Questions & Answers with Dr. Bray
Dr. Robert E. Bray, Star Milling’s Consulting Equine Nutritionist
(Permission granted for the reprinting of this material from REBray’s Equine Nutritional Management© manual for the 2012 Star Milling website)
Questions answered on this page:
• I feed Integrity horse/senior to my 20yr old Arabian and 4 yr old Icelandic horses. I have measured and weighted out the proper amounts according to your recommendations. I have been feeding Integrity for about 2+ years, and LOVE it! I feed a flake of grass hay morning and night and give them Integrity for lunch. My question is...I read that I should be splitting up the amount in 2 different feedings. Is this correct? Or should I continue feeing the way I am? I always thought I was doing it correctly until I read in Equus magazine and they said I should be feeding it in split amounts. Now I'm confused.
• I have contacted you before and appreciated your prompt answer. Now I have another question. I have an old mare who has dental problems ..soon to be addressed next month. She is on integrity and the vet told me to keep her off of all grass and alfalfa hay due to the fact she sounded impacted at the vet call. Is Integrity all right for the time being without any foliage added?
• I am going to do a thru-ride of the Pacific Crest Trail starting in April of 2013. I have a 1250 lb horse and an 800 lb mule. The conditions of our ride are: 2,650 miles over 5-6 months, temperature changes of freezing to over 100 degrees, altitude changes from 500 ft to 13,000 ft and 10-12 hours a day with 1 day of rest per week. I am working on the feed regimen for my equines. Can you help me find any publications or published papers on this topic? Do you have any suggestions for helping me work through this problem?
• I just got a 35+ year old horse that is a 1.5 on the BCS. I am trying to figure out a way to safely put weight back on this guy. He seems to have no trouble chewing his food and eats every scrap of everything put in front of him. I also have a younger (less than 5 years old) that was stabled with him that is a solid 3 on the BCS. Right now I have them both on Integrity Senior and Alfalfa Hay. Everything I have read about horses that are 3 BCS or lower says that they should only be fed alfalfa until they reach at least a 3 because they need the extra protein because their bodies have been breaking down protein due to the lack of food. I have never been a fan of feeding straight alfalfa, but I am unsure of switching them off of it at this time. I plan on adding oil to both of their diets but I am trying to introduce everything slowly as I don't have any clue how often they were fed or how much prior to them coming to me. I am feeding four times a day currently. I have only had them for two days so far. I was also wondering how long it would be before I can start to see a difference in these two guys. They are being fed separately now so the older one doesn't have to compete for its food.
• I have a paint/pinto horse she is 10 years old and will be 11 in April. She is very healthy and I ride about twice a week and get her out and exercise about 3 times a week I want to start getting her in shape soon. But my question is about her food I just started giving her orchard hay and I just don’t know what else I should be giving her and she is an all around healthy horse.
• I have attended your seminars and in many of your answers in Dr. Bray’s Corner you used the words nutritional management. What do you mean?
• I have a 24 year old quarter horse. He eats 1/4 to 1/3 flake of alfalfa and 1/2 flake of Bermuda hay morning and night. He is out in a Bermuda pasture for about 5 hrs each day. He is also on “vitamin / mineral” supplement. My vet recommended feeding a senior feed with less starch and we now feed him Integrity Lite. He’s worked 4 - 5 days a week of trail riding or hand walks. Does he need to be on the “vitamin / mineral” supplement?
• I have a 14 year old quarter horse gelding. I am currently feeding a flake of orchard grass in the morning, a heavy forage flake and 1/2 a flake of alfalfa at night. He is also on a strict psyllium regimen of 1 cup psyllium husk mixed with senior grain as we live at the beach and he is on sand and has had numerous sand colics. Forage hay is getting harder to find and I would like to know your thoughts on cubes as a replacement. He doesn't work hard, only trail rides twice a week on average.
• How are poor feed source deficiencies such as vitamin E addressed in horse feeds? How does your feed compare nutritionally to National Research Council (NRC) 2007 Nutrient Requirements of Horses?
• I really appreciate your advice and suggestions. I went to the equine affair in Pomona last January and there was a company selling hay net bags. Used for free feeding horses. The hay bags had netting with small openings so the horse eats slower and have access to hay 24/7. I know you are a nutritionist and I wanted to know your opinion on free feeding with this type product. I have two ponies and a mare that eat Bermuda and now I added Integrity Lite. I wanted to try free feeding with this hay net but I am worried.
• I have a mare that is 15 yrs old and two 10-hand ponies, 5 and 8 yrs old. I noticed my ponies’ coats were not as shining as last summer when I was feeding alfalfa hay. The problem was that my horse started urinating a lot and so I changed my hay this spring to Bermuda than someone told that feeding Bermuda can cause an impaction. I don't know what hay to feed. I feel like Bermuda grass, seems more natural for my horses to eat than Alfalfa. So I want to add Integrity to their daily feed. I looked at the Ingredients and I like what I saw. I am not sure which type of Integrity I should feed with their Bermuda grass. I saw lite, and senior and low starch. What would you recommend? Can my horse and ponies eat the same type even with their age differences? And than how much? They are all at good weights not underweight. I am concerned about how much for my ponies. They weigh about 372 pounds.
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• There were two types of salt blocks at the feed stores. What are the differences? Do I buy the brownish-red or white one?
• I emailed you recently regarding my mare and my two ponies. You suggested 1/4 to 1/3 (cup) of oil but I am not sure what type. Can you make a suggestion? I have purchased a bag of Integrity Lite and there was two choices, one with molasses and the other with no molasses. I bought the one with molasses. Is this one ok? Does ½ lb of Integrity weigh the same as liquid (8oz) cup, and so can I use 1 cup or do I need to weigh on a food scale?
• I have a 8 yr Paint mare, in training, I usually work her daily about 40 minutes a day. She is on Integrity, Adult/Senior; 1 1/4 lb, 2x daily along with the same amount of Bermuda pellets. I’m also supplementing her with antacid supplement, prebiotic supplement, hoof supplement, and joint supplement, and psyllium 2x a week and bran mash as needed I feed Bermuda hay, 2 flakes 2x a day. She had a knee injury about 2 years ago, then 1 year ago when I got her she scuffed up her back legs while being trailer to me, for about 8 months she would stock up every night. Every time she was brought out to work or she got excited she would get diarrhea. So my question is am I over supplementing her or is it ok to supplement with the Integrity?
• I am a former student of yours and I am wondering how to switch my horse to Integrity Lite – No Molasses from straight beet pulp. My 14.2 hand mustang is currently on 12 lbs of orchard/alfalfa (after a colic episode) and about 2/3 pound of shredded beet pulp. I would like to replace the beet pulp with the Integrity and increase her hay back up to around 17 lbs. She had been on 1 lb of beet pulp and about 16-18 lbs of orchard/alfalfa (60% orchard, 40% alfalfa) before I decreased it to try to make her lose weight. She colic 5 days ago and had another "gas bubble episode" 2 days ago and I know that she does not have enough hay in her daily diet to promote gut integrity. I am slowly bringing her hay and beet pulp back up after her latest colic episode and I would like to know the best way to switch from beet pulp to Integrity Lite. I know that Integrity Lite already has beet pulp in it so I am wondering how slowly to switch it over. I plan to feed her 1 lb of Integrity and 11 lbs orchard and 6 lbs alfalfa). This time, I will increase her exercise instead of decreasing her feed.
• 33 year old pony in good health that needs a low starch, no molasses complete feed that he does not have to 'chew'. His molars are worn down to his gums, so he needs a feed that is soft or can be softened with water. My vet recommended no more than 13% starch. Do you have a feed for him?
• Is Teff hay ok to feed my horse with the Integrity products?
• Mid-teen paint gelding who is currently on an all alfalfa diet and is maintaining a good body condition and is in overall good health but urinates excessively; assuming too much protein from his straight alfalfa diet. Need cost effective solution to provide the roughage and bulk he needs while lowering the amount of alfalfa/protein he is taking in.
• My vet told me not to feed my senior a senior diet that has beet pulp and soy hulls because these feeds will cause gas colic; is this true?
• Could you tell me the reason why it is recommended not to feed your horse more than 5 lbs of horse feed from a bag per feeding?
• Is beet pulp really full of sugar like they say? How much protein is in beet pulp? What is the maximum I should feed a day?
• Feeding Alfalfa- reducing high protein & calcium - phosphorus ratios
• Very old idle horse, about 1000 pounds, with worn molars and loss teeth that cannot eat hay. Can I feed him only a senior formula and how much do I feed?
• 18 year old Arabian gelding, a little overweight: Integrity Lite or Integrity Senior?
• 2 year old horse: Integrity Adult/Senior or Integrity Growth?
• Do I need to feed electrolytes to my horse every day during the summer?
• I have a 28 year old horse diagnosed by a DVM for Cushing. He is taking 1 mg of Pergolide. What do I feed him?
• 3 and 5 year old QH mare; alfalfa and oat diet to predominantly Bermuda hay; 3 cups twice a day of Integrity Lite, no molasses; physitis issues when younger. 6 cups of Integrity Lite? Need additional vitamin supplement?
• 3 and 5 year old QH mare; alfalfa and oat diet to predominantly Bermuda hay; 3 cups twice a day of Integrity Lite, no molasses; physitis issues when younger. 6 cups of Integrity Lite? Need additional vitamin supplement?
• My friend gives her mare 4-way and lets the foal eat it also. Do you recommend feeding a foal that is still with her mother? Do I feed 4-way to my foal?
• Is molasses added to beet pulp that you buy in a bag? If so why?
• How does your feed compare nutritionally to the National Research Council (NRC). 2007 Nutrient Requirements of Horses?
• Do you have to soak beet pulp in water the day before feeding?
• How do I switch my horse to Integrity Lite without Molasses from straight beet pulp? I know that Integrity Lite already has beet pulp in it so I am wondering how slowly to switch it over.
• My horse is a 13 year old, gelding, paint/quarter horse. His work is only trail rides 2 times a week on average. He currently eats alfalfa hay and some orchard hay and rice bran. He had a slight case of colic the other day and I want to switch to Integrity. He has quite a bit of energy. What is your opinion for a horse that does not get much work with an easy breezy life style?
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• I feed my horse carrots and apples 3 times a week? Is that too much?
• I have a 6 month old Quarter filly that was just weaned. Do I need to feed her grain? Can I feed her alfalfa hay?
• I started training my 3 year old Quarter horse but my trainer said he needs more energy and to start feeding oats. Which oats do I use, roll, whole or crimp?
• I have been happy how my pleasure Icelandic mare has been doing on the Integrity Lite feed - really great. In the summer/hot weather months, I'd like to give her feed that peps her up a little. Would the Integrity Senior be a safe solution? Or, perhaps I should mix the Integrity Lite with the Integrity Senior half and half? She is in proper weight and has no health issues. She is 14 years old. I would just like to give her more pep when the weather is hot if there is a recommended approach. I've never fed her grain.
• My 27 year old has ulcers and my vet recommended feeding herbs. I feed mostly alfalfa, but I try to get alfalfa-grass mix when I can. What herbs would you recommend?
• My mare is going to foal in June. What should I be feeding her? Right now she is being fed alfalfa hay and 2 cups of senior feed.
• I recently got a 5 y/o Arabian who has a problem with gaining weight. I have fed him over 10 lbs of hay, along with pellets and a senior feed. Since we have been in training, he has no problem with energy, but hasn't put on any muscle. My vet recommended an extruded feed, and when I took your class at Cal Poly, you were just coming out with Integrity. Is this feed an extruded feed? Will it make my young guy "hot"? Will it help him put on more weight, even in training?
• I have 2 senior horses. Trying to cut down on strict senior feed for both. I have bought your senior feed as well as your beet pulp. My question is how much beet pulp is safe to give to my horses as a supplement for alfalfa. One mare has cushiness… the other is in good health but has some dental issues to be addressed next month. I am giving both mares 1 flake of alfalfa per day; …need your suggestions as what to give as a supplement for the other flake. Thank you.
• A new friend just got a 5 yr old Galieceno Gelding. He wants to use him for trail riding 3 to 4 times a week and he weighs 900 pounds. I told him about how Integrity has made a difference with my horse and he is healthy and has a nice soft shiny coast and his weight is right where it should be. What type of Integrity should he give his horse and amounts of hay and the best kind when available. Told him you were the best and I would find out for him so he can give his horse the best.
