Can you feed just an all hay diet

[Crossbuck Farms]

Would the horses keep wieght? Will hay add wieght or grain?

 

[hhpminis]

Well the easy answer to that is yes but it is really not an easy question. I know many people that have horses and the only thing they feed is hay. Is this the best diet????? Too many variables.

What kind of hay, how old are your horses, what is their condition now, do they have pasture as well, what are your intentions for them, pet, show, drive, breed?

 

[chandab]

If the hay is a very good quality, they do just fine on a hay only diet (just add water and salt; and if needed a vitamin/mineral supplement).

I'm sure you will get plenty of opinions on feeding. Everyone does something a little bit different, depending on what's available in their area and what works for them.

We have 10 horses on the place; 3 minis, 7 full-size; 6 are on a hay only diet and doing just fine.

Our full-size adult horses get hay only year round (hay winter, pasture summer). My senior half-arab gelding gets hay, senior feed and a little COB (he still eats hay just fine, but I like to give him the extra goodies; he's 22 years old and deserves it). My 3 minis are all 2 years or younger, so they are getting extra goodies. On Tuesday, my 2 year old mare will go back on Progressive Nutrition grass balancer (I lost my supplier a couple months ago, and just found a new one). My yearling stallion is still getting some youth feed, but he'll also be going on the PN grass balancer and my weanling filly is getting youth feed. All minis are on straight grass hay plus above mentioned supplements.

 

[Margaret]

Mine are on a mostly a grass hay diet right now, as they are showing preferance to it over the pasture... I allways have my Purina 12-12 block for them to access, and so I dont worry about minerals needed.. None of mine a hard keepers -just the opposite, as they pretty much stay plump. I feel the grass hay is their best alternitive over the other options that may tend to add the pounds, that they dont need right now. I allways keep oats on hand for that extra something that they may need, but right now they are doing good on the grass hay. Added to note: I shop well

for my winter grass, and make sure it is a quality hay that not only looks, smells and feels good, but also a hay that my horses like, before making the big investment, as some batches have proven to not be to their liking.

 

[lyn_j]

[SIZE=14pt]I am one that doesnt believe that a hay only diet is sufficient for most horses... Definitely not for show horses. Lots of people dont agree with how I feed either but it works well for my horses and for me.[/SIZE]

Lyn

 

[Robin_C]

Forage (grass and/or hay) should be the basic building block of any equine feeding program. Horses are designed to eat fibrous plant material, preferably almost continuously throughout the day for optimal health. Humans have altered that healthy pattern of eating by domesticating horses, housing them, and giving them jobs to do.

All horses should have a minimum of 1% of their body weight in long stem fiber each day. For the average 200 lb adult mini, that is 2 lbs of grass (by dry weight) and/or hay each day. On average, 1.5%-2% of body weight in hay or grass will keep an adult maintenance horse in adequate weight. Harder keepers or moderately worked horses may require 3% of body weight, and that's about as much bulk as any equine's system can handle in a day.

The nutritive value of hay, however, is totally dependent on the type of plant (grass vs. legume hay such as alfalfa or clover), the geographic area where it was grown (plants uptake minerals and nutrients from the soil and soil types vary across North America) plus the conditions under which it grew and was cut (rainy, drought, cool, excessively hot conditions, rained on after it was cut, etc., etc.) It is just not possible to know the amount of nutrition any crop of hay will provide to your horse just by looking at it; to know for sure it must be analyzed at a Lab. For starters, however, you can determine the type of hay and research the nutrition tables of various types of hays for average figures for nutrients -- always keeping in mind that the figures in the table will only give you a rough idea of what your hay may be providing to your horse in terms of protein and micronutrients. Indeed the hay-only diet will undoubtedly result in gaps in the overall nutrition profile. A hay analysis will tell you where those gaps are and the most meticulous of horse owners (i.e. owners who are dealing with Cushing's, EPSM, I/R, chronic founder, etc.) may have custom mineral mixes made to match their hay, thus ensuring a more completely balanced diet. Most of us, however, don't have the luxury of purchasing enough hay at one time to make an analysis useful, so we are left with a little guesswork. Since the hay-only diet undoubtedly has SOME areas where it is nutritionally deficient, the most prudent thing to do would be to offer a high quality vitamin/mineral supplement alongside -- not one that they can eat free choice, but rather one that they eat just like a meal and is given in the amount recommended by the manufacturer. This might be in the form of a no-grain ration balancer, or a product like Horseguard, Accel, VitaKey, Select I or II, etc., etc. The choices of vitamin/mineral supplements are mind boggling when one looks at all the offerings via catalogue or in the stores.

However, to answer your question the bottom line is that for the average, adult maintenance horse in good health and good weight, a hay only diet PLUS a vitamin/mineral supplement, salt, and good clean water can be an excellent dietary program.

