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)

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.

Back to top of page

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.

Back to top of page

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…

1. 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).
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.

Back to top of page

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.

Back to top of page

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 & 3^rd 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.

Back to top of page

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.

Back to top of page

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.

Back to top of page

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?

Back to top of page

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.

Back to top of page

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.

Back to top of page

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.

Back to top of page

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.

Back to top of page

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.

Back to top of page

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.

Back to top of page

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.

Back to top of page

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.

Back to top of page

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.

Back to top of page

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.

Back to top of page

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.

Back to top of page

If 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

Back to top of page

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.

Back to top of page

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.

Back to top of page

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?

Back to top of page

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.

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.

Back to top of page

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.

Back to top of page

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.

Back to top of page

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.

Back to top of page

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.

Back to top of page