• I have an 8 yr old mustang, 13.2 hands, very low keyed temperament, not doing anything, and fed about 5 pounds of Bermuda and 2 pounds of Bermuda pellets. He gets about 1/2 cup of Integrity along with salt (about 1 teaspoon) to increase his salt intake during the summer. He should weigh about 800 pounds, but looks obese to me. I am hesitant to reduce his forage, because I do not want him to colic. What can I do to help this little guy?
• I’m trying to estimate the amount of Integrity Lite (no molasses) to feed my two horses; a 22 yr Andalusian gelding with poor upper molars, and a 19 yr Paso Fino mare with IR (insulin resistant) and minimal work. Live together in a 24X48 stall with 24/7 bale net of Bermuda. The Integrity bag label suggests about 6.6 pounds for a 1000 lb horse. In your response to an owner with a 28 yr horse with Cushing's you had suggested 2 pounds/day of the Integrity Lite (no molasses). I feed 4 pounds per day to the gelding and 2 pounds/day to the mare - each split into am/pm feedings. Why the big difference in the label recommendation (6 pounds/day) and the recommendation to the 28 yr horse (2 pounds/day)? The big gap confused me. As the staple, would Orchard or another hay be better?
• I have a 3 yr old Thoroughbred laid off race training for sesamoiditis. I need something to mix the silicon supplement with while undergoing shockwave therapy. I was thinking of Integrity Lite or Low Starch?
• I have an IR (insulin resistant) mare (vet diagnosed) that I have to keep on low starch, a 32 year old senior with minimal teeth, a Hackney pony and a 13 year old quarter horse. I am content with how each looks right now but am looking for a more consistent feeding program. My vet has had me using beet pulp (soaked, rinsed for the IR horse). Both the pony and QH put on weight easily and are worked lightly. Currently I feed 3 times a day and feed consists of beet pulp soaked (mornings only), a senior feed, a lite feed from the same company, a high moisture forage and orchard grass. With the exception of the hay, all feeds are scale weighed. The IR horse gets only a small amount of orchard and more of the high moisture forage. I try to keep her ESC+starch below 11%. If we exceed what her body can handle she gets sore feet. I do ride and drive her a couple of times a week. She is not on medication and I have been able to manage her IR fairly well with feeding and exercise. I'd like to get away from the beet pulp as a stand-alone feed if appropriate. I'd appreciate your input. I've use the feed that I do because it is one of the few feeds that publish the WSC and ESC.
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I feed Integrity horse/senior to my 20yr old Arabian and 4 yr old Icelandic horses. I have measured and weighted out the proper amounts according to your recommendations. I have been feeding Integrity for about 2+ years, and LOVE it! I feed a flake of grass hay morning and night and give them Integrity for lunch. My question is...I read that I should be splitting up the amount in 2 different feedings. Is this correct? Or should I continue feeing the way I am? I always thought I was doing it correctly until I read in Equus magazine and they said I should be feeding it in split amounts. Now I'm confused.
Thank you for your email and happy to hear “all is well” with your horses. In general you should not feed more than 4 – 5 lbs at one meal but that recommendation is more typically directed for horses being fed at high levels of production, such as a lactating mare or working horse at the “intense to heavy work load”. In dated and current literature (Extension publications, magazines, etc) you will read do not feed more than 5 lbs per meal. That recommendation evolved because of the adverse consequences of feeding large quantities of a feed rich in carbohydrates. Many, if not most, of the early commercial feeds, the first 4 ingredients were primarily oats, corn, barley, and soybean meal. Those formulas were low fiber (<8.0%), low fat ((<3.0%) and high starch (>35.0%).
The Integrity product line is not like those formulas. For Integrity Senior/Adult the first four ingredients are beet pulp, soybean hulls pellet, rice bran, and soybean meal; this formula is modestly high fiber (16.0%), modest in fat ((6.5%) and low starch (5.5%). One of the attributes of Integrity Adult/Senior is to promote gut integrity while supplying the required nutrients and fuel to the horse complementing the forage portion of the diet. Although my formulas are substantially less dense in non-structural carbohydrates and thus very low starch content, I still embrace the nutritional management practice of not feeding more than 5 lbs of a balanced formula per meal. That nutritional management belief is based on the importance in promoting a healthy and reliable gut.
If you are feeding less than 2 1/2 lbs at lunch and it’s working for you then continue; but if you are feeding closer to 4 lbs at lunch then I would suggest dividing the feed amounts into two meals. There are other factors that can influence the feeding schedule such as frequency of work, intensity of work, time of work relative to feeding schedule, if the horse is inactive, etc. Nevertheless keep in mind what you have been doing has worked for 2+ years which translates to good nutritional management. There is a fact sheet on Feeding Guidelines for Horses that may provide additional guidance. Let me know if I can be of any more help.
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I have contacted you before and appreciated your prompt answer. Now I have another question. I have an old mare who has dental problems ..soon to be addressed next month. She is on integrity and the vet told me to keep her off of all grass and alfalfa hay due to the fact she sounded impacted at the vet call. Is Integrity all right for the time being without any foliage added?
If you remove baled hay from your mare’s diet, she still needs an adequate source of dietary fiber. You did not mention the specific dental issues but I surmised there are issues with her molars (jaw teeth) which are needed to reduce the particle size of the food being consumed. So, your option is to select a forage source in which the particle size has already been reduced which is a hay pellet and you will need to soak the hay pellet in water to an oatmeal consistency; you also may want to consider feeding smaller amounts more frequently. For example if she was being fed hay two times per day then divide the hay pellet daily feed allotment into three feedings. Also you most likely will feed less total weight of hay pellet since there will not being any orts (feed loss) as compared to baled hay. I usually suggest feeding hay pellets approximately 10% less (weight) than baled hay; that is, if the mare was being fed 16 lbs of long stem hay per day then feed approximately 14 1/2 lbs of the hay pellet per day. You will need to monitor her body condition score for weigh changes.
Star Milling has several hay pellets including timothy, teff, Bermuda & Bermuda/alfalfa. You will need to review the fact sheet on Feeding Guidelines for Horses relative to the rate of changing the diet. When the diet is switched from a long stem forage source to a hay pellet (smaller particle size), the horse will drink less water. In addition, the smaller particle size of the fiber source is associated with a reduction in passage rate; in other words the gut will contract with less vigor. One final point of interest is that when a diet is changed, the major goal is NOT to upset the microflora (bacteria) that are habitants of the gut; …gut integrity is the number one nutritional management goal. The current line of Integrity products was not formulated to be a total replacement for forages but the Integrity Lite may be the balanced concentrate you will need to compliment the forage portion of her diet. Feel free to let me know if you have further questions or need any additional information.
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I am going to do a thru-ride of the Pacific Crest Trail starting in April of 2013. I have a 1250 lb horse and an 800 lb mule. The conditions of our ride are: 2,650 miles over 5-6 months, temperature changes of freezing to over 100 degrees, altitude changes from 500 ft to 13,000 ft and 10-12 hours a day with 1 day of rest per week. I am working on the feed regimen for my equines. Can you help me find any publications or published papers on this topic? Do you have any suggestions for helping me work through this problem?
Your endurance journey is an impressive venture. There is of course popular press articles written about endurance riding but without reviewing the literature I do not recall any publication or popular press article that I can recommend. Obviously you will need to be sensitive to conditioning prior to the PCT ride and sensitive to changes in weight during the ride. A few considerations I would encourage includes…
- Long stem forage daily; important for gut health relative to consistency in gut motility and there is an increase in water consumption with long stem forage consumption compared to processed forage (hay pellet or cubes).
- Although many readers know that I am selective when recommending alfalfa hay, this level of work will require alfalfa to be part of the daily forage; alfalfa will deliver higher levels of protein, the additional protein increases water consumption and alfalfa contains higher energy levels than grass forages. I suspect you should be considering alfalfa to be at least 50% of the total forage intake and perhaps even higher.
- Beet pulp, a soluble fiber source, has several attributes for endurance riding which I am sure you already have familiarity. Attributes of beet pulp for endurance riding have been will documented including it’s affinity for water, serves as a fuel source, and promotes gut integrity. The Integrity Adult/Senior formula’s first two and major ingredients are beet pulp and soybean hull pellet; …both feedstuffs have attributes that are favorable to endurance competitive horses.
- In the previous bullets points emphasis has been placed on forages and the relationship of the fiber source to water. These recommendations are for promoting gut integrity but also for providing a water reservoir in the gut to support hydration during the daily work load.
- You will need to feed a balanced concentrate that is high in fat but not the only fat source. Based on the work load you will want the flexibility to also top dress fat (oil) to provide an addition source of energy when needed. Studies have demonstrated that dietary fat has a sparing effect on utilization of glycogen stores thus delaying the onset of fatigue via lactic acid accumulation. The Integrity Adult/Senior formula has the attributes of the balanced formula required for an endurance horse.
- Include an electrolyte additive during each feeding, as well as at least 2 hours before the ride, and every 2 hours of the work load, and 2 hours after the horse has competed the daily work. There are commercial electrolyte additives but they are expensive. You may want to make your own which is a combination of regular slay and lite salt.
Be sure you acclimatize your horse to the feeds and feeding regime. For this type of endurance endeavor feed amounts will vary, especially on the rest day. Nevertheless consistency in the feeds will be an important nutritional management consideration.
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I just got a 35+ year old horse that is a 1.5 on the BCS. I am trying to figure out a way to safely put weight back on this guy. He seems to have no trouble chewing his food and eats every scrap of everything put in front of him. I also have a younger (less than 5 years old) that was stabled with him that is a solid 3 on the BCS. Right now I have them both on Integrity Senior and Alfalfa Hay. Everything I have read about horses that are 3 BCS or lower says that they should only be fed alfalfa until they reach at least a 3 because they need the extra protein because their bodies have been breaking down protein due to the lack of food. I have never been a fan of feeding straight alfalfa, but I am unsure of switching them off of it at this time. I plan on adding oil to both of their diets but I am trying to introduce everything slowly as I don't have any clue how often they were fed or how much prior to them coming to me. I am feeding four times a day currently. I have only had them for two days so far. I was also wondering how long it would be before I can start to see a difference in these two guys. They are being fed separately now so the older one doesn't have to compete for its food. Thanks in advance for any advice and I enjoyed you classes at Cal Poly!
The California study on feeding very low body condition score (BCS) horses concluded that recovery was better with feeding an alfalfa forage diet. The authors concluded that higher protein forage was a factor in the improve performance. I do not agree with the recommendations of the study. As you will recall when evaluating a study, one must considered the experimental design relative to the outcome, and one must always consider that important question, “Does it make biological sense?” Horses that have low body condition scores 1 – 3 have usually been ignored in more than the lack of groceries. The primary goal is for the horse’s general health to be clinically evaluated and stabilized and introduced to grass forage. Keep in mind that the microbial population of the gut has been compromised and that microbial population must be populated and stabilized slowly. An alfalfa forage diet in the early stages introduces protein at a level that raises concerns with further compromising the microbial population by a rapid change in the type and number of microbes. I also do not recommend alfalfa as an only source of forage anyway; ..see the fact sheet, Feeding Guidelines for Horses, in Dr Bray’s Corner. I usually recommend feeding average quality grass hay in small amounts 6 times per day along with a daily probiotic supplement and a lot of observation. The microbes in the gut need time to acclimate to the energy and nutrients supplied by the forage, the gut needs time to acclimate to accommodating the volume of feed, and the horse needs time to acclimate to a feeding schedule and a routine that he will be fed. Intestinal microbes do need and depend on protein as a fuel and nutrient source but that protein source needs to be introduced gradually to allow the intestinal microbes to acclimate. Horses that have been neglected will gain weight fairly quickly with a methodical feeding approach and that body condition score will elevate from a 1.5 to a 3 faster than you think. Once the horse reaches a 3 BSC then I would slowly reduce the feeding frequency to 3- 4 times per day, but not the amount of feed of course; then introduce a balanced formula that provides a protein source. Let me know how all turns out and I would enjoy seeing and sharing with our readers before and after pictures.
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I have a paint/pinto horse she is 10 years old and will be 11 in April. She is very healthy and I ride about twice a week and get her out and exercise about 3 times a week I want to start getting her in shape soon. But my question is about her food I just started giving her orchard hay and I just don’t know what else I should be giving her and she is an all around healthy horse.
