clip with chalk (or charcoal on a grey horse) first. The last thing you want is a horribly lopsided clipping job. I've gotten lazy and made this mistake myself. The old adage "measure twice cut once" is appropriate here. Make sure your horse is standing square on level ground and then check your lines carefully from all angles before you start cutting and you're much less likely to have "fixing" to do later, which is aggravating for both you and your horse.

Fall Is Here, Winter Is Coming, Time To Think About Blankets

We've survived another year of bugs, heat, and general summer misery. We're into cooler weather now which is so much nicer for our horses and ourselves. It also means that winter is coming before too long, so now is the time to prepare. One item on the fall to do list of most horse owners is a thorough inventory of our horses' winter wardrobes.

Our first concern is if we have all the necessary pieces available. What is necessary differs from horse to horse and climate to climate. If you live somewhere warm you may need nothing but a turnout sheet for rainy days. If you live somewhere very cold, you'll probably want lots of insulation. If your horse isn't clipped he may not need any blanketing at all if he has access to good shelter. On the other hand, if you plan to clip him extensively he will need coverage. My dream wardrobe for a horse living in a moderately cold climate, with a substantial clipping job and with regular turnout year round? Lots of layers. I stay more comfortable with a wardrobe of layers, I know my horses will as well. Rather than buy a heavy turnout blanket I would prefer to buy 4-6 lighter blankets.

1. A waterproof breathable turnout sheet. This is your outer most layer. It is easy to hose clean when it gets dirty, will keep your horse clean and his under layers dry and warm.
   
2. A quilted stable blanket (weight depending on climate and how extensively your horse will be clipped). This is your insulating middle layer. These are a pain to wash, but if you keep it sandwiched between the turnout sheet and a fleece or knit liner you probably won't need to launder it at all this winter.
3. At least 1 polar fleece cooler/liner, though I prefer to have 2-3 (one to wear and one to air or launder). These are your base layer next to your horses' skin. On warmer days these will be insulation enough under the turnout sheet. On colder days they keep your quilted blanket clean and add additional warmth. They also double as your cooler after exercise or a hot towel bath. The best part about these as a base layer is that they wash easily and dry quickly. Keeping liners clean and dry is the best thing we can do to prevent skin and coat issues from blanketing.
   
4. At least 1 knit anti-sweat sheet/liner, again I would prefer to have 2-3. These are another base layer. They offer less warmth but better moisture wicking and breathability than the fleece. They can be used directly under the turnout sheet for wet spring or fall days. For turnout this may be preferable to the fleece because it will help dry a horse who has been running around playing. On a really cold day you can put one under the other three layers to trap additional warm air next to your horse's skin. Again they can be used as a lightweight cooler after exercise or a bath. In really cold weather you can progressively cool out your horse by first covering him with an anti-sweat, then as he continues to cool you can put a fleece one over it. Like the fleece ones these are easy to wash, which helps keep our horses' skin happy.

After we've collected everything we need to of course make sure that it is clean, in good repair, and fits properly. Ideally we took care of all of this last spring before we put things away for the summer. But for those of us who procrastinated...we're running out of time and need to get a move on.

Feeding Guidelines That Really Work Part 5 of 5

Guideline 7: Invest In Good Feeders

Good feeder prevent injuy to your horse, keep his food clean to avoid sand colic, and reduce waste to keep your feed bill affordable. What I like:

• For Hay: Tarter Hay Baskets hold a bunch of hay. They are sturdy, with no gaps likely to trap feet or heads, and easy to clean. They are also ground height. Horses are meant to eat with their heads down. It is better for their lungs. The full basket would be great for a small group of horses fed hay in a coral or pasture. It would easily hold an entire 50 pound bale. They also make a half size basket and a quarter size basket. I could easily see mounting a quarter basket in a stall. Check out the baskets at www.tarterfarmandranch.com

• For Grain: I love the good old fashioned rubber feed pans. They won't shatter into sharp pieces if stepped on, they can be easily cleaned and they alow the horse to eat with his head down. For the naughty ponies that like to throw theirs? Find a big rock or brick, scrub it carefully, put it in the middle of the pan and put the feed around it. It won't stop a determined pan thrower, but for those who seem to do so mostly out of excitement it works great. It also slows down feed bolters.