One downside to the hay-only hay diet is the possibility that your horse may develop a bit of a belly. This is not a bad thing -- just reflective of the fact hay takes longer to digest than grain. A belly full of hay sits around in the fermentation vat called the cecum where it produces gas, sometimes creating a bloated look. This may become more pronounced after time as the abdominal muscles may stretch a bit, thus even your geldings may take on a "broodmare"-type look. Again, this is not injurious to their health, but many folks find it unpleasing to look at. I'm not sure if it's all that important for our pasture pets to look like show horses, and in fact mine do not. But this simple fact of distended bellies is one of the main arguments for NOT feeding a diet 100% comprised of hay. Remember that a horse REQUIRES only 1% of body weight in long stem fiber each day, and that could be any combination of hay, grass, beet pulp, alfalfa cubes, chopped hay, etc. That keeps his gut healthy, but it may NOT be enough to provide for his energy needs and/or to keep a horse in "show weight" and condition. To make up for what the hay lacks, we can provide grains for energy and weight gain. This could apply to broodmares, stallions, and young horses, too. Show horses, youngsters and broodstock generally have higher caloric and energy requirements than maintenance pasture pets do not have. Grains or commercial feeds containing grain can provide calories for weight and carbohydrates for energy. However, if your horse does NOT need extra weight and does NOT need extra energy, chances are you can readily feed an hay-only diet -- BUT don't forget the salt, plus the vitamins and minerals!!!

Robin C

 

[Crossbuck Farms]

Some show, some are young, a few older big equines from 9-20, and of course some easy keeper ponies.

 

[lyn_j]

[SIZE=14pt]I think that because they are all different they will probably have different needs for feed. That is a wide range there.[/SIZE]

Lyn

 

[Crossbuck Farms]

Ponies Hay Beetpulp Grain Notes

Roger 2 Flakes 4 cups shredded

Kid 3 Flakes 4 cups shredded

Fancy 3 Flakes 4 cups shredded

Babe 2 Flakes 4 cups shredded

Flower 2 Flakes 4 cups shredded 4 cups Horsemen Edge (am)

Clyde 2 Flakes 4 cups shredded

Del (mule) 2 Flakes 4 cups shredded

Feed chart as of 10/14/05

Mini Horses Hay Beetpulp Grain Supplements

Stallions

Snickers 1 Flake 2 cups Horsemen Edge (am/pm)

Journey 1 Flake 2 cups Horsemen Edge (am/pm)

Santana up at Jessi's

Dually 1 Flake 2 cups shredded (pm) 2 cups Horsemen Edge (am) 2 cups Sunshine Plus (am/pm)

Mares

Starburst 1 Flake 2 cups shredded (pm) 2 cups Horsemen Edge (am) 2 cups Sunshine Plus (am/pm)

Pretty Girl 1 Flake 2 cups shredded (pm) 2 cups Horsemen Edge (am) 2 cups Sunshine Plus (am/pm)

Sadie 1 Flake 2 cups shredded (pm) 2 cups Horsemen Edge (am) 2 cups Sunshine Plus (am/pm)

Jewel 1 Flake 2 cups shredded (pm) 2 cups Horsemen Edge (am) 2 cups Sunshine Plus (am/pm)

Dixie 1 Flake 2 cups shredded (pm) 2 cups Horsemen Edge (am) 2 cups Sunshine Plus (am/pm)

Dazzie 1 Flake 2 cups shredded (pm) 2 cups Horsemen Edge (am) 2 cups Sunshine Plus (am/pm)

Razzie 1 Flake 2 cups shredded (pm) 2 cups Horsemen Edge (am) 2 cups Sunshine Plus (am/pm)

Geldings

Shiloh up at Jessi's

Smokey 1 Flake 4 cups Horsemen Edge (am/pm)

Big Smokey 2 Flake 4 cups Horsemen Edge (am/pm)

Sweetie 1 Flake 4 cups Horsemen Edge (am/pm)

Mr. Move It up at Jessi's

Harbor up at Jessi's

Donkeys

Shimmie 1 Flake 2 cups shredded (pm) 2 cups Horsemen Edge (am) 2 cups Sunshine Plus (am/pm)

Rufus 1 Flake 2 cups shredded (pm) 2 cups Horsemen Edge (am) 2 cups Sunshine Plus (am/pm)

Scout up at Jessi's

Feed chart as of 10/14/05

Horses Hay Beetpulp Grain Notes

Will 4 Flakes 2 cups pellet 1/2 scoop Pacer & Lowstarch mix w/ beetpulp

Katie 3 Flakes 2 cups pellet 1/2 scoop Pacer & Lowstarch mix w/ beetpulp

Mysti 3 Flakes 2 cups pellet 1/2 scoop Pacer & Lowstarch mix w/ beetpulp

Christian 3 Flakes 2 cups pellet 1/2 scoop Pacer & Lowstarch mix w/ beetpulp

Harley 2 Flakes 4 cups shredded

Feed chart as of 10/14/05

this is my current feed program. I would love a way simpler feed program but this works for me. My show stock I keep at my nieghbors. They get Ultium and hay.

 

[Danielle_E.]

I personally believe that if you are in a climate where it gets COLD in the winter time you are MUCH better off giving less grain and MORE hay in order for them to have feed in their gut at all times for they can generate body heat! As said grain is digested much quicker so for lets say horses out in snow during the day they need the extra hay and not the grain. I would rather see a horse a little heavier in the winter.