Horses are natural grazers and roamers that were not designed to live in box stalls or consume large quantities of concentrated feeds. In fact, pastured horses rarely suffer from feed related causes of colic. However, today’s horses are highly specialized athletes that require exceptional nutritional management for maximum performance capability. Horse owners and managers should strive to balance the needs of today’s horse with the natural functioning of the equine gastrointestinal tract.

When considering the nutritional needs of horses and feed management, one should keep in mind colic prevention strategies. The best way to deal with colic is through prevention. The following management strategies can help reduce the possibility of colic.

• Provide the horse with an environment that is as natural as possible (i.e. grazing and/or turn-out).

• Provide a balanced ration using guidelines established by the National Research Council (NRC) in Nutrient Requirements of Horses (1989).

• Since the horse’s stomach is a relatively small organ, limit grain to no more than 0.4 lb per 100 lb of body weight per feeding (four lb per feeding for a 1,000 lb horse).

• Weigh concentrates rather than use volume measurements, such as a coffee can. A “two lb” coffee can could hold as little as one lb or as much as four lb of a concentrate or supplemental feed, depending on bulk density of the feedstuff. Substituting “one coffee can” of a feed product weighing four lb for a can holding only one lb of another feed product could easily result in colic.

• Feed horses as individuals with needs based on age, gender, size, breed, workload, reproductive status, and current body condition ( a measure of the amount of stored fat in the body). Do not overfeed horses or maintain horses in an over-fat condition.

• Ensure that adequate amounts of macro and micro minerals are provided. Feeding minerals, especially salts, is necessary for proper hydration, which lessens the risk of impaction colic. MoorMan’s GROSTRONG® products, a component of the FORAGE FIRST® program, provide important vitamins and minerals.

• If the horse requires a large amount of energy, consider adding fat to the diet. Performance, growing, and breeding horses generally require more energy than good-quality forage alone can provide. Adding fat to a horse’s diet enables the amount of grain fed to be reduced. This management move can help lessen the risk of colic resulting from excessive carbohydrate fermentation when large amounts of grain are fed.
  NATURAL GLO®* (the other component of the FORAGE FIRST program) is a stabilized rice bran product which contains 20% vegetable fat along with amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and structural carbohydrates. One lb of NATURAL GLO typically replaces about four lb of grain in a horse’s total ration.

• Change rations slowly so the microbial population in the large intestine can adapt to the new combination of feeds.

• To help prevent impaction colic, a horse’s teeth should be checked annually and floated when necessary to avoid dental problems that could prevent the horse from adequately chewing feed.

• Never feed moldy feeds as horses are susceptible to equine leukoencephalomalacia (ELEM) or moldy corn poisoning.

• Store feeds in areas inaccessible to all horses. Also, in cattle operations, extra caution should be exercised to prevent horses from consuming feeds labeled “for ruminants only.” These feeds could result in possible poisoning (such as with monensin-containing products).

*NATURAL GLO is a trademark owned by Wolcott Farms Inc.

For More Information e-mail at AN_EquineHelp@admworld.com

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