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Find answers to the most common animal feed questions – or ask our nutrition specialists for help with a specific feed concerns.

Answers to the most frequently asked animal feed questions. If you don’t see your problem listed please contact us.

Q. Can feeding grain to horses make them high or crazy?

A. A great deal of controversy exists regarding feeding and behavior. Terms including high, crazy, and hot have been used to describe the reaction many horses seem to have when they are fed grain. Two schools of thought exist about whether grain affects behavior. The more traditional thought, held by many scientists, is that the only important factor governing feeding and behavior is calorie intake. If a horse is underfed and in negative energy balance (losing weight), then it will not be as active or aggressive as when it is well nourished. Advocates of this point of view insist that behavioral changes associated with horses on full feed are simply an expression of the true personality of the horse. Supporters of this theory suggest that the horse does not have behavioral problems associated with feed, but instead behavioral problems associated with a lack of proper training. A second school of thought acknowledges what so many horsemen believe is indeed real. Certain types of feed may affect the behavior of certain horses. To date, there is no concrete evidence to support this theory. However, a potential mechanism exists that may explain behavioral changes associated with feed. When horses consume grain, blood glucose (sugar) levels increase. The extent of increase depends on the type and amount of grain, and some horses have much higher blood glucose peaks than others. In humans, it has been theorized that many mental disorders such as schizophrenia, mania, and depression are the result of uncontrollable fluctuations of brain glucose acting in conjunction with insulin resistance. These fluctuations influence the production of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Mania in humans has been associated with elevated blood sugar and high levels of serotonin. Because horses normally do not eat grain-rich diets, they may experience drastic changes in blood sugar when fed concentrates. Of course, this is all theory and has not been documented in horses. The probable answer to the question is that grain does have the potential to influence behavior in horses. To minimize any potential behavioral changes, the following feeding strategies should be utilized with horses. Keep meal size small as it is better to feed two small grain meals instead of one large meal. Feed plenty of forage. The fiber in forage will minimize rapid intake of grain and help prevent spikes in blood sugar. Add fat to the diet. Digestion of fat produces energy but does not produce changes in blood sugar.

Q. Does freshly baled hay need to cure before being fed?

A. If the plant material was cut, baled, and stored properly, no additional curing is necessary. Many people believe that hay must cure in the barn for a certain amount of time prior to being fed to horses. This is probably due to the observation that hay sometimes heats after baling. Hay heats due to continued respiration of the plant material after it has been cut. The extent to which hay heats is due in large part to the amount of moisture in the hay at the time of baling. If hay is too wet when it is baled, the hay will heat and may even generate enough heat to combust. During normal haymaking, plants with a high moisture content are cut and left for several days to dry (cure) in the field. Once the hay has dried to a low moisture level, the hay is then baled and stored in a barn. Hay that is properly dried prior to baling can be fed immediately to horses.

Q. How much water does a mature performance horse require?

A. The water requirement of a performance horse is dependent on the amount of dry feed eaten, the environmental temperature, and the amount of exercise the horse is performing. Water intake is closely regulated by the amount of dry feed the horse eats. A good rule of thumb is 1.5 quarts of water per pound of dry feed. A1000 lb. performance horse will eat about 25 lb. of feed per day. This gives a water requirement of approximately nine gallons. As environmental temperature increases, the amount of water required increases. The increased water is necessary to replace sweat loss associated with keeping the horse cool. A temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit increases water requirements to approximately 20 gallons per day. Exercising a horse in hot weather further increases the water requirement. Depending on exercise intensity (amount of sweat produced), the water intake can increase more than 300% above a horse resting in a cool environment. The total water requirement would then be 25-30 gallons per day. If horses are not provided with adequate water, performance will decrease dramatically. Even mild dehydration will cause a decreased tolerance to exercise. Performance horses should be given the opportunity to drink before, during, and following recovery from exercise.

Q. Is there anything that I can feed my horses to help them shed more quickly?

A. Many substances have been touted to speed the shedding process. Several nutrients are known to be involved in the synthesis of the protein found in skin and hair. Zinc, biotin, fatty acids and protein (specifically the amino acid methionine) are necessary for hair growth. Most of these substances are found in commercial hoof supplements. This is not by accident; horse hoof is a form of modified hair. A simple feeding program that includes enough calories to maintain weight is a good start. The addition of dietary fat (high fat grains, rice bran, Cool Calories 100, etc.) along with a fortified grain mix containing supplemental protein, vitamins and minerals should help horses slip their winter hair. If horses must be shed out quickly, provide the same diet with a normal dose of a quality hoof supplement. In implementing either approach, just remember to brush them afterwards.

Q. Who establishes the nutrient requirements for horses?

A. The nutrient requirements for horses are established from published nutrition research conducted by universities and private research centers. Research data is reviewed by the National Research Council (NRC) subcommittee on horse nutrition, which is made up of leading scientists, and feeding requirements are established for different types of horses. These requirements are reviewed and modified periodically as advances in equine nutrition occur. The current recommendations are published in the “Nutrient Requirements of Horses, Fifth Revised Edition, 1989.” At the time of this publication, the NRC subcommittee on horse nutrition is working on a revised set of nutrient requirements. It should be noted that requirements stated in the NRC, 1989 are minimum amounts of nutrients needed to sustain normal health, production, and performance of horses. These requirements are not adjusted to compensate for “hard keepers” or “easy keepers” and differences in climatic and environmental conditions. Modifications to these requirements may be necessary to fit individual horses and management strategies. compensate for “hard keepers” or “easy keepers” and differences in climatic and environmental conditions. Modifications to these requirements may be necessary to fit individual horses and management strategies.