• Great Budget Combo Feeder: Small rubber feed troughs around 30-50 gallons are great combo feeders. Safe and cleanable. Also encourages horses to browse to find all the grain in the bottom with the hay on top.

Guideline 8: Fat is your friend.

Grains and mixed feeds get most of their calorie content from carbohydrates. These are great performance fuel for horses in their prime putting in an hour or more of moderate to intense work per day. But what about the 18 year old schooling pony? Or the OTTB in retraining?

Carbohydrates can trigger laminitis (founder) in many horses, particularly older horses; and contribute to hyperactivity and other behavioral issues in many younger horses. If the rest of the ration is balanced and the horse still needs more calories, adding additional carbohydrates is not always the best option. Protein is another calorie source, but we have to remember that horses are herbivores, there is a limit to the amount of protein their bodies can cope with. High protein diets fed over long periods can cause liver and kidney problems.

A safer and well tolerated calorie source is vegetable oil. Amounts up to 2 cups a day per 1000 lbs of ideal body weight can add valuable calories and fatty acids to horses who need a little boost to their condition without the founder and hyperactivity that can result from carbohydrates.

Guideline 9: Simplify your supplements.

We as horse owners have become addicted to the concept of adding those expensive powders, pellets, and potions to our horses' feed. I'm not saying supplements can't do amazing things for our horses. But some of us have gone overboard. Do your research and supplement based on known problems. Some guidelines I use:

• General Vitamins/Minerals: If your horse is getting good quality hay and the manufacturer recommended minimum of a mixed or pelleted feed your horse definitiely does not need a multivitamin/mineral product. If your horse is not getting these, then he may benefit from a supplement.

• The young horse (under 5): I wouldn't worry about supplements. Adding things at this point is more likely to throw the horse's diet out of balance than to help him. The only thing I would consider outside of something that has been recommended by your vet/farrier to treat a specific problem would be calcium if it is needed to adjust the calcium/phosphous balance of the diet. In young horses this should be 2:1 for proper bone growth.

• The adult horse (5-15 years old) in training/showing: I would potentially look at putting this horse on an anti-oxidant supplement. Anti-oxidants (Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium) help to slow the aging process by helping the body repair damage. This is well proven in people and animals. If the horse has issues with weak hooves you might consider a biotin supplement. If his hair or skin could use a little more shine I'd add some olive oil to his feed (see guideline 8). The only other thing I would consider is a Calcium supplement if the Calcium/Phosphorus balance of his diet were undesireable. I wouldn't waste my money on additional supplements for this horse. They are unlikely to help in anyway and could even add up to a toxic dose.

• The older horse (15+ years old): Now is the time to start looking at joint supplements. Most horses this age are starting to slow down a little and get a bit creaky. Chondroitin sulfates and glucosamines are amazing, but are better at slowing down the progress of joint issues than reversing them. So add them when the horse first starts being stiff/off, not when the horse is obviously lame. I would also continue the anti-oxidants and all others from above. Again, I wouldn't waste my money unless I was using a supplement to treat a specific condition.

Guideline 10: Remember to Reassess

Feeding horses is as much an art as a science. What works for one horse doesn't necessarily work for another. What works for one horse one season won't necessarily work the next. So even after we've done our best research and planned the optimal feed programs, we aren't done. We have to continue to watch our horses. Has their actual weight changed from the month before? Is it higher or lower than their ideal weight? Are they lacking for energy? Or are they bouncing off the walls? Have they colicked or foundered? Are we expecting an increase or decrease in their caloric requirements in the month ahead? Any of these things could be a good reason to go back and reassess a horse's feed program.