There is additional information that is needed in order to provide you more than a general response. The fact sheet What to Feed your Horse provides the series of questions for one to consider when determining what to feed. The orchard grass hay is essentially a maintenance diet. As you increase the frequency of work (riding), the intensity of work, and the length of each exercise bout, you will need to add a balanced formula that will provided an additional source of energy and nutrients. The frequency, intensity & length are factors that will determine the feed selection and amounts fed daily. However, since you are just getting started, the Integrity Adult/Senior is a balanced formula that will complement the forage portion, provide a source of energy in a balanced formula, but is still low starch because it does not contain corn or barley; Integrity Adult/Senior does contain fat (from rice bran & oil), contains soybean meal (protein source & 3rd ingredient) and does contain oats ( a higher fiber, low starch grain) but oats are not a major ingredient but enough to be one of the fuel sources for light to moderate working horses. Once I have a better understanding of your horse from the questions outlined in the Fact Sheet referenced above, I will be able to provide you some more specific guidelines.
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I have attended your seminars and in many of your answers in Dr. Bray’s Corner you used the words nutritional management. What do you mean?
I use the phrase “Nutritional Management” to emphasize the importance of managing your horse’s feeding program compared to selective focusing on one aspect of nutrition such one or two nutrients being fed. Forage selection, amounts fed, feeding frequency, feeding time, maintaining body condition score, balanced formulas, selecting other feed sources to compliment the forage fed, are just a few of the important skill sets important to be successful with your horse’s feeding program. Those skill sets evolve with time and experience but not from reading propaganda on the internet. Over the years much confusion has infiltrated the industry with emphasis on specific nutrients, nutritional fads, or just simple nutritional irrelevance. I was very fortunate in my early rearing-days with horses that there was a great deal of emphases on the fundamentals. “Nutritional Management” was the fundamental principle when I managed my horses, managed farms while in school, and in developing the Integrity product line.
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I have a 24 year old quarter horse. He eats 1/4 to 1/3 flake of alfalfa and 1/2 flake of Bermuda hay morning and night. He is out in a Bermuda pasture for about 5 hrs each day. He is also on “vitamin / mineral” supplement. My vet recommended feeding a senior feed with less starch and we now feed him Integrity Lite. He’s worked 4 - 5 days a week of trail riding or hand walks. Does he need to be on the “vitamin / mineral” supplement?
The fact sheet What to Feed your Horse provides the type of information that is helpful when I am answering feeding questions. For example, how much of the Integrity Lite are you feeding per day? Is the trail riding mostly at a walk, walk/trot, etc.? What is the estimated body weight of the Quarter horse? If the 24 year old is an average size Quarter horse than approximately 1 flake of hay per day would not be adequate forage without the pasture-grazing every day. In general, if the trail riding is light (horse is warm or slightly damp at the end of the ride) and the body weight is around 1050 lbs then you would feed approximately 2.5 – 4.0 pounds per day of Integrity Lite along with your current pasture/hay feeding. When feeding adequate amounts of a balanced formula, like the Integrity product line, a vitamin/mineral supplement is not needed.
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I have a 14 year old quarter horse gelding. I am currently feeding a flake of orchard grass in the morning, a heavy forage flake and 1/2 a flake of alfalfa at night. He is also on a strict psyllium regimen of 1 cup psyllium husk mixed with senior grain as we live at the beach and he is on sand and has had numerous sand colics. Forage hay is getting harder to find and I would like to know your thoughts on cubes as a replacement. He doesn't work hard, only trail rides twice a week on average.
In the fact sheet Feeding Guidelines for Horses are guidelines that I established relative to feeding management. One of the guidelines is that 50% of the forage needs to be long-stem hay and thus not more than 50% of the hay should be processed (hay pellet or hay cube). This guideline is based on the importance of feeding adequate fiber via forage for gut integrity. Long stem hay (from the hay bale) requires more water for the digestive process than processed hay which is why the horse drinks more water with long-stem hay. Granted hay cubes would be a better selection than hay pellets but since your horse has a history of digestive disturbances, I would encourage you to feed long-stem hay sources. Water has many roles in the body and lubrication is just one of them. You may also want to review the Fact Sheet section for the article, Nutritional Management of Horses: Is Psyllium a Player?
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How are poor feed source deficiencies such as vitamin E addressed in horse feeds? How does your feed compare nutritionally to National Research Council (NRC) 2007 Nutrient Requirements of Horses?
The Integrity formulas are based on my years of experience as an equine nutritionist, horseman, and University professor in Animal & Veterinary Sciences. My approach is to provide a balance formula to complement the forage portion of the horse’s diet. There are a plethora of factors that influence a horse’s energy and nutrient requirements besides the two fundamental factors of body weight and production stage which are listed in the 2007 NRC Nutrient Requirements for Horses. The NRC publication is not and should not be consider as an absolute for energy and nutrient values but is actually a guideline for minimum requirements.
Nutritional management is the key to a successful feeding program and unfortunately too much emphasis is sometimes placed on one or two of the nutrients required by the horse instead of a balance formula approach. The relationship of nutrient to nutrient and the relationship of nutrient to energy are important factors that must be considered in formulating a balanced feed for horses.
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Hi Dr Bray, I really appreciate your advice and suggestions. I went to the equine affair in Pomona last January and there was a company selling hay net bags. Used for free feeding horses. The hay bags had netting with small openings so the horse eats slower and have access to hay 24/7. I know you are a nutritionist and I wanted to know your opinion on free feeding with this type product. I have two ponies and a mare that eat Bermuda and now I added Integrity Lite. I wanted to try free feeding with this hay net but I am worried.
I am not an advocate of providing hay 24/7 to horses because one needs to control the caloric intake. I am an advocate of using nutritional management techniques that will help increase the time that a horse has to consume their forage. Before the new designs of hay nets evolved I used double and sometimes tripe hay nets to slow down a stalled horse’s hay consumption if they ate fast and then had long periods of time with no hay until next feeding.. Send me the web link and I will take a look. I like hay bags but they do require nutritional management considerations; …including hanging the hay bag(s) so the horse will not get a hoof or leg hung up; secured so the horse can not pulled the hay bag to the ground and may tangle in their hooves, etc.
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I have a mare that is 15 yrs old and two 10-hand ponies, 5 and 8 yrs old. I noticed my ponies’ coats were not as shining as last summer when I was feeding alfalfa hay. The problem was that my horse started urinating a lot and so I changed my hay this spring to Bermuda than someone told that feeding Bermuda can cause an impaction. I don't know what hay to feed. I feel like Bermuda grass, seems more natural for my horses to eat than Alfalfa. So I want to add Integrity to their daily feed. I looked at the Ingredients and I like what I saw. I am not sure which type of Integrity I should feed with their Bermuda grass. I saw lite, and senior and low starch. What would you recommend? Can my horse and ponies eat the same type even with their age differences? And than how much? They are all at good weights not underweight. I am concerned about how much for my ponies. They weigh about 372 pounds.
There are several factors that influence hair coat and nutrition is only one of the many options. The benefits of feeding a balanced concentrate are to provide nutrients and energy that will complement the forage portion of the horse’s diet. Feeding a balanced formula with the hay may improve the haircut and all of the Integrity products have added fat via oil and rice bran; dietary fat improves haircoat. However, one tool to increase the fat content of the diet and to improve hair coat is to feed 3/4 - 1/3 cup of oil per day; for the ponies you will feed less than half the amount that you feed your mare.
I do not recommend alfalfa as the only forage source; my recommendation is that alfalfa can not be more than 50% of the forage fed. This recommendation is primary based on supplying adequate fiber to the horse’s diet. Review the fact sheet section in Dr. Bray’s Corner for the title “Feeding Guidelines for Horses”. Alfalfa may provide up to 75 -125% more protein than the horse requires thus the excess nitrogen (component of protein) is eliminated via the urine thereby the horse consumes more water in order to eliminate the excess urinary nitrogen; …so good observation.
Also in Dr. Bray’s Corner, there is a fact sheet titled “Does Bermuda Grass Hay Cause Colic?” This fact sheet will summarize my thoughts on Bermuda and help you understand the myths that have evolved in the industry with feeding Bermuda. Nutritional management is the key to successful feeding and I do not subscribed to the concerns that Bermuda is not a safe forage to feed. If your horse and ponies are inactive then feed the Integrity Lite. If they are working several days a week then use the Integrity Senior/Adult. I would need to know more about your ponies’ work or activity level to be specific. In general, if they are inactive then feed 1/3 -1/2 lb per day. If they are lightly worked then feed around 3/4 - 1 pound per day.
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There were two types of salt blocks at the feed stores. What are the differences? Do I buy the brownish-red or white one?
The white salt block is just salt (sodium chloride). The brownish-red salt block is salt with a few selected minerals added. Most horse owners use the brownish-red block. If your horse is being fed a balanced formula (balanced for all the nutrients including minerals), like one of the Integrity products, then the white block is fine. There is a red salt block that contains iodine and should not be used for horses. There is also a blue salt blocks that contain cobalt and iodine; do not use this one either.
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I emailed you recently regarding my mare and my two ponies. You suggested 1/4 to 1/3 (cup) of oil but I am not sure what type. Can you make a suggestion? I have purchased a bag of Integrity Lite and there was two choices, one with molasses and the other with no molasses. I bought the one with molasses. Is this one ok? Does 1/2 lb of Integrity weigh the same as liquid (8oz) cup, and so can I use 1 cup or do I need to weigh on a food scale?
The oil type is not important; corn, soy , canola…; select for best price. The question of oil type has evolved from the emphasis of the omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acid relationship for human diet. Horses are herbivores and fat is not a significant portion of their diet compared to a carnivore (meat eater) or omnivore (meat & plant eater). Horses actually have a low fat requirement because they are herbivores and what’s interesting is that we know there are 3 essential fatty acids that are required by mammals but that requirement has never really been established via research as with other domestic animals.
Both Integrity Lite products are low in starch and non-structural carbohydrates but obviously the no molasses product will have less non-structural carbohydrates. There is a Q&A recently posted on Integrity Lite starch content on this page.
Liquid measuring cups do NOT equate to dry measurements. I prefer you weigh the feed but the last time I checked, approximately 1/2 of a small coffee can is actually 1/2 lb for the Integrity Lite with molasses.
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I have a 8 yr Paint mare, in training, I usually work her daily about 40 minutes a day. She is on Integrity, Adult/Senior; 1 1/4 lb, 2x daily along with the same amount of Bermuda pellets. I’m also supplementing her with antacid supplement, prebiotic supplement, hoof supplement, and joint supplement, and psyllium 2x a week and bran mash as needed I feed Bermuda hay, 2 flakes 2x a day. She had a knee injury about 2 years ago, then 1 year ago when I got her she scuffed up her back legs while being trailer to me, for about 8 months she would stock up every night. Every time she was brought out to work or she got excited she would get diarrhea. So my question is am I over supplementing her or is it ok to supplement with the Integrity?
Integrity is a balanced formula to complement the forage portion of your horse’s diet. The formula is balanced for the 48+ nutrients required by the horse including biotin, zinc, copper, calcium, etc. which is a few of the ingredients in the over-the-counter supplements that you specifically referenced. The Integrity formulas also contains soluble fiber sources which are in the “family” of prebiotics as well as it contains a yeast culture. I do not generally recommend over-the-counter supplements for horses that are being fed a balance formula to complement the forage portion of the diet. If a horse is maintenance fed and can be maintained on only hay or pasture, then depending on several factors including geographic location and forage sources I may recommend a generic-complete vitamin/mineral supplement.
The diarrhea is most likely not related to feeding. Considerations to explore include deworming schedule, dental health, time of day worked, temperature where stabled and temperature when worked, horse’s temperament prior to work, and overall body condition relative to exercise deportment. I am not a big fan of daily psyllium supplementation and there is a fact sheet on those thoughts in Dr. Bray’s Corner. If your horse has been diagnosed by a DVM with ulcers and joint problems then I would visit with your vet about more proven treatments then the over-the-counter supplements. The Integrity formulas provide adequate levels of biotin, lysine and methionine which are the primary ingredients being marketed by your hoof supplement.
