Until I purchased a lot in Southwest Salt Lake valley, I thought people who owned horses actually wanted them and took care of them. I have since discovered too many cases where that is not true, and that few people understand the intricacies of equine nutrition. I was forbidden by the Utah Animal Control not to interfere because they wanted to monitor my neighbor’s horse for neglect and couldn’t do so if I kept feeding him (the horse, not the neighbor). Although I called them so many times they considered ME the enemy, I had to watch that beautiful American Saddler die of what the vet called in his postmortem exam "A wasting disease."

I have read everything I could find on the subject of equine nutrition and spent many years working with vets and my own horses to come up with my own formulas. Sure, a horse can exist on almost nothing and survive for a very long time – especially Arabian horses, but quality of life must count for something. I see pictures of the horses coming out of Afghanistan, and wonder how they survive (check the link to Brooke Hospital on my links page). In our society, it should be unthinkable to tolerate the neglect and abuse that is so commonly exercised against animals, but "unthinkable" is exactly how we like to keep it – it is too uncomfortable to have to think about it.

Okay. Enough proselytizing; following is a refresher (greatly condensed) of what I have collected and learned over the years. Take it with a grain of salt – NO – better yet, administer it with a grain of salt!

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Almost half the dry weight of a mature horse is made up of protein. Plants synthesize protein directly from their environment. Horses cannot. Horses must get existing protein from their feed. They digest protein by breaking it down into amino acids, then recombining the amino acids into new, body-building, animal proteins. Protein is the nutrient most often lacking in a horse’s diet.

Horses are athletes, and in order to perform well, they must receive adequate amounts of protein above that which is required for maintenance. Every horse is unique in its nutritional requirements. Genetics, environment, use, and weather all affect how a horse will use the nutrition it receives. They all need extra protein during the winter just to maintain body heat. Excess protein is converted to energy, so horses also need to receive regular exercise.

Energy is defined as the capacity to do work. It is necessary to maintain body tissues, provide body heat, allow growth and reproduction, and to provide the capacity to work. Without adequate protein (energy), there can be no growth and no repair of body tissues. Muscle tissue especially requires protein to repair tissues stressed by exercise – we build muscle by the judicious tearing down of the muscle. It is the rebuilding of the muscle tissues that results in a stronger, more developed musculature.

There are as many ways to provide the proper nutrition to horses as there are horse owners. The important thing is to balance the diet in a manner that ensures that the horse is receiving all the nutrients it needs for maintenance and its current activity level.

Two sources are commonly sought in order to meet nutritional requirements: supplements and hay. Available supplements are numerous and can be used to supply vital nutrients not found in hay. Alfalfa and grass are the two most commonly used types of forage hay. They are the main sources of protein and fiber.

Corn and oats are the most commonly fed grains. They are generally more economical than other grains and contain the highest levels of supplementary nutrients. Carbohydrates provide energy and fiber (fiber requirements increase as the horse ages). Lipids (fats) provide the most concentrated energy, but the soluble portion of carbohydrates provides the major source of energy. It is the major nutrient component in grain and concentrated feeds. Oats are moderately high in protein and moderately high in energy. They are not a good source of vitamins. Corn is a poor source of protein, but is the only cereal grain with significant amounts of vitamin A. It should not be considered for its energy value, but corn also contains an abundance of free radicals (molecules that bind easily with the molecules of other nutrients). Corn is the most easily digested grain and corn oil added to supplementary feed ensures that the maximum amount of nutrients will be available to the horse (and you get the most out of your feed dollar). Vitamins and minerals must also be present in the feed as they are necessary for the process of building tissues.

The most common forage feed is alfalfa and grass hay. Whichever is used, remember that it is only as good as the soil in which it is grown plus whatever fertilizers are applied.

Grass hay may test as high as 8% protein when fresh. Because of its relatively low nutrient value and high fiber content, it can be fed free choice. Horses will often develop what I call a "grass belly" when fed exclusively on a diet of grass hay; yet they will have poor muscle development, most apparent over the loin and rump, because of the lack of protein and other nutrients.  Unfortunately, many horse owners think a big belly equals good condition, but muscle bulk is the true measurement of good nutrition. Vital nutrients can be supplemented in the form of grain "conditioners," vitamins, and mineral blocks.

Alfalfa is the most widely fed legume hay. Alfalfa in my area of Utah, averages between 3-6% protein. A few spots produce 11%, but it is hard to find. Hay from one area I researched, tested at that time at 25-28%. Of the protein in the hay, about half is digestible protein and utilized by the horse.

I have found that, along with the hay, a complete horse conditioner with a squirt of Red Cell (1 oz.), and a bit of granulated, mineralized salt provides all the vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and lipids that are required for a complete and balanced diet. With the addition of corn oil, I not only ensure maximum benefit of the feed, but get a nice shine to their coats as well.

Some horse owners feel that grains and alfalfa are too high in energy (too hot) and that it makes the horse too unmanageable. It is a common practice to withhold supplements and feed a horse grass hay in order to make the horse easier to handle. Think about that for a minute. When your child acts up because of an excess of energy, do you put that child on a starvation diet? The usual method of handling that energy is to direct the child in an activity that will use the energy in a constructive way. Yet mustangers used to pen a captured wild horse for several days without food or water to make it more tractable. No wonder they call it breaking.

Water, of course, is as essential to good health as proper feed. An adult horse consumes 5-12- gallons of water daily. A constant source of clean, fresh water is needed. If you wouldn’t drink it, don’t ask your horse to drink it.

Horses survive the most deplorable conditions and manage to live a long time eating little and bad forage. My neighbor’s horse survived five months with little water and the sparse weeds in its pasture. But the vast majority of horse owners are more caring than that and prefer to see a horse at the peak of health. The following table suggests a diet with minimum, basic nutrients required for maintenance of an 1100-pound adult horse.