Feeding Guidelines That Really Work Part 4 of 5

Guideline 5: Roughage Is A Must, Type Is Flexible

While we would all ideally love to feed our horses perfect, leafy grass hay, such hay is getting more difficult to find and more expensive to buy every day. This is less of an issue if you have a 300 pound pony who needs 6 pounds a day. If you have a 1300 pound warmblood who needs 26 pounds a day, you're in for a headache or two.

Alfalfa hay/cubes/pellets, chopped oat straw, beet pulp, and bran are also roughages that can be used to supplement your horse's grass hay and concentrates to ensure that your horse gets enough bulk in his diet without breaking your pocket book. We as horse people simply have to be aware of the issues involved in each.

• Alfalfa hay and products made from it are well tolerated by most horses, provided they are slowly weaned onto it. It is also not acceptable as an unlimited feed for anything other than perhaps pregnant/lactating mares or horses under 2 years of age. Be aware that Alfalfa is much higher in protein and carbohydrate than Grass so you will need to adjust your horse's diet accordingly and it may not be acceptable for horses that are prone to founder. Also, alfalfa cubes have been linked to choke in some cases, so you may want to soak them in water first if your horse has choked in the past or if your horse has a tendency to bolt his feed.

• Beet pulp must be soaked prior to feeding because it absorbs water and expands as it does so. If a horse eats a large amount of dry beet pulp he will colic as a result. The plain pulp must be soaked in an equal volume of water until all water is absorbed, the pelleted kind must be soaked in 3 times the volume of water. It usually takes about 2 hours to soak beet pulp so plan ahead.

• Bran is high is phosphorus, so its feeding should be avoided in horses under two years of age, and in pregnant/lactating mares. Even then I would avoid feeding it in amounts greater than 1% of the daily diet unless you have calculated the calcium/phosphorus balance of the proposed diet and supplemented accordingly.

• Chopped Oat Straw (Chaff) is a commonly used forage in Europe, but sadly nearly impossible to find in the United States. Long stem straw straight out of a bale shouldn't be fed to horses as it has been linked to impaction colics. But chopped straw is a different story. If you can find it, without the mollasses coating, it is a great fiber addition to your horse's diet that adds very few calories and very little starch. I've also heard of pelleted hay products that contain straw, and these would likely be similar.
  

Guideline 6: Keep It Clean

We wouldn't eat off dirty plates or cook in a filthy kitchen, but often we seem to think our horse's don't care. Dirty feed rooms and filthy buckets do nothing but attract rodents and bugs. I'm not saying we ought to run our horses' feed buckets through the dishwasher or scrub the feed room floor with bleach (though that'd be really thorough). But a little soap and water goes a long way.

• Feed & Water Buckets: One thing that has worked for me in the past is to keep a small bottle of dish detergent and a bucket scrub brush hooked next to the hydrant closest to the feed storage. Then before I put fresh feed in the bucket I give it a quick scrub. For slimy water buckets try scrubbing with a splash of chlorine bleach. Just rinse extra carefully...and avoid wearing your best breaches when you do this (been there).

• Immobile Stall Feeders: Personally I loathe these, almost entirely because they are a chore to clean. Best method I've found? Get a wet dry vaccume. Vaccume out all the dust and dirt while the feeder is dry, then add a spot of soap and a cup or so of water and scrub away. Vaccume out the dirty water, add clean water and scrub again. Rinse and repeat until clean. Takes forever, and you'll never get them as clean as you would a bucket, but it's better than nothing.
  

• Feed Room: I've never been really together on cleaning, but what has worked for me is when I buy new grain, the bin gets dumped and the feed room floor gets swept. Then at least the floor doesn't build up too much filth, and the old feed dust doesn't spoil the new feed.

Feeding Guidelines That Really Work Part 3 of 5

Guideline 4: Understand the usefulness and drawbacks of mixed and pelleted feeds.