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I am a former student of yours and I am wondering how to switch my horse to Integrity Lite – No Molasses from straight beet pulp. My 14.2 hand mustang is currently on 12 lbs of orchard/alfalfa (after a colic episode) and about 2/3 pound of shredded beet pulp. I would like to replace the beet pulp with the Integrity and increase her hay back up to around 17 lbs. She had been on 1 lb of beet pulp and about 16-18 lbs of orchard/alfalfa (60% orchard, 40% alfalfa) before I decreased it to try to make her lose weight. She colic 5 days ago and had another "gas bubble episode" 2 days ago and I know that she does not have enough hay in her daily diet to promote gut integrity. I am slowly bringing her hay and beet pulp back up after her latest colic episode and I would like to know the best way to switch from beet pulp to Integrity Lite. I know that Integrity Lite already has beet pulp in it so I am wondering how slowly to switch it over. I plan to feed her 1 lb of Integrity and 11 lbs orchard and 6 lbs alfalfa). This time, I will increase her exercise instead of decreasing her feed.
Hi G*****, very nice to hear from you and happy to know that you are continuing your joy working with horses. I suspect you are correct about what caused her recent colic. Adequate fiber in the diet is critical to maintained gut integrity. (…sounds familiar from class!). For hay fed, as you may recall from classes, start with a minimum of 1.5% of body weight. The blend of orchard and alfalfa you referenced is a solid approach. The amount of Integrity Lite depends on the amount of work. Usually I suggest a minimum of 1.5 – 2.0 lbs for an average horse of 1000 lbs that is not being worked to ensure that adequate micro-nutrients are being provided to complement the forage portion of the diet. Make the change in beet pulp to Integrity Lite at about 1/4 pound change over per day; in Dr. Bray’s Corner there is a fact sheet on adjusting different portions of the feed. As you noted weight control depends on exercise and diet and be sure you use the body condition scoring system outlined in Dr. Bray’s Corner to establish a body condition score of 5.5.
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I have 2 senior horses. Trying to cut down on strict senior feed for both. I have bought your senior feed as well as your beet pulp. My question is how much beet pulp is safe to give to my horses as a supplement for alfalfa. One mare has cushiness… the other is in good health but has some dental issues to be addressed next month. I am giving both mares 1 flake of alfalfa per day; …need your suggestions as what to give as a supplement for the other flake. Thank you.
For a Cushing horse I would suggest you not feed alfalfa hay and switch to a grass forage such as Bermuda or timothy (although costly). I do not generally recommend feeding beet pulp as the only feed source to compliment the forage portion of the diet unless the horse is maintenance fed and there is a history of frequent colic. Then the amount will depend on the horse’s body weight, hay type and amount, and how the horse is used. A ration of alfalfa hay and beet pulp is not a balanced diet. Beet pulp has an energy level similar to alfalfa hay so the more one feeds the more energy is being added to the diet. The Integrity Lite is a balanced formula to compliment the forage portion of a horse’s diet and contains high levels of beet pulp and soy hulls. Soy hulls are similar to beet pulp in that it contains soluble fiber and promotes gut integrity. Integrity Lite was formulated for horses that are maintenance fed or lightly used for pleasure riding and is perhaps one of the lowest starch formulas available.
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A new friend just got a 5 yr old Galieceno Gelding. He wants to use him for trail riding 3 to 4 times a week and he weighs 900 pounds. I told him about how Integrity has made a difference with my horse and he is healthy and has a nice soft shiny coast and his weight is right where it should be. What type of Integrity should he give his horse and amounts of hay and the best kind when available. Told him you were the best and I would find out for him so he can give his horse the best.
Thank you for your kind support of Integrity Feed. For light trail riding the Integrity Lite will work fine. After rides, if the horse is just warm or mildly damp (before cooling) then feed around 3 lbs per day. You did not indicate the hay type or amount fed. For a 900 lb horse, feed about 1.6% of body weight which is approximately 14.5 lb per day. Adjust the amount of Integrity Lite fed relative to body condition score. If the horse is not maintaining body weight at 3 – 4 pounds per day then switch over to Integrity Adult which contains more energy with the ingredients of oats and higher levels of fat. Have your friend check out Dr. Bray’s Corner at starmilling.com for the fact sheets, Feeding Guidelines and Body Condition Scoring. Both of these will be helpful in nutritionally managing her horse.
Any more questions or concerns, feel free to email me again; ...be sure to monitor weight changes as you make changes in the diet. She/he may gain or lose weight and those adjustments are easy but one usually will not notice those changes for 15 - 30 days.
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I have spoken with you at Equine Affaire and you helped me via telephone with muscle issues with one of my quarter horses (which made everything bad "go away"). I have an 8 yr old mustang, 13.2 hands, very low keyed temperament, not doing anything, and fed about 5 pounds of Bermuda and 2 pounds of Bermuda pellets. He gets about 1/2 cup of Integrity along with salt (about 1 teaspoon) to increase his salt intake during the summer. He should weigh about 800 pounds, but looks obese to me. I am hesitant to reduce his forage, because I do not want him to colic. What can I do to help this little guy?
Some of the numbers do not add up, even if the horse is truly an “easy keeper”. (...although in all my years working with horses I can only truly identify a couple of horses that were truly “easy or hard keepers”). Seven (7) pounds of total hay and ½ cup Integrity is a ration more suited for a 450 to 525 lb pony. Have you used a weight tape to estimate the body weight? In Dr. Bray’s Corner there is a fact sheet on estimating body weight. Is the 800 lbs body weight an “eye” estimate? ..800 lbs is a heavy body weight for a 13.2 hands pony even if he is obese. So, in order for me to provide you more useful guidance, we need to double check the body weight and hay weight. The hay amount being fed may be underestimated. Look forward to hearing back from you.
Dr. Bray’s Note: I did hear back! The emailer did weight tape the mustang and weigh the hay and let me know graciously that the mustang’s weight tape measurement was 405 pounds and that a large kitchen scale suggested the hay was 25 pounds. Although there may be some error in these weights as well, the bottom line emphasizes the importance of the body condition scoring system and weighing the feed fed to your horse.
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My friend gives her mare 4-way and lets the foal eat it also. Do you recommend feeding a foal that is still with her mother? Do I feed 4-way to my foal?
Yes, I do recommend creep feeding foals and but do not feed 4-way to your foal. I have added a fact sheet to Dr. Bray’s Corner on creep feeding foals that provides guidelines including feeding protocol and what to look for on a label for basic characteristics of a creep feed. So tab over to the Fact Sheet section in Dr. Bray’s Corner for the Creep Feeding Guidelines.
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Is molasses added to beet pulp that you buy in a bag? If so why?
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I f the beet pulp you purchase contains molasses then it should be listed as an ingredient on the feed label. Molasses is added to beet pulp shreds to make the feed more pliable and easier to consume and chew, otherwise the feed would be very stiff and most horses do not like the texture and the pricking of the edges into their gums. Also as one would surmise, molasses is added to provide flavor and to reduce the inhaling of the finer particles and dustiness that is common with many feedstuffs including a by-product such as beet pulp
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How does your feed compare nutritionally to the National Research Council (NRC). 2007 Nutrient Requirements of Horses?
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The Integrity formulas are based on the Nutrient Requirements of Horses published by the NRC and on my years of experience as an equine nutritionist, horseman, and University professor in Animal & Veterinary Sciences. My approach is to provide a balance formula to complement the forage portion of the horse’s diet. There are a plethora of factors that influence a horse’s energy and nutrient requirements besides the two fundamental factors of body weight and production stage which are listed in the 2007 NRC Nutrient Requirements for Horses. The NRC publication is not and should not be consider as an absolute for energy and nutrient values but is actually a guideline for minimum requirements. Nutritional management is the key to a successful feeding program and unfortunately too much emphasis is often placed by contemporary marketing schemes on one or two of the 50+ nutrients required by the horse.
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Do you have to soak beet pulp in water the day before feeding?
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I am unclear of the origin of soaking beet pulp for a day or 24 hours but that practice is not only excessive but also unfounded; …you are not making beet pulp wine! The practice of adding water to beet pulp is to soften the feed because the beet pulp by-product is stiff and course. Chewing reduces the feed’s particle size as well as stimulates salvia production which moistens the feed. The chewing and moistening process thus prepares the feed for swallowing. The amount of beet pulp consumed by the horse at each feeding really determines the chewing effort that is needed to prepare the food for swallowing. Some horses tire of the chewing process more quickly than others which are often driven by the compulsion to eat more. Other horses may be disciplined eaters and just take their time with the chewing process. Nevertheless, horses can get tire of chewing. So the general rule I provide for beet pulp shreds is at least 1½ times the volume of water compared to the beet pulp volume; allow the mixture to soak until soften which will usually be ready after a couple of chores prior to feeding time.
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How do I switch my horse to Integrity Lite without Molasses from straight beet pulp? I know that Integrity Lite already has beet pulp in it so I am wondering how slowly to switch it over.
Be sure you take a look at the fact sheet under Dr. Bray’s Corner Fact Sheet tab, Feeding Guidelines for Horses. In general for changes in balance feed mixes, grain base mixes, or commodities (oats, beet pulp, rice bran, wheat bran, etc.), the recommendation is approximately 1/4 lb change-over per day. There are some circumstances in which the change may need to be an every-other-day basis. I recognize that this recommendation is conservative but with the diverse experience of horse owners today, a conservative recommendation is sensible. Besides, what’s the rush?
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I recently got a 5 y/o Arabian who has a problem with gaining weight. I have fed him over 10 lbs of hay, along with pellets and a senior feed. Since we have been in training, he has no problem with energy, but hasn't put on any muscle. My vet recommended an extruded feed, and when I took your class at Cal Poly, you were just coming out with Integrity. Is this feed an extruded feed? Will it make my young guy "hot"? Will it help him put on more weight, even in training?
You did not indicate the amount of senior feed that is being fed or your horse’s body weight. If your Arabian is average height and weight then 10 pounds of hay is inadequate. Visit the fact sheet section in Dr. Bray’s Corner on Feeding Guidelines. You should be feeding a minimum of 1.5% of his body weight in hay.
Also, feed alone does NOT put on muscle; a misconception that has existed in the horse industry since I can remember. Muscle build-up is influenced by genetic potential and of course an exercise program complemented by a balance diet that supplies the needed energy and nutrients for muscle improvement.
When there are difficulties with a horse gaining weight, there may be one or a combination of factors that contribute to the challenges. Looking at the type of feed or amounts fed is not always the first consideration. The horse’s complete nutritional management and health management needs to be considered. Some considerations will seem simple but as with any problem solving approach, exploring the options are needed to identify a solution. So factors to consider…
- What is the current body condition score? What changes in the body condition score have occurred over the past 30 days, …60 days, …90 days?
- How often is the horse dewormed? What deworming compound(s) were used? Is there a rotation in the deworming compounds active ingredients being used? Is a boticide being used? These considerations should be explored with your veterinarian.
- When was the horse’s teeth checked and/or floated?
- What is currently being fed? …hay type & amounts? …balance concentrate and/or commodities types & amounts? Commodities reference individual feedstuffs that are added to the diet; for example rice bran, oats, wheat bran, etc?
- How many times per day is the horse fed?
- Is the horse fed with other horses or as an individual?
- How long has the current diet been fed? Have there been changes in last 30 days with types or amounts of feed being fed?
- Who feeds the horse? …training facility? …boarding facility? If others are feeding, is there a “checks & balance” in place ensuring the correct amounts are being fed?
- Have there been changes in the horse’s boarding conditions? ..change in facility? ..change in stable mates?
- What is the current work/training routine? How often? How many days per week? What is the level of intensity?
- When did his work/training program begin?
- Have there been any health issues?
Extruded feeds have been cooked at high steam-temperatures and pressure for a short period of time. This extrusion process also allows the cooked product to be pushed through a die which is what provides the uniform and different shapes. The cooking process will partially “break down” or prepare the starches and protein so that in general these components of the feed are better utilized. There are studies that support the better utilization of extruded feeds. The fundamental question is when will an extruded feed best serve the horse relative to the horse’s energy needs? Although extruded feeds are more expensive to make, thus more expensive to the consumer, I have always liked the extrusion process with feeds that contain high level of grains, such as corn, barley and oats. I will recommend extruded feeds that contain high levels of grains when the horse has high energy demands such as race horses, polo ponies, three-day event horses, some working horses (roping, cutting), early lactation, and sometimes selectively during early stages of growth.
