Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

> The best person to ask is Susan Garlinghouse. I can tell you that she will
> probably tell you that most horses do not need grain in any abundance, if
at
> all. A good quality hay, some alfalfa and beet pulp.
Let me modify this just a little.  I do think grain has it's place in a
performance horse's diet, it just shouldn't take the place of forage,
forage, forage.  High grain rations are a big part of why gastric ulcers are
such an issue in race horses and stalled show horses.  It's also a big
factor in colics when overfed trying to maintain energy and body condition.
My point has always been that you don't NEED to feed tons of grain to keep a
horse healthy and fit and full of energy.  Lots of top quality forage, beet
pulp (also a forage) if more concentrated calories are needed, no more than
4-5 pounds of grain per meal tops with no more than 10 pounds a day total,
and added fat if necessary.  I've worked with a ton of hard keeper horses
and never had to exceed those limits to maintain weight (as well as solve a
lot of metabolic problems).

Susan G



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