Mixed and pelleted feeds are often vitamin/mineral supplemented. This is a good and a bad thing. The good thing is that if fed according to the directions, they can save you money by providing balanced nutritional supplementation without the need for an additional supplement. The bad thing is when they are fed in quantities never intended by the manufacturer or the horse owner feels compelled to add an additional vitamin/mineral supplement to the already supplemented feed.

First of all the over-supplementation issue: Some is good, more is not always better. Read labels closely and discuss possible interactions with your vet before adding additional supplements that contain the same vitamins/minerals as your feed if your horse is already on a supplemented grain.

Second the amount fed issue: This is where choosing the right feed is important. Many feeds require about 3 lbs to be fed in order for your horse to get the full vitamin/mineral dose. If your horse will keep weight and maintain energy on less than this (or whatever the recommendation is) then you are effectively throwing money down the drain by paying for supplements your horse isn't getting. So choose feeds with care. You want to be able to feed the full amount to take advantage of the supplementation without extra weight gain or hyperactivity.

For the easy keepers that don't need 3 lbs of concentrates, you might assess why you want to give them grain in the first place. Not every horse needs grain; if your horse is in good health, recieves good quality forage and has no need for specialty supplements or medications, then perhaps you should put the bucket away. But sometimes there is a logical reason to find something you can put in that bucket without all the extra calories.

Maybe your hay is stemmy and otherwise less than ideal because of a bad drought in your area last year and you want to get a general vitamin/mineral supplement down him to help offset the poor hay. Maybe you have an older semi-retired school master who needs grain in which to hide the daily joint supplement and gram of powdered bute that keep him sound. Or maybe you have the one horse in the barn that doesn't get grain and he gets so distressed at feeding time from “bucket envy” you are worried he's going to injure himself.

In all these cases, finding something that you can put in that bucket may be the best solution. If you like the prepackaged and presupplemented convenience of mixed grains or pellets then try one of the newer products on the market meant for the easy keepers. Products like these are meant to be fed in the 1 pound kind of quantity and still give the horse all his vitamins/minerals without all the extra calories. Purina makes a line of these called under the name Enrich. As with all prepackaged feeds, please read and follow the directions on the package.

If you are more the DIY type, try my recipe below.

Lindsey's Daily Vitamin Mash:

1/2 Cup Mollasses (Can reduce or omit for founder prone horses.)

1/2 Cup Olive Oil

1 Dose Vitamin/Mineral Supplement of Your Choice

Specialty Supplements or Medications As Needed

1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt

1/4 Pound (Approximately 1/2 Quart) Bran

1/4 Pound (Approximately 1/2 Quart) Rolled Oats

Add ingredients to feed bucket in order, stirring constantly, adding just a little water if necessary to form a stiff mash.

Feeding Guidelines That Really Work Part 2 of 5

Guideline 2: Never drop below 2%

The old standard has always been that your horse should be eating at least 1-3% of his body weight in food every day. I use 2-4% from personal experience because I believe strongly that horses without enough bulk to their diets are more prone to colic, ulcers, and behavioral issues like stable vices. Horses are physically and mentally intended to eat for most of the day. The more overall material we can give them, the better.

While sometimes 1% is necessary for founder prone easy keepers, I would rather try to cut calories and starches by making swaps in what they were eating than to cut the overall amount first. Seriously, have you ever tried to put a 1000 pound horse on a 10 pound a day feed plan? Trust me, it isn't pretty. You end up with a horse that is convinced they are starving and will likely start stall kicking or other undesireable behavior, which is likely to give you a bad case of rattled nerves. So, unless you have made all the swaps you can, and you absolutely must restrict intake further, I would stick with 2% or more.