If a horse needs to gain weight, the first approach is more calories. More calories can be accomplished by providing more feed or adding fat in the form of oil. Adding fat usually will not “insult” the nutrient – calorie ratio with most formulas and can provide the additional energy needed to gain weight. The amount of oil fed is depended on what is currently being fed, the horse’s body weight, and current work intensity. So I would need additional information to provide a specific amount of oil.
The Integrity Adult/Senior has properties that I like (and formulated) because it does have energy sources via rice bran, canola oil and oats but at the same time has ingredients (beet pulp & soy-hulls) that promote gut integrity. Integrity Adult/Senior is not an extruded feed and is not energy dense but is a low starch feed. Keep in mind that there is more nutritional management required when feeding an energy rich formula that is high in energy and starch. Star Milling’s Equine Age formula is a combination of extrusion and pellet forms and the first 3 ingredients on the label are alfalfa meal, wheat bran, and ground corn.
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My mare is going to foal in June. What should I be feeding her? Right now she is being fed alfalfa hay and 2 cups of senior feed.
The 2007 National Research Council (NRC) Nutrient Requirements of Horses energy recommendations for pregnancy are 5 – 8% greater than those published in 1989. The 2007 recommendations also suggest increasing energy intakes above maintenance much earlier in pregnancy, beginning in the 5th month. Although experience has guided my recommendations that the 1989 reference were inadequate, the 2007 recommendations are higher than I generally suggest. A table is provided that summarizes the energy recommendations for pregnancy compared to the maintenance requirements from the 2007 NRC and the 1989 NRC Nutrient Requirements of Horses.
You should have started feeding your mare a balance formula by at least the 7th month of pregnancy and continue to increase the amounts fed to maintain a body condition score of around 6.0. In the final 3 months of pregnancy the 2007 energy recommendations average 21.3% above a maintenance diet and the 1989 NRC recommendations average were 14.6% above a maintenance diet.
I do not know your mare’s current body condition score or body weight so my recommendations are general. Hay fed in the final trimester of pregnancy should approximate 1.75% of her body weight and a balance formula for pregnancy need to be fed. You will need to review the feeding guidelines listed in the Feeding Guidelines fact sheet in Dr. Bray’s Corner. Any adjustment in her diet must be gradual! Assuming your mare is in good flesh, which is a body condition score of greater than 5 and less than 6.5, then your goal is to feed your mare a balance diet that will supply the energy and nutrients needed to maintain the weight gain that occurs during the final stages of pregnancy. Star Milling has a Mare & Foal that is designed for pregnancy and foals. Another option is to consider a combination (50/50) of Integrity Growth and Star Milling’s Ace Hi Mare & Foal. I like the attributes of the lower starch and higher fiber in the Integrity formula which in combination complements the Mare & Foal formula.
Comparison of 2007 and 1989 NRC Nutrient Requirements of Horses Energy Requirements during Pregnancy

Mcal/day – megacalories (a unit quantity of energy) per day
2007 NRC - 2007 National Research Council Nutrient Requirements of Horses
1989 NRC - 1989 National Research Council Nutrient Requirements of Horses
% greater than Maintenance – energy expressed as the percentage of energy above energy requirements for maintenance
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My 27 year old has ulcers and my vet recommended feeding herbs. I feed mostly alfalfa, but I try to get alfalfa-grass mix when I can. What herbs would you recommend?
I understand the zeal many horse and animal owners have for herbs but I am not a supporter of herbal feeding. There are a plethora of herbs, herbal combinations, herbal processing, and herbal preparations that are promoted in animal feeding but the support provided that I view is anecdotal and lacks substantive reasoning, physiologically and biologically. One should not become trapped by advertisements that use marketing slogans such as “evidence proves”, “studies show”, “results demonstrated”, etc. Web technology now provides the powerful tool of testimonial blogs to advance customers testimonials and experiences. The science regarding many herbal products is either non-existent or very weak at best for horses and other animals. Nevertheless, I understand business enterprise and that goods are produced and provided where there is a market voice. We as consumers should have a choice, however we also have the responsibility of educating ourselves with products of interest; …and companies have the responsibility to provide accurate information to the consumer and not just marketing propaganda. I had a DVM professor at the University of Maryland during my early graduate studies who would frequently voice when treating a horse …“nothing is better than some tincture of time and scientific neglect”. This passage is one that I have frequently shared with students as well as with horse owners during my journey as an equine nutritionist.
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I have been happy how my pleasure Icelandic mare has been doing on the Integrity Lite feed - really great. In the summer/hot weather months, I'd like to give her feed that peps her up a little. Would the Integrity Senior be a safe solution? Or, perhaps I should mix the Integrity Lite with the Integrity Senior half and half? She is in proper weight and has no health issues. She is 14 years old. I would just like to give her more pep when the weather is hot if there is a recommended approach. I've never fed her grain.
The Integrity Adult/Senior is lower fiber, has a bit more fat, and contains oats, thus more calories than the Integrity Lite. To provide more fuel for a horse’s daily needs, you can also add fat via corn, soy or peanut oil. In general 1/2 cup is added for hair coat shine and for an energy boost, 1/2 -1 cup per day. The horse’s energy demands, work level coupled with body weight and amount of balanced formula being fed are the determining factors for the amount of oil to be added.
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I started training my 3 year old Quarter horse but my trainer said he needs more energy and to start feeding oats. Which oats do I use, roll, whole or crimp?
I do not generally recommend feeding commodities to horses that are not part of a balanced formula or balanced ration. In other words, I do not recommend feeding individual feeds such as oats, corn, wheat bran, rice bran, etc. as an add-on or supplement to a horse’s diet. A balanced formula is designed to provide nutrients and energy sources to address the established nutrient requirements of a horse relative to what they “do for a living”; that is, growing, working, producing foals, producing milk or just being a couch-potato. Feeding a balanced formula that complements the forage portion of the daily diet has always been my recommendation. This practice and recommendation evolved during my early teens which were many years before my career journey in horse and animal nutrition. I do have a couple of exceptions to this recommendation. I am an advocate of adding (or top-dressing) fat (in the form of oil) to the diet as a fuel source. In addition, there are occasions in which I will recommend adding beet pulp to a horse’s diet for the additional benefits of promoting “gut integrity”. So, if you want to add energy to your horse’s diet, feed a balance formula but the formula you need does not have to be loaded with corm, barley or rice bran. Our Integrity Growth would be my recommendation for this age and beginning training level.
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I have a 3 and 5 year old QH mare. I recently changed them from an all alfalfa and oat diet to predominantly Bermuda hay, almost free fed with maybe a couple lbs of alfalfa 2 times per day. They are up to 3 cups twice a day of Integrity Lite, no molasses. The 3 year old had physitis issues when younger. Is 6 cups of the Integrity Lite enough to give them the maximum vitamin/mineral supplement they need? Do I give a vitamin supplement? I have a 3 and 5 year old QH mare. I recently changed them from an all alfalfa and oat diet to predominantly Bermuda hay, almost free fed with maybe a couple lbs of alfalfa 2 times per day. They are up to 3 cups twice a day of Integrity Lite, no molasses. The 3 year old had physitis issues when younger. Is 6 cups of the Integrity Lite enough to give them the maximum vitamin/mineral supplement they need? Do I give a vitamin supplement?
The general recommendation I provide for 2 – 3 year olds is 1.4 – 1.5% of their body weight in dry forage (hay) and approximately 0.4 – 0.6% of their body weight in a balanced feed mix. The feed mix needs to be formulated for growing horses that will compliment the forage portion of the diet. When feeding a balance formula I do not recommend any additional supplements.
The Integrity Lite was formulated for adult or older, idle or less active horses. This formula also provides a rich source of soluble fiber for gut integrity. The Integrity Lite is not the correct Integrity formula for your late growing and early adult horses; the correct formula is Integrity Growth .
Let’s use for example a 2 year old that weighs approximately 920 lbs and is expected to mature to 15.2 hands and 1100 lbs. The daily diet would consist of approximately 13 lbs of grass hay and approximately 4 to 5 lbs of the Integrity Growth formula. Please keep in mind there are many factors that influence the horse’s energy and nutrient requirements; …which is why I encourage horse owners to become familiar with the body condition scoring system (this system is provided with photos at Dr. Bray’s Corner). The body condition scoring system allows one to manage feed amounts relative to body weight. Any adjustments in increasing or reducing feed amounts will be with the amounts of Integrity Growth; …forage is critical to maintaining gut integrity and the recommended amounts provided are for this age group.
Two years olds are still growing so they need a better quality energy source other than hay. The Integrity Growth contains soluble fiber sources (beet pulp and soybean hulls) but also includes rice bran, fat (canola oil) and oats as the primary fuel sources and soybean meal as the primary protein source. Three year olds usually have reached their mature height but their body composition remains somewhat dynamic. Muscle to body fat relationship is changing and although this lean-to-fat ratio is primarily influenced by genetics, exercise and diet are important factors in navigating the ship.
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I have a 28 year old horse diagnosed by a DVM for Cushing. He is taking 1 mg of Pergolide.
What do I feed him?
(Note to Readers: There was more than one communication with this question in order to have more details about the horse.)
Thank you for the additional information on your Cushing horse. The goal is to maintain body weight on a total diet that is low in starches and sugars. That type of diet includes hay and the form will depend on the health of his teeth and his ability to chew; …choices are flake hay or processed (cube or pellet) hay. A quick note: if his molars (jaw teeth) are compromised then you will need to feed primarily processed hay; thus mixing the total diet (including the hay) in a gruel (aka oatmeal consistency) by adding water.
Your reference in one of the emails to “low sugar hay” sounds like someone’s marketing pitch. The starch and sugar content of hay will vary based on grass type of course but perhaps more importantly with maturity of the hay. The seller would need to have laboratory data such as %ESC (Ethanol Soluble Carbohydrates) and %starch to make and support such a claim. Grass hays are generally considered low starch and low sugar forages; the general concern with grass forages is with young spring grass that will have elevated levels of the carbohydrates fructans. In California, the grass hays available are typically modest to mature hays because the producer wants to maximize the yield from the hay fields. Because of the mild climate, west coast hay producers can manage their hay production so that 7 – 8 cuttings per year are not uncommon, thus there is usually some level of consistency in hay quality from the same hay producer. I would be very skeptical of any claim on hay starch content unless that particular hay cutting has a lab analysis verifying the amount of starch and ESC in the hay and identifying the hay producer, the field number, and date the field was cut.
So with that background information let’s take a look at your horse. The Timothy cubes are a good choice and the amount fed seems appropriate for his body weight. I do not have the low starch feed label on the product you referenced and that company’s web site does not provide the list of ingredients. The list of ingredients and specially the first 4 ingredients are important is selecting a feed to compliment the forage portion of the diet. This company’s low starch feed you referenced is designed to be the primary feed source, hence the recommended amounts of 12 – 20 lbs per day. My feeding philosophy is different in that I formulate balance feed mixes to COMPLIMENT the forage being fed and the Complete-Feed approach (one-feed-fits-all) is usually not one that fits in my portfolio of recommendations. I like flexibility in feeding and the Integrity formulas are designed for flexibility and designed to COMPLEMENT the forage portion of the diet.
The Integrity Lite WITHOUT MOLASSES is low starch (1.6% starch) and low %ESC (5.8%). The formula does not contain grains, is high fiber (20%), modest in protein (12%), contains 4% fat, and the first 4 ingredients are beet pulp shreds, soybean hulls pellet, oat hay pellet, soybean meal. Based on the information you provided in a second email I would suggest feeding 2 pounds per day and adjust for maintaining body weight. If your horse needs additionally calories you can also add fat to the mix in the form of oil; 1/3 cups per day. This approach provides flexibility in how much is being fed while maintaining a consistent fiber intake with the Timothy hay and high fiber in Integrity Lite.
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Do I need to feed electrolytes to my horse every day during the summer?
I ride him 3 days a week for about an hour?
Supplementing your horse with electrolytes will depend on several factors, including: diet, type of hay, other feeds, & supplements; is a salt block available & used; temperature and humidity; type of exercise, length and intensity; what is the horse’s fitness, etc. If your horse is on balance diet and you are riding during the cooler part of the day, then for your question, no. However for additional considerations, please read on.
