Read About Proper Horse Nutrition

Proper horse nutrition lies within the owner or caretaker of the horse. It is an important factor on the horse's life.

There are four types of feed for horses. The first type is complete feed, which consists of hay, pasture and roughage. Another type is texture sweet feed. This source consists of grains supplemented with vitamins and minerals. When using texture sweet feeds it is necessary to feed the horse hay and from the pastureland.

Pellet grain mixed feed is another type; it is concentrated grains with vitamins and minerals added. When giving a horse pellet grain mixed feed you would also need to feed it the hay, pasture and/or roughage to go with it. Supplements are added to ensure the horse receives quality vitamins, fatty acids, proteins and minerals.

General guidelines for pasture horses and also have the body weight of 1000 to 1200 pounds are as follows: Mare and foal should have 1.74 to 2.0 acres; Yearlings should have 1.5 to 2.0 acres; Weanlings should have .5 to 1 acre of pasture. If one acre per horse is owned the pasture should be used for exercise.

High quality hay is cut early in the year and can provide a lot of the nutrients for much of the mature horses, as long as mold, dust, weed, must and other foreign objects are not present in the hay. Alfalfa hay is an example of hay nigh in nutrients. A lot of the time Alfalfa is given to young horses because of the nutrients to help them in the first few years because of the natural nutrients in it. If you are worried about your hay not having enough nutritional value, you may have it analyzed to check the quality of nutrients your horse is receiving.

Water plays a large role in the nutritional aspect of the horse's life. The horse must have water available at all times and always water prior to feeding. If this is not possible the horse needs watered three times a day during the winter and six times a day during the summer. The water should be changed at least twice a day and topped off when necessary. Never allow the horse to gorge or over drink the water. This is very unhealthy for the horse. The water should not vary in temperature.

Make sure to never to overfeed or over water your horse. Remember to make sure your horse is receiving enough nutritional feed; if you feel the horse is not, have the hay analyzed. Making sure your horse has a well balanced diet it is vital to your horse's immune system and life. The best thing to do is consult your veterinarian on the best nutritional rations for your horse.