I should say, that before calculating your 2%, you will need to remember that we need 2% of the horse's ideal weight, not their actual weight if there is a difference. This means that you will need to add or subtract approximately 50 lbs from your horse's actual weight for every BCS score other than 5. This is why it is necessary to know both those numbers. So if your horse's actual weight is 1250 pounds and his BCS is a 7, you will want to do your 2% calculation based on 1150 pounds (1150 = 1250 Actual Weight - 50 (BCS of 7 to BCS of 6) - 50 (BCS of 6 to BCS of 5)) When you calculate 2% a small 800 pound horse would need at least 16 pounds of total feed daily while a larger 1300 pound warmblood would need 26 pounds of total feed daily.

Guideline 3: Never more than 40% concentrates.

Research has shown time and time again that horses whose rations are 40% or more concentrates (grain, mixed and/or pelleted feeds) are much more likely to suffer from colic, ulcers, and behavioral issues. So after you do your 2% total feed calculation, take 40% of that, and make sure your concentrates never exceed that number. You will keep your horse physically and mentally healthier, and avoid wasting your money.

Feeding Guidelines That Really Work Part 1 of 5

Guideline 1: Stop guessing.

Do you know your horse's weight? What about his body condition score (BCS)? Do you know in pounds, rather than in quarts, flakes, or (gasp) scoops how much your horse is fed every day? You should, because accuracy is half the battle to ensuring your horse gets what he needs.

Know his real weight. While it would be nice if we all had access to platform scales that we could get perfect weights on all our horses say monthly, that isn't a reasonable option for all of us. What is reasonable is to mosey down to the tack shop and get yourself a weight tape. Check your horse's weight monthly. Not only will this help you accurately determine what he should be fed, it will be invaluable information when it comes time to deworm or medicate him.

Know his BCS. The BCS (Body Condition Score) is used as a way to describe how thin or fat a horse is in a standardized way. Pretty much anyone can obviously figure out that a horse is too thin if he scores a 1, and that he's too fat if he scores a 9. But sometimes we manage to lie to ourselves when it comes to deciding if our horse is just a little over or under weight. Using the BCS method helps take your emotions out of it and guide you to a more realistic assessment of your horse's condition. The BCS can be found at: http://www.thehorse.com/pdf/nutrition/bcs.pdf

Know how much you are feeding. Flakes, scoops, cans, quarts, armfuls, we use a lot of generalized measurements to describe how much we feed our horses. These work fine if you are aware of how much those measurements really are, but one person's scoop may not be the same size as someone else's, one flake of hay may be larger or smaller depending on the bale of hay and the person flaking it. Ideally you'd have a scale in your feed room and you would weigh absolutely all your horse's hay and grain. At the very least you should weigh each component of a new ration so that you know how many of your scoops or flakes make the necessary number of pounds. For example: If you get in a new load of hay, weigh a flake of it. If you have calculated that your horse needs 10 pounds of hay at each feeding, and your find out that your hay weighs 5 lbs per flake, then two flakes is great. But what about if you get a load of hay that only weighs 3 lbs per flake? If you don't check the weight and adjust accordingly, you might end up effectively cutting your horse's hay intake in half. Another example: If you switch pelleted feeds and your old feed was 1 quart per pound but your new feed is 3/4 quart per pound you could end up over feeding. If someone else feeds your horse(s), weigh/measure/flake with them so that you both agree on what the flake/scoop amounts should be on a day to day basis.

Can we get rid of horse feeding extremism please?

Many modern horse owners seem to fall into one of two extremist categories when it comes to horse feed. The first category seems to be those who have embraced the natural horse keeping ideal of unlimited pasture or grass hay and nothing else. Or they go buy a bag of mixed feed and feed a bucketful in the morning and a bucketful at night with a couple flakes of hay thrown in just for good measure.

Both will work fine in some cases for some horses. But lately I have run into several horse owners who refuse to deviate from their chosen extreme even when they are aware that it is not working for their horses. Not all horses are the same, not all situations are the same. If it works for the other 8 horses in the barn it doesn't mean it will work for your horse. If you expect to take good care of your horses you must be willing to change tactics when what you are doing isn't working. You also must be willing to do your research to find optimal solutions instead of just what is easy.