Commercial electrolytes are expensive and if you are feeding a balanced commercial feed mix, like Integrity, the formula will contain a minimum of 0.5% added salt (sodium chloride) and is balanced for key nutrients, potassium, calcium & magnesium, that are electrolytes. Some performance commercial mixes may contain 1% added salt.
Electrolytes are important for a number of body functions including fluid balance, muscle function and nerve function. Where there is water loss there will be electrolyte loss which includes not just sweat but also through the urine and feces. A balanced diet will replace the electrolyte with normal water loss but horse owner are not sure when that threshold of normal water loss occurs.
If you have a horse that is worked or even stabled in a hot and/or humid climate then consider the overall nutritional management factors.
- Feed a good quality hay; alfalfa is a good source of calcium, potassium, so considering the forage feeding guidelines, alfalfa at 25% of the daily forage is workable
- Feed a commercial mix that is a balance formula, like the Integrity feeds
- Always allow free access to water
- Provide a salt block
- Provide shade and a well ventilated stall
There is a heat index scoring system that has been around that provides an empirical guideline of when temperature and humidity are too much. I could not identify the original source of this Index so I apologize for not giving credit to the source.
The empirical formula, F° + %RH > 150, is the sum of the temperature (Fahrenheit, F°) and the percent relative humidity (%RH). When the total score is greater than 150 and the % humidity contributes approximately 50% of the total than the horse may be compromised in cooling. The numerical scores and guidelines are as follows.
| Index Score |
Guideline |
| < 130 |
Heat loss should not a problem |
| > 150 |
Heat loss is compromised especially if humidity contributes more than 50% of the total score |
| 150 - 170 |
Exercise with caution and observe your horse; electrolyte supplementation should be considered |
| > 180 |
little heat dissipation can occur; look for a better time to ride |
If you decide you need to provide electrolyte supplementation, add to the feed or administer directly into the mouth in a paste form. I do not recommend adding electrolytes to water sources. Adding to the water does not allow control of the amount consumed and may adversely influence drinking. There are commercial preparations but they are expensive. A home recipe to consider is mixing 2 parts table salt and 1 part Lite salt; lite salt is a 50/50 blend of table salt and potassium chloride.
Guidelines
- If you have concerns with temperature and/or humidity then provide the electrolyte supplementation 2 hours before exercise, every 2 hours during exercise and 2 hours after exercise. Obviously you will need to use your horse experience to make the best call. The amount will vary depending on the conditions as stated above. In general, horses not sweating excessively, administer 2 ounces per day of this mixture prior to exercise. Horses that are sweating in a hot and humid condition will need more; need 3- 5 ounces of this mixture in 2 – 3 doses.
- If you are going on a trail ride for a couple of hours than administer 2 hours before and monitor the sweating and drinking to determine if an additional dose in needed a couple of hours after the ride. Be sure the horse is provided several opportunities to drink.
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Why do you not recommend feeding 100% alfalfa hay to horses?
There are not many other choices in California.
The main reason is that I believe that 100% alfalfa hay does not provide adequate fiber in the horse’s diet. Fiber is critical for gut health. From my experiences, there is a critical threshold of fiber that I want to provide a horse that is not pastured. Average quality alfalfa hay fed at 1.5% of the horse’s body weight provides only 80+% of my “fiber-intake goal”. Of course if you are feeding commercial mixes that contain good sources of fiber, such as beet pulp and soy hulls, one needs to ‘add” that fiber to the daily allotment. Most horse owners do not want to push a pencil in calculating fiber intake because there are too many variables to consider. So an easy nutritional management approach is to be sure the forage portion of the horse’s diet provides adequate fiber intake. The benefit of Integrity products is that the high levels of beet pulp and/or soy hulls provides added value to fiber intake and are sources of fiber that promote gut integrity.
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I have a horse that turns two this month and we have been feeding her Integrity Adult/Senior but just noticed you have one that is for younger horses called Integrity Growth. Should we be feeding her that instead? We also supplement with extra whole oats and hay.
Yes, you want to feed the Integrity Growth to the two year old but do not cut the diet with oats. Integrity Growth is a balance formula for growing horses and by adding a feed such as oats will alter that balance of nutrients with energy. Grass hay is fine; ...I do not recommend 100% alfalfa as the only hay.
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I have an 18 year old Arabian gelding who is just my pet. He is a little overweight and I want to know should I feed him the Integrity Lite or Integrity Senior?
Since he is not active and is your companion, the Integrity Lite will be ideal. This formula does not have any starch-containing grains so it’s very low starch; Integrity Lite without molasses ESC (ethanol soluble carbohydrates) is 5.9% and the %starch is 1.6%; thus the %starch
+ %ESC = 7.5%.
Other attributes of Integrity Lite are that the first two ingredients in the formula are beet pulp and soy-hulls which contribute to gut integrity; contains 22% crude fiber and is low in energy; equally important Integrity Lite is balance for all the required nutrients to compliment the forage portion of his diet. For an average size Arabian gelding that is not active, I would suggest feeding 1 1/2 to 2 pounds per day.
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I have a very old idle horse with worn molars and loss teeth that cannot eat hay. Can I feed him only a senior formula and how much do I feed? He weighs about 1000 pounds.
NO, because there is inadequate fiber in that diet. Unfortunately, there is no industry standard for senior diets relative to guarantee analysis or “must-have” ingredients. For example, if you look at the senior formulas on the market today, the crude fiber content will range from 8 – 22%; fiber is a dietary component, not a required nutrient. Star Milling’s Integrity Adult/Senior contains 16% crude fiber and equally important is that the first two ingredients are beet pulp and soy-hulls. Integrity Adult/Senior was formulated to compliment the forage portion of the horse’s diet for energy, nutrients and fiber.
Horse owners know a horse needs fiber in their diet. Depending on where you live, the fiber source may be from pasture grazing, baled hay, hay cubes, or hay pellets. Fiber is critical for “Gut Integrity”! Microorganisms that live in the gut depend on fiber and the horse depends on micros to supply a source of energy and a few selective nutrients. Fiber is also critical for gut motility. Remember the gut is a muscle and contraction with consistency is vital for a healthy gut.
So how much fiber does the horse require? The recently published NRC (6th ed.) only addresses issues associated with inadequate fiber intake but does reference the 1989 NRC report of “no less than 1% of BW as forage (DM) per day.” There is no study that states a horse requires X grams of crude fiber per pound of body weight. When we eventually take the step to identify fiber requirement then most likely fiber requirements will be identified as ADF (acid detergent fiber) which is a laboratory assessment that represents certain fiber components. Other fiber assessments that may be considered are NDF (neutral detergent fiber) and TDF (total dietary fiber).
I frequently emphasize the importance of fiber for adult horses by recommending dried forage (hay of some type) at a minimum of 1.5% of body weight (as-fed) and then I further add my Forage Feeding Rules: not more than 50% of the forage can be alfalfa; not more than 50% of the forage can be from a cereal grain hay; 50% of the forage must be a long stem source (baled not cube or pellet); not more than 50% of the forage can be from process hay (pellets, cubes) and so on. These guidelines emphasize the importance of fiber and the source of that fiber. Granted there is not any research that states the number of grams of crude fiber or ADF a horse requires but practical knowledge tells us a certain amount is needed for gut integrity. If we look at moderate quality grass hay and how much that horse needs to consume to sustain body weight and gut integrity, one can mathematically estimate the amount of fiber consumed per day and then how much fiber is required per pound of body weight.
Let’s use an 1100 pound horse as an example and let’s just look at protein and fiber intakes from a senior formula that has 16% crude fiber and 14% crude protein. Energetically if this horse is fed for maintenance, he will need approximately 16.7 Mcal of digestible energy (DE) per day. If this senior feed contains 1.3 Mcal of DE/pound (and most likely that energy information is not on the label or bag) then you would feed about12.8 pound per day just to maintain the body weight of the horse. So how much protein and crude fiber is that horse consuming per day from the 12.8 pounds of senior feed? He is consuming 933 grams of crude fiber and 813 grams of crude protein. The horse’s protein requirement, according to NRC (6th ed.), is 656 grams and as stated above they do not provide a crude fiber or ADF requirement. My estimated fiber requirement for this horse would be approximately 1,930 grams of crude fiber or 2,375 gram of ADF. (I’m not going to bore you with my calculations for now) So compare my estimated fiber requirement of 1,930 grams to 933 grams provided by a diet of just senior feed; in other words the requirement is at least twice that which is provided in this diet example.
Remember, fiber intake is a critical consideration in feeding horses! The first items on the list with feeding a horse: What is the fiber source and how much do I feed?
Answer: So for your horse, a diet consisting of 4 pounds of Integrity Senior, 10 pound of a grass hay pellet mixed with water in a gruel (oatmeal consistency) along with access to a flake of grass hay will meet his energy protein, fiber & other nutrient requirements. You still need to provide him long stem hay to nibble and with this recommendation he only needs to consume a pound of that long stem hay. Now if you notice, the fiber sources are not “meeting the rule” that 50% of the fiber must be from long-stem fiber sources; but this horse is not the average adult and yes we need to make adjustments; …which is why Integrity Senior is fed because the first two ingredients are beet pulp and soy-hulls, fiber sources with bulk-laxative like properties.
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The alfalfa we are feeding our horses has 17%+ protein (DM basis) and has a calcium - phosphorus ratio of 6:1. These are both way over current NRC guidelines. What do you recommend to help get these levels down? If we change forage, I would be thinking of cubes?
I do not recommend feeding 100% alfalfa as the forage portion of the horse’s diet. Granted there are issues that are and have been associated with alfalfa forage diets including intestinal stones, developmental orthopedic disease, blister beetle toxicity, photosensitization, high potassium levels, protein content that can be 75 – 125% more protein than the horse requires, and excess calcium concentration. However my concerns are about fiber intake. If the forage portion of the diet is 100% alfalfa and there is not any other source of fiber being fed, then this alfalfa base diet is inadequate in fiber intake. Granted, there are not any studies that clearly identify the amount of fiber a horse requires to promote and maintain gut integrity; however, without boring you with calculations, if alfalfa is the only forage source fed then relative to my recommended dietary goals, it provides appropriately 15% less dietary fiber. Key point in feeding horses is to understand that the forage portion of the horse’s diet is fundamental to promoting and maintaining gut integrity.
My recommendations for feeding dry forages:
For most adult horses not grazing pasture, feed a minimum of 1.5% of body weight per day of forage (hay); for example, a 1000 lb horse would be fed a minimum of 15.0 lb of hay per day;
• long-stem hay (from the bale) should be at least 50% of the total forage consumed per day; horses consume more water with long stem hay than they would with hay cubes or hay pellets
• processed hay (pellets or cubes) should not exceed more than 50% of the total forage consumed per day;
• alfalfa hay (bale & processed), a popular hay for west coast horse owners, should not exceed more than 50% of the total forage consumed per day;
• cereal grain hays (oat, barley, wheat) should not exceed more than 50% of the total forage consumed per day;
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Is beet pulp really full of sugar like they say? How much protein is in beet pulp? What is the maximum I should feed a day?
C omposition
Beet pulp is the residue or by-product that remains after sugar beet processing. Dried beet pulp contains approximately 9 to 10% crude protein, approximately 18% crude fiber, 0.75% calcium and 0.09% phosphorus. Beet pulp has bulk laxative like properties; these properties include an affinity for water and a combination of the fiber composition and fiber digestion which promote the gut to contract with more vigor.
Feeding Amounts & Recommendations
The maximum that can be fed depends on the body weight of the horse, the activity of the horse, and of course what else is being fed. If a horse owner wants to add beet pulp to the diet, my general recommendation has been not more than 0.25% of body weight per day. In other words, for a 900 lb horse, that’s up to 2.25 lbs of beet pulp per day; for a 1000 lb horse, up to 2.5 lbs of beet pulp; and for an 1100 lb horse, up to 2.75 lbs of beet pulp. If you are adding beet pulp to the diet, you must feed by weight, not volume, and if you choose to soak the beet pulp the recommendations are before you add water.
An important consideration is that every time you add an individual feedstuff to a ration, there is a good chance you will distort the balance of some nutrients. A ration of hay and beet pulp is not considered balance. I have fed beet pulp at much higher levels than my recommendation but I know my nutritional management skills. I often comment that “ones nutritional management skill is the guide to feeding, not some general sound byte”; …which is why I often provide conservative recommendations on feeding because nutritional management skills come with time, experience with many horses, and education.
