Is Grain Necessary?

Graining horses is one of those customary practices just about every horse owner does.  But did you ever stop and think about why you feed grain?  Is it really necessary?  You may feel like a bad horse parent if you don't give your horse some sort of feed from a bag, but the truth is, most horses don't need it!  Think about wild horses--they do just fine on forage.  It's actually all a horse was ever meant to eat.  Unless your horse is in hard work and needs the extra calories, he probably would do just fine on pasture or hay alone.

Here are three reasons why you probably don't need to feed grain or a commercial feed:

1.  It's just extra calories your horse probably doesn't need.  If your horse is only ridden lightly or is just a pasture pet, he probably doesn't need anything other than pasture or grass hay.  If you want to give a handful of feed just because it makes you feel better, then go right ahead though.

2.  High-grain feeding is linked with colic and other equine disorders  (see Equine Grain-Associated Disorders).  A horse's stomach is quite small in comparison with the rest of its gastro-intestinal system.  It's not meant to handle large amounts of food at once.  

3.  Most commercial feeds do not contain the minerals horses need, nor do they contain the correct ratios of needed minerals.  Many people feed a bagged feed thinking they're providing these minerals.  It's simply not true.  Minerals are a whole 'nother topic (and one I'll surely get to), but don't think they're being covered by most feeds!

Now, with that being said--I am not saying 'Don't feed your horse.'  Yes, a horse needs to eat!  Horses typically need to eat about 1.5% to 2.5% of their body weight on a daily basis.  They can easily get this amount by eating grass or hay, though.  They easiest way to assess whether or not your horse needs more calories is  by his body condition score (BCS).  If he's holding at a 5--you're doing the right thing.  If  he's a 6 or higher, you could probably use some cutting back. 

It seems everyone has an opinion when it comes to horse nutrition.  My advice is to research things for yourself though.  Dr. Eleanor Kellon, VMD, offers some enlightening equine nutrition courses online.  This is where I got my start in equine nutrition edu-macation.  It's changed my whole outlook on feeding. 

Ta-ta!