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Re: [RC] % of Hay vs % of Grain - Heidi SmithI've been looking in the archives but can't find this answer. Can anyone tell me what the % of hay vs the % of grain in a horses daily ration should be? or maybe what is the maximum amount of oats you can safely feed a horse? There is no "right" answer to that question without knowing what kind of hay and what quality it is, as well as what kinds of grain or concentrates are available, as well as knowing something about the needs of the horse (life stage, level of work, reproducing or lactating, breed of horse, etc.). The more forage the horse can have, the better, but the higher his nutritional needs, the better quality the roughage will have to be to meet or to come near to meeting his needs. We are fortunate to live in an area where the hays are wonderful, if they are harvested at the correct time in their maturity, and most of our horses get little or no grain, unless they are in work. Oats are one of the "safer" grains to feed in quantity, given that they have a fairly high fiber content as well, but I'm not one to even contemplate "how much is safe to feed" as I'd far rather approach nutrition from the viewpoint of "how can I make sure my forage is of sufficient quality to ensure that my horses don't need much or any grain." Heidi =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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