A side bar note: today’s small coffee can is not 16 oz of coffee and a coffee can of shredded beet pulp does not weigh 1 lb. The last time I checked, shredded beet pulp in a 16 oz container weighed approximately 0.6 lbs. Remember recommendations for feeding beet pulp is based on the weight before you add water.
If you are feeding Integrity products, beet pulp and soy hulls are major ingredients; in several products they are the first and second ingredients, so feeding additional “soluble fiber sources” such as beet pulp would not be needed. For a maintenance or less active horse you may want to consider feeding a balance concentrate such as the Integrity Lite without molasses; the Integrity Lite (as with all Integrity Products) is balanced with all the nutrients the horse requires and is formulated to compliment the forage portion of the horse’s diet.
Sugar / Starch Content
The panic in the horse industry with sugar and starch content in feeds has created a lot of confusion. My concerns have been the comparison of just numbers by horse owners and not knowing if the numbers represent sugar content, starch content, non structural carbohydrates (NSC), non fiber carbohydrates (NFC), water soluble carbohydrates (WSC), ethanol soluble carbohydrates (ESC) or a combination. I receive questions about sugar and starch content quite often but when I query ration goals or which analysis they are referencing as a concern, most do not know or are understandably confused by the terminology.
Below is a table of sugar and starch values for beet pulp and a few other feedstuffs; this information can be found on the Equi Analytical Laboratories website, a feed laboratory assessment company.
| Analysis |
*% Water Soluble Carbohydrates (WSC) |
* % Ethanol Soluble Carbohydrates (ESC) |
* % Starch |
* % Non Structural Carbohydrates (NSC) |
* % Non Fiber Carbohydrates (NFC) |
| Beet Pulp |
10.3 |
7.9 |
1.2 |
11.8 |
44.9 |
| Oats |
3.2 |
2.0 |
44.3 |
48.7 |
52.3 |
| Soybean Hulls |
3.5 |
2.5 |
1.5 |
5.1 |
19.2 |
| Wheat Bran |
8.3 |
5.3 |
22.2 |
29.8 |
35.4 |
| Wheat Mids |
8.0 |
4.7 |
26.5 |
32.9 |
37.2 |
* Source of values are from Equi Analytical Laboratories website; http://www.equi-analytical.com/CommonFeedProfiles
Beet pulp is in the low range for starch content and is considered a safe feed; there is sugar residue remaining after the processing of beets but one needs to consider the total carbohydrates in the feedstuff. Soy hulls are a really good low WSC & ESC by-product that I have used for years in many formulations.
ESC includes the monosaccharides, disaccharides, and the short chain fructans; WSC contains sugars and fructans of all molecular sizes. NSC is often confused with NFC and NSC does not provide a solid profile on sugar and starch content; …so, NSC has been eliminated by many as an evaluation assessment.
The horse industry appears to have a cycle with some hot topic and sugar / starch feeding levels are that topic today. The positive outlook of this concern is that horse owners are revisiting what they feed their horses and perhaps learning more about what provides a balance ration. The feed industry has benefited by revisiting and updating formulations if needed. I do have concerns with the internet diagnosis, owner diagnosis or friend diagnosis that a horse is insulin resistant, or has Cushing’s disease, or is a candidate for one of the myopathies. Horse owners are encouraged to visit with their veterinarians for a clinical diagnosis. If there are logical clinical concerns then nutritional management may need to be addressed; which is why Star Milling has a consulting equine nutritionist to provide guidance to their customers.
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Could you tell me the reason why it is recommended not to feed your horse more than 5 lbs of horse feed from a bag per feeding?
The stomach of the horse has limited capacity since the horse evolved as a continuous grazer. The horse’s stomach capacity is relative to the horse’s size but ranges from 2.0 – 3.5 gallons. Their gastrointestinal tract is designed to eat grass continuously or at least for long periods of time during the day. Feeds vary in water content. Grass is about 80% water compared to typical grass hays which are approximately 10% water; most “bag” feeds are about 10% water. With balance concentrates (an example of a “bag” feed) that consist of small particle size feeds (such as pellet-feedstuffs, grains, processed grains, feedstuff by-products) a horse, if allowed, could eat large quantities in one meal in a short period of time. Thus relative to the stomach capacity if the horse consumes a large volume of “bag” feed in one meal, the increase in gut fill will stimulate the gastrointestinal tract to contract with more vigor; the increase in contraction of the gastrointestinal tract translates that the food will pass through the gut at a faster rate. A faster rate reduces the time the food is exposed to chemical and enzymatic digestion in the foregut (foregut consist of the stomach and small intestine). An important note is that the horse’s stomach will begin to empty when it’s at 60% of capacity and the stomach is an important site for chemical digestion.
When feeding balance concentrates (or bag feeds), the nutritional management goal is to provide an optimum opportunity for chemical and enzymatic digestion to take place in the foregut; the prevalent types of digestion that takes place in the foregut are different then that of the hindgut. Digestion that is prevalent in the hindgut (cecum and large intestine) is microbial, hence a fermentation digestion, and is the primary site where fiber is digested. Any food containing starches, fats and protein that escaped enzymatic digestion will be digested microbially.
In general, the major site for chemical digestion is the stomach, the major site for enzymatic digestion is the small intestine, and the major site for microbial digestion is the hindgut; this summation is a bit over-simplified but hopefully helps with the basic goal to nutritionally management our feeding program relative to the horse’s gut design.
Thus the general rule for most “bag” feeds or grain mixes is that not more than 5 pounds is fed per meal. The amount of fiber and starch in the “bag” feed really influences this generalization. This recommendation actually evolved when balance feeds were primarily a mixture of corn, oats, barley and soybean meal and there is a threshold in which microbial digestion of grain feed mixes will precipitate a belly ache we know as colic. Today more “bag” feeds have higher fiber and fat content and include feed ingredients such as beet pulp, soy hulls, grass hays, oils (fat) or brans; …so that the amounts fed per meal can vary.
The Integrity feed products contain high levels of beet pulp and/or soy hulls and are considered safe feeds to feed larger quantities because of their high levels of soluble fiber type feedstuffs. Nevertheless, I would rather that you feed the Integrity products more frequently and use the not more than 5 pounds per meal guideline.
In many of my responses you will see the phrase nutritional management; in my 40-plus years working with horses as a horseman, manager, consultant, and professor, most of the nutritional issues boiled down to how the horse is nutritionally management; …which is why the 250-page manual I developed for my equine nutrition class at the university is called Equine Nutritional Management©.
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Is Teff hay ok to feed my horse with the Integrity products?
Yes. Teff grass hay has been around for quite awhile but the availability of the grass hay had been inconsistent for west coast horse owners. However, the consistence in availability has changed with more being grown, hay producers recognizing the quality, and producers learning how to work through the growing nuisances of Teff. Also Teff is now available in a hay pellet in southern California. Horses sometimes need time to adjust to Teff hay from the bale because the texture is different than other grass hays.
| Teff Hay |
| Analysis |
Percent (%) |
| Crude Protein |
10.8% |
| Crude Fat |
2.2% |
| Crude Fiber |
26.8% |
| Ash |
8.8% |
| Calcium |
0.56% |
| Phosphorus |
0.23% |
| Calcium-Phosphorus Ratio |
2.4: 1 |
| Potassium |
1.26% |
| Starch (Ewers Method |
1.6% |
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Teff is native to Ethiopia and is classified as a warm season annual grass. It’s not considered a very good pasture grass because the root system is shallow and the turf is easily damaged with grazing animals.
The composition of Teff hay is a good fit with the Integrity product line. As with any grass forage that is processed for hay, there are many factors that will influence the composition. Over the years hay produced for horses on the west coast usually is a more mature hay to increase the yield from the field and thus is often on the lower to average end on analysis. The Teff hay assessments that I have seen in the past year have been better than most grass hays usually fed on the west coast. I have included a recent report analysis of Teff hay from a source in southern California.
Teff hay is available at Star Milling Dealers
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My vet told me not to feed my senior a senior diet that has beet pulp and soy hulls because these feeds will cause gas colic; is this true?
The production of gas in the gut (gastrointestinal tract) is normal for all mammals and especially for those animals whose gut is designed to eat large quantities of plant materials. Horses are classified as non-ruminant herbivores. Their hindgut, which includes the cecum and colon, is the major site for fermentation of the plant materials that are not (or can not) be digested in the foregut through chemical and enzymatic digestion. In the fermentation process, it’s the “job” of the microorganisms to digest the plant materials and produce selective nutrients and energy that are available to the horse. “Gas” is a by-product of the fermentation process and the horse’s gut is capable of moving the gas though the colon to be released. Excess gas production which has the potential of causing a first class belly ache, that we know as colic, can result from numerous factors; these factors include inadequate fiber in the diet, inadequate exercise, inadequate consumption of water (note: fiber and exercise influence water consumption), inadequate management routine, certain drugs, specially antibiotics, over feeding starchy feeds, changes in feeds and amount fed, inconsistent daily meal frequency and amounts fed, and (perhaps the cause that will step on the toes of horse owners….) inadequate nutritional management experience and knowledge.
Beet pulp and soy hulls contain a type of fiber that is fermentable and is broken down by the microorganisms that live in the gut. The grasses that are fed via pasture and hay also have some fermentable fiber as well as the fiber that is classified as insoluble fiber. If there is inadequate forage provided, and the horse is fed a large quantity of fermentable fiber, then sure, excess gas production could occur; another scenario is if large portions of grain type feeds (in which major ingredients include corn, oats, and/or barley) are fed, then an excess gas production could occur. Any combination of factors listed in the first paragraph can cause an excess gas production, …but these scenarios are still not that simple; …because the bottom line is that nutritional management of the horse plays the most important role in his gut health. Nutritional Management does not come from what we read on the internet, it’s a result of time, experience and education.
Are there some horses whose gut may be more sensitive to fermentable fiber type feeds; sure, …BUT through my 40+ years of experiences with horses as a owner, breeder, farm manager, university professor, and nutritional consultant, I have not had one horse that could not be easily managed with a diet that includes fermentable fiber such as beet pulp and soy hulls.
Summary: Beet pulp and soy hulls…
- are important feedstuffs in the nutritional management of horses.
- are a safe source of energy in balanced concentrates to fuel the horse in what ever he does.
- are solid ingredients with other feedstuffs that are formulated for a balanced concentrate mix that will compliment the forage portion of the horse’s diet.
- have bulk laxative like properties that will assist the gut to contract with consistency and regularity as well as maintain a healthy microorganism population in the gut.
So the bottom line, …the information provided by your veterinarian is incorrect.
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I attended lectures with you at Cal Poly Pomona. I have a mid-teen paint gelding who is currently on an all alfalfa diet and is maintaining a good body condition and is in overall good health but urinates excessively. He tends to have a saturated wet spot approximately 10'x10'. I am assuming that he is getting too much protein from his straight alfalfa diet. I am looking for a cost effective solution to provide the roughage and bulk he needs while lowering the amount of alfalfa/protein he is taking in. Is there any advantage to either timothy or orchard to justify paying twice the cost of Bermuda? Which would you recommend?
You are right on target with your assessment in feeding alfalfa as the only forage and the volume of urine. Feeding only alfalfa as the hay (forage) can provide 60 to 125% more protein than the horse requires. Excess protein in the diet means excess nitrogen in the diet. Proteins consist of approximately 16% nitrogen. As the protein is broken down to amino acids, carbon fragments, etc., the excess nitrogen becomes a waste product that needs to be eliminated. Nitrogen is primarily eliminated by the body through the urine. Excess dietary nitrogen translates to the horse drinking more water, which is necessary to transport the urinary waste product, and drinking more water means more urination, larger volume of the “wet-spot” and more ammonia odor as well.
Any of the three grass hays will work and remember my guidelines on feeding forages. Those guidelines can be found in the Fact Sheet section of Dr. Bray’s corner in Feeding Guidelines for Horses. I am not a big fan of cereal grain hays because the amount of seed-head can vary a great deal. Often horses will pick through the hay, eating the seed heads first and thus not consuming adequate amounts of the hay’s fiber portion. As you know from attending my seminars, I place a lot of emphasis on fiber and gut integrity. Also remember that any changes in feed must be gradual. The rate of recommended changes with hay type and amounts can also be found in Feeding Guidelines for Horses. Protein “fuels” the microbe so when there is a feed change that includes a high protein feed or hay (such as alfalfa) and a much lower protein feed (such as grass hays) the change must be gradual to allow the microbes to adjust. The bacteria that live in the gut need to adjust whether you are removing or adding a protein source.
