| There is an old Cliché that goes: Show me your | | | | fighting, with them becoming progressively worse in |
| horse, and I'll tell you what type of person you are… | | | | winter. |
| However should your horse be skinny that would | | | | Seasonal? Not really, horses can be joyfully happy all |
| reflect very badly on you. | | | | year round if they did not have their one main concern, |
| | | | | concerning them. Food. |
| We took a look at the feeding horses, the psychology | | | | Food, or the abundance thereof in spring and summer |
| behind feeding and the psychosocial effects that feed | | | | allows for horses to concern themselves less with |
| has on a horse, as well as how the digestive system | | | | finding food, and more with enjoying their time by |
| works. Then threw it all in a mixer to come up with the | | | | playing and breeding. From about mid-autumn on food |
| ultimate guide to feeding or feeding up your horse. | | | | is less plentiful, resulting in the horses becoming less |
| But first some background | | | | playful and more brooding. Where in winter there is the |
| Many people consider, or think, that a skinny horse is | | | | dread of going without any food so all food must be |
| the result of negligence. This is not always so. Bad | | | | protected, causing them to fight. |
| horse or stable management more often than not is | | | | Horses do not know of hay stockpiles and bagged |
| the root cause.Why do we talk about a skinny horse? | | | | food. Oh they know what they look like! They do not |
| Because most people only realize the importance of | | | | understand the concept behind storing hay and |
| feeding once their horse starts loosing weight.A skinny | | | | concentrates. Therefore to them hunger and |
| horse, or a horse that is loosing weight is warning you | | | | starvation is a real threat even with being stabled and |
| that something is not right, that somewhere something | | | | having food brought to them. |
| has gone wrong and continues to go wrong.There are | | | | Lets look at spring again, to start off the horses eat |
| many reasons why a perfectly healthy horse could go | | | | and eat and eat until well they almost pop, then they |
| skinny in a matter of a few weeks. | | | | slow down. (Remember this it is important) once this |
| These reasons include | | | | stage has been reached life is good. |
| Insufficient nutrition | | | | Now lets look at winter, there is little food and lots of |
| Medical or physiological conditions | | | | horses that wants to eat it so they eat fast and fight |
| Stress or psychological reasons. | | | | the others off so that they can have it all. The further |
| Before attempting to feed up ones horse, you would | | | | the winter progresses and the more likely they are to |
| need to know the reason behind its loss of condition. | | | | loose weight the more desperate they become to eat |
| Insufficient nutrition includes, | | | | more and faster, until blissful spring arrives with its |
| Not enough food, | | | | plenty grass again. |
| The wrong food, | | | | Do you still think food does not change or control a |
| The wrong type of food. | | | | horses' mood? |
| No set feeding times or routine. | | | | So what is wrong with horse management today? |
| Medical or physiological It is a proven fact that nothing | | | | Most horses today are kept in large numbers on |
| throws weight off a horse faster than pain, a horse | | | | properties often too small for the amount of horses. |
| suffering from a painful condition will appear to loose | | | | Most of these horses are fed out of bale and bag, and |
| weight overnight, this because pain is either caused by | | | | with the rising cost in feedstuffs many yards have |
| an infection (the horse will have a temperature) which | | | | limitations on how much food your horse will receive |
| the body is fighting off using all resources available to it | | | | before charging extra. When taking all this into |
| or the pain is of such a nature that the horse does not | | | | consideration and the fact that there may be little or no |
| or cannot consume enough food or alternatively digest | | | | grazing is available. To the horses' system it's starting |
| the food properly. Theses are often confirmed by a | | | | to sound very much like a natural winter. It is no |
| vet or dentist and corrected | | | | wonder some horse have the issues they have, and |
| Medical or physiological reasons include, | | | | only want to eat (like their starving) when they actually |
| Recovery from injury, conditions and illnesses, | | | | see grass. |
| Worm infestations, | | | | Knowing all this, how could you use it to get your horse |
| Stomach ulcers, | | | | fat? |
| Tooth ulcers, | | | | Finding the root of the cause as mentioned would be |
| Sharp ridges on the teeth. | | | | the starting point of. Remember putting weight on a |
| Very few realize the psychosocial impact feeding and | | | | horse is a long time project. There is no quick way to |
| food has on a horse. How like humans food can alter | | | | put weight on a horse. Many will claim they have a |
| their moods, and by that we do not mean makes them | | | | quick solution, however when the next stressful |
| hot. Food can have a big impact on a horses outlook | | | | situation comes along the weight is gone, leaving you |
| and behaviour. | | | | to start over again. |
| We investigated this a little further. | | | | When feeding a horse: Getting it fat is expensive, |
| When we think of springtime with our horses (those | | | | keeping it fat is cheap. This is because a healthy horse |
| who are turned out into pastures daily) they appear | | | | does not need much to maintain itself, it only needs |
| joyful, playful and well broody. This lasts through | | | | what it burns up whilst working. Where a skinny horse |
| summer till about mid-autumn, when the horses | | | | has to survive and provide for the energy to do its |
| become more brooding and prone to arguing and | | | | work. |