| The basic diet when caring for horses is the forage | | | | can present problems for horses. Digesting excess |
| we are feeding them. Forages fall into two very broad | | | | protein can cause metabolic stress on the horse's |
| categories. They are grass hays and legumes. Grass | | | | body. A protein consideration for your horse's needs is |
| hays have a seedlike fruit, jointed stems and long | | | | a must in horse care and finding the right forage for |
| narrow leaves. A few examples of grass hays are | | | | them. |
| bromegrass, timothy, fescue and orchardgrass. Having | | | | A plant shifts its energy from leaf production to seed |
| seedpods legumes include peas and beans, clover and | | | | formation so it is able to reproduce and stem |
| alfalfa. | | | | elongation as it matures. Maturity of the grass is |
| The nutrient level necessary for your horse when | | | | another element for horse care when selecting forage |
| feeding forage depends on his work load and diet. | | | | to feed your horse. More nutrients are contained in the |
| Pleasure horses or horses that are worked | | | | leaves in immature grass. Plant maturity influences the |
| moderately normally sustain their weight on good | | | | quality of hay and nutrient content more than any |
| quality hay. The highest levels of protein are usually not | | | | other aspect. |
| required for such horses. | | | | When selecting forage for feeding your horse |
| Lactating and pregnant mares, growing horses, and | | | | evaluate the other elements that may affect the |
| high performance horses have greater nutritional | | | | nutrient value of the hay. The color of the hay, |
| requirements. These individuals will require higher quality | | | | leafiness, condition, aroma and debris free are all |
| hay due to their extra protein requirements. | | | | elements to consider. |
| Grass hays tend to have lower levels of crude protein. | | | | Grass hay that is well stored is usually a medium to |
| The range could be as low as three to four percent or | | | | light green. Alfalfa is usually considered best if it is dark |
| it could range as high as fourteen percent. When | | | | green. Color is not always the best indicator of the |
| feeding legumes such as alfalfa it can range from | | | | nutritional quality of hay. Stay away from hay that is |
| eighteen percent to as high as twenty four or twenty | | | | powdery white or black. This can be an indication of |
| five percent. | | | | mold. This hay should never be fed to horses. A good |
| Usually the higher proteins forages are used for dairy | | | | rule of thumb in horse care is never feeding any hay |
| cows. Horses are normally fed the lower protein type. | | | | that shows indication of mold. If the horse does |
| Many horse owners prefer not to feed legumes to | | | | happen to eat it, it can cause respiratory problems and |
| their horses because they believe too much protein | | | | even colic. |