You will hear in the horse circles different views of forage sources. The bottom line is that the nutritional management of the forage being fed is the key factor.
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I have a 33 year old pony in good health that needs a low starch, no molasses complete feed that he does not have to 'chew'. His molars are worn down to his gums, so he needs a feed that is soft or can be softened with water. My vet recommended no more than 13% starch. Do you have a feed for him?
Since your pony is 33 years old and most likely a companion and not active, I would suggest the Integrity Lite without molasses which has 1.6 % starch.
There is much confusion in the horse industry about carbohydrates which is understandable because carbohydrates are a complicated class of chemicals. There are different laboratory assessments used to measure the different classes of carbohydrate chemicals. A standard to provide an understanding of starch content in horse feeds is the numerical value that represents % starch and the ethanol soluble carbohydrates (ESC). The ESC for Integrity Lite without molasses for is 5.9% thus the %Starch + %ESC for Integrity Lite without molasses is 7.5%.
Integrity Lite without molasses of course does not have molasses, does not contain any grains and the first two ingredients are beet pulp and soybean hulls which are “fiber” sources that promote gut integrity. You indicated your pony has worn-down molars and has issues with chewing so adding water to soften the feed is a practice some horse owners will use. Start with equal volume of water and the goal is to soften the feed. If your pony is an aggressive eater and tends to eat fast and not take time to chew, you can place “small rock boulders” in the feed bucket to create obstacles so that he has to navigate around the heavy objects to eat. This nutritional management practice will slow down the rate of feed consumption. Obviously, the ”small rock boulders” phrase is a bit-of-humor because the rock-obstacles must be large and heavy enough so that the pony or horse is unable to pick any up by the mouth.
The Integrity Lite contains not more than 20% crude fiber but I always recommend a fiber source such as baled-hay or pasture. If baled-hay (long-stem fiber source) is not an option then you can feed a hay pellet. Fiber is a critical part of the horse’s diet so adding the hay pellet with the Integrity Lite is a better option than a ‘complete’ feed. You will have flexibility in regulating his diet.
(Follow-up Note: Further details about the pony (see What to Feed your Horse) provided the information needed to recommend a blend of 1 lb Integrity Lite without molasses with 6.5 lbs of a hay pellet to start; adjustments would be made based on body condition score changes.)
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I have a 6 month old Quarter filly that was just weaned. Do I need to feed her grain? Can I feed her alfalfa hay?
When a foal hits the ground (newborn) their foregut is ready to handle their only source of nourishment, ..the dam’s milk. From day one, the foregut of a foal is designed to digest (enzymatically and chemically) the energy and nutrients provided by the milk. However, the hindgut (colon and cecum) will not fully mature, capacity and microbially, until they are approaching 2 1/2 years of age. Hence, providing a growing horse a balance feed mix that supplies feed sources of energy and nutrients that can be process in the foregut is important in their development. Star Milling’s Integrity Growth was formulated for growing horses from 8 months to 3 years of age. I always recommend creep feeding foals during the nursing phase. If you did and were using a Mare and Foal feed such as the Ace High or Kelly’s Mare and Foal then continue with feeding up to 8 months and gradually transition to Integrity Growth. If the foal has not been on any balance feed formula then introduce a 50/50 blend of the Integrity Growth and the Mare and Foal. Start the foal at 1/2 lb per day (divide the 1/2 lb into two feedings) and increase by 1/4 lb per day every other day until you reach a daily ration of 1/2 to 1 lb of the blend per hundred lbs of body weight. If the foal weighs 500 lbs then feed approximately 3 1/2 to 5 lbs per day. My general recommendation for alfalfa feeding with foals is not more than 25% of the foal’s total forage feeding per day.
Note: if you are not sure about estimating body weight of your foal, I have added to the Fact Sheet section of Dr. Bray’s Corner, Estimating Body Weight of Growing Foals.
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I feed my horse carrots and apples 3 times a week? Is that too much?
Carrots and apples are about 90% water. For comparison the primary feeds that are fed to horses, including baled hays, feed mixes and hay pellets, contain approximately 10% water. You did not indicate how many of each are fed but if you are like most horse owners the amounts fed vary from a couple to several. Bottom line, No Worries! I view carrot and apples as treats and an opportunity to bond with your horse. I hear the stories about too much carotene, too much sugar, and horses becoming to aggressive and nipping. The water content of the carrot and apples and the amounts fed make these treats a non-factor relative to nutrition. When I was a kid I would have a peppermint in a work coat with an oversize side pocket. Jody-Grey was the gelding I rode (big ole quarter horse) and he would go into that pocket to recover the peppermint. He was conditioned to only look once and only when I turned to him with the pocket side containing the peppermint. I did not always have a sweet for him and if I did not turn for him to look he knew the pocket was empty. He never nipped because of the conditioning he received; …part of the bonding experience. That was a great experience for me as a youngster and perhaps helped set the direction that eventually took me down the path to be an equine nutritionist & professor.
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My horse is a 13 year old, gelding, paint/quarter horse. His work is only trail rides 2 times a week on average. He currently eats alfalfa hay and some orchard hay and rice bran. He had a slight case of colic the other day and I want to switch to Integrity. He has quite a bit of energy. What is your opinion for a horse that does not get much work with an easy breezy life style?
The combination of orchard grass hay and alfalfa hay will work as long as you follow the forage feeding rules in the Fact Sheet section, Feeding Guidelines for Horses. One of my fundamental rules is that alfalfa hay can not be more than 50% of the total forage fed per day. This guideline is based on minimum fiber intake that I recommend. The amount of hay fed should approximate 1.5% of his body weight. So if your gelding weighs 1100 pounds then the combination of hays will be 16.5 pounds per day. The Integrity Lite will be a good choice for a horse with this work load. The amount fed can vary with his body weight, but for 1100 pound horse, I would suggest 2 pounds per day and on the days you ride him add an extra pound ; …that is, feed 3 pound per day.
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I’m trying to estimate the amount of Integrity Lite (no molasses) to feed my two horses; a 22 yr Andalusian gelding with poor upper molars, and a 19 yr Paso Fino mare with IR (insulin resistant) and minimal work. Live together in a 24X48 stall with 24/7 bale net of Bermuda. The Integrity bag label suggests about 6.6 pounds for a 1000 lb horse. In your response to an owner with a 28 yr horse with Cushing's you had suggested 2 pounds/day of the Integrity Lite (no molasses). I feed 4 pounds per day to the gelding and 2 pounds/day to the mare - each split into am/pm feedings. Why the big difference in the label recommendation (6 pounds/day) and the recommendation to the 28 yr horse (2 pounds/day)? The big gap confused me. Thank you.
(Follow up note from customer): …Thanks for taking my call this afternoon and for the recommendations. As the staple, would Orchard or another hay be better?
I understand and appreciate the confusion. The feeding guidelines that are provided on packaging address body weight, (and/or body condition score), and production/work levels only. This information is basic but there are a plethora of other factors that influence a horse’s diet besides body weight and production level; … which is why I always use the phrase “Feeding Guidelines” for feeding recommendations. In the fact sheet section of Dr. Bray’s Corner, there is a fact sheet titled “What to feed your horse?” This information provides a series of questions and subset list of question(s) that helps me provide recommendations. I wish I could print that fact sheet on the packaging but we do have Dr. Bray’s Corner which does provide nutritional management recommendations. Often I will speak by phone with the customer as a follow up. Feeding horses is much more than flakes of hay and scopes of grain and Star Milling’s Dr. Bray’s Corner emphasizes the importance developing nutritional management skills and the importance of using the body condition scoring system to guide the horse owner in feeding decisions.
Relative to your follow up question regarding orchard hay or another forage: All the grass hays are similar in nutrient/energy concentration. Because orchard grass on the west coast is inconsistent with the calcium-phosphorus ratio I usually suggest a small amount (20%) of alfalfa hay be fed with the orchard as well
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I have a 3 year old Thoroughbred laid off race training for sesamoiditis. I need something to mix the silicon supplement with while undergoing shockwave therapy. I was thinking of Integrity Lite or Low Starch?
OTC (over-the counter) supplements are usually dosed at very small amounts so most any feed concentrate that the horse is currently being fed will work. If the supplement has a particular taste that the horse is reluctant to consume with its typical ration then you will need to camouflage the flavor or prepare a direct-dose mixture that he (she) can not refused. The easiest flavor cover-up is to sprinkle brown sugar onto the feed with the supplement. A texture feed that has molasses and different feed forms like the Integrity Lite will work as well; the molasses content in the Integrity Lite is low (there is an Integrity Lite without molasses as well) but adds flavor so that the a horse usually will ignore the supplement that is not taste appealing. If the mild sweetness of the feed is overpowered by the taste of the supplement then you will need to consider a paste form that can be dosed directly into the mouth. Peanut butter (smooth) is the easiest selection.
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I have an IR (insulin resistant) mare (vet diagnosed) that I have to keep on low starch, a 32 year old senior with minimal teeth, a Hackney pony and a 13 year old quarter horse. I am content with how each looks right now but am looking for a more consistent feeding program. My vet has had me using beet pulp (soaked, rinsed for the IR horse). Both the pony and QH put on weight easily and are worked lightly. Currently I feed 3 times a day and feed consists of beet pulp soaked (mornings only), a senior feed, a lite feed from the same company, a high moisture forage and orchard grass. With the exception of the hay, all feeds are scale weighed. The IR horse gets only a small amount of orchard and more of the high moisture forage. I try to keep her ESC+starch below 11%. If we exceed what her body can handle she gets sore feet. I do ride and drive her a couple of times a week. She is not on medication and I have been able to manage her IR fairly well with feeding and exercise. I'd like to get away from the beet pulp as a stand-alone feed if appropriate. I'd appreciate your input. I've use the feed that I do because it is one of the few feeds that publish the WSC and ESC.
I will touch on a couple of the issues but there are several issues with your feeding program so feel free to give me call to further visit in details..
The high-moisture feed you reference is not a feedstuff I recommend because of concerns with adequate fiber intake. Forages are the essential food source for horses (in fact, for all non-ruminant herbivores). Forages provide a source of energy and nutrients but perhaps most importantly, forages provide a source of fiber; fiber is not a nutrient but is an essential component of a horse’s diet because of its role in promoting a healthy gut. Hay is approximately 90% dry matter (10% water) compared to the high moisture feed which is 55% dry matter (45% water). When comparing feeds, the comparison MUST be with equivalent dry matter or moisture content. The feeding recommendations of the high moisture forage provide inadequate fiber to the horse’s diet. In addition, the feedstuff relative to the cost per unit weight of dry matter is much more expensive than grass forage in the form of hay. Anytime a feed is processed, the cost of the feed is higher.
There is much confusion in the industry relative to non-structural carbohydrates (includes starch and sugars) being fed to horses. That confusion is perpetuated by internet blogs, some feed reps, and even professionals whose intentions are perhaps good but usually limited relative to their knowledge with nutrition and nutritional management of horses. In the May 30, 2011 Feedstuffs, Dr. Pagan of KER wrote an excellent article on non-structural carbohydrates that address the misleading information circulating in the industry.
Our approach at Star Milling is to address the specific questions of customers; …which is one reason why Star Milling setup Dr. Bray’s Corner so that the company can directly help our customers with questions. The Integrity Lite, No Molasses formula is the feed that best serves your needs and I have provided a table with the % starch and % starch + % ESC information regarding both Integrity Lite products. However please note that the emphasis is on total starch consumed not just the starch that is in the concentrate. The amount of concentrate being fed relative to the type and amount of forage being fed are key considerations when reviewing a horse’s diet that has been diagnosed with IR. Please note that Integrity Lite with no molasses is significantly lower than the formulas you are currently feeding.
| Horse Feed and Form |
% Starch |
% Starch + % ESC |
| Integrity Lite, textured |
3.3 |
10.6 |
| Integrity Lite, No Molasses, textured |
1.6 |
7.5 |
| Your current Lite Pelleted being fed |
4.5 |
9.5 |
| Your current Senior Textured being fed |
6.4 |
13.2 |
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