Forage = Foundation of Horse Diets
The best way to demonstrate the importance of forage in a horse’s diet is to start with the basics; and basic #1 is, horses were designed to be grazers. Think back in time, before horses were domesticated, how did they survive? What did they eat? Their digestive systems are programed to eat numerous, small, fiber-filled meals a day; accompanied by lots of movement. Horses were created to be free range, herd animals that spend their days grazing and moving about in search of the best forage. The continual movement combined with the slow but steady gut fill are two of the most vital components to their overall health and wellbeing. Research has shown us that horses should consume 1.5%-3% of their body weight a day in forage, thus making forage the foundation and biggest bulk of a horse’s diet.
Understanding the Importance of Long-Stemmed Forage
‘Long-Stemmed’ forage is a term used to describe forage of 2 or more inches in stem length and is essential for proper digestion. The community of microorganisms that live in the gut and aid in the digestion process, are known as the gut microbiome; which can also be referred to as ‘the good bugs.’ These ‘good bugs’ rely on the slow and steady intake of stemmy, fiber material to remain in balance and help to keep the digestive tract moving and in good health.
Generally, the longer the stem of the forage, the better it is for the gut microbiome; which, in turn, is better for the horse’s overall digestive health. When an abundance of fresh pasture forage is not available or not conducive to the horse’s individual health situation, the next option most rely on is baled hay; followed by chopped forage, then hay cubes and lastly hay/beet pulp pellets or beet pulp shreds. This is categorized according to the length of the forage material. If you are considering adding a hay alternative to your horse’s diet, this is a great guideline to help determine the best forage alternative option for your horse. Consider the longest stemmed option that your horse can safely handle.
Fresh Pasture Forage > Baled Hay > Chopped Forage > Hay Cubes > Hay Pellets, Beet Pulp Pellets or Beet Pulp Shreds
Additional Benefits of Long-Stemmed Forage
Long-stemmed grass or hay requires more chewing…
…more chewing simulates the horse’s natural behavior of grazing and because the horse has an outlet for this natural grazing behavior, he/she is less likely to develop bad habits such as:
-
- wood chewing
- cribbing/wind sucking
- eating the bedding
- stall pacing
…more chewing produces more saliva
-
- saliva offers high levels of calcium and sodium bicarbonate which provide an added buffer against gastric acid in the stomach (ultimately helping to reduce the risk of gastric ulcers)
Long-stemmed hay offers 2 plus inches of fibrous stem material to go thru the digestive track…
… helps to create a basket in the stomach, if you will, to reduce the amount of gastric acid sloshing around in the stomach (ultimately helping to reduce the risk of gastric ulcers.
…slows the rate at which the feed material goes thru the digestive track. When fed prior to grains, this slowing down of the feed material through the digestive track allows the horse more time to better digest and utilize the nutrients in their feed.
Foraging and Grazing Limitations of the Domesticated Horse
Nowadays, most horses no longer have the freedom to roam wherever they please in search of the best grazing grounds; instead, they live in stalls and/or small paddocks. Some horses may have turnout in a large pasture for the day or night, while others have just a few hours a day of turnout or a few minutes here-and-there of hand-grazing. Other horses have the option to live outdoors; but, regardless, the boundaries of their paddock or pasture limits them in what and how much fresh forage they can consume.
Poor Dentition
Poor dentition is typically the result of the aging process and teeth wearing out. However, the inability for horses to chew properly can also be caused by injury or illness. Regardless of the quality of their chewing, forage is still the foundation of their diet. So, whether your horse is prone to choke, quids their hay or ultimately just needs help with getting more forage into their diet, hay alternatives can be the solution.
Metabolic Issues
Most metabolic conditions in horses stem from the inability to properly process sugars and starches. The various metabolic disorders commonly require a higher level of dietary scrutiny and management that involves limiting sugar and starch consumption. These management practices often require the use of alternative forage options to keep sugar and starch levels under control while still satisfying the horse’s forage needs.
Forage Shortage
As a horse owner, it can be frustrating to experience a forage shortage. Shortages can occur from a variety of things such as, the effects of weather on pastures or hay crops, pricing, poor quality forage, supplier shortages, or available options not being conducive to an individual’s health concerns. Whether having to partially or completely replace a horse’s forage source, there are a variety of forage alternatives available to choose from.
Hauling/Traveling
When on the road for competitions, hauling your horse along for vacation riding trips or moving states away to a new location, packing enough hay bales for the duration of the trip can sometimes be problematic. Replacing some of your horse’s hay with forage alternatives is an option to help prolong the hay you bring along.
Increase Calorie Intake and/or Gut-Fill without Additional Feed
Many horse owners opt to provide a forage alternative to individuals needing additional gut-fill or a calorie boost but do not need additional feed.
- During times of cold weather spells
- Horses that have been emaciated and are slowly trying to improve their gut microbiome and increase weight
- Older horses that struggle to keep weight on and/or struggle to consume grass or hay
- Distraction/Contentment/Variety
Hydration Boost
Whether extreme temperatures, strenuous activity or transitioning from fresh green grass to hay as the primary forage source, utilizing forage alternatives to increase hydration is a common management practice. Many of the alternatives can be soaked to pack more water into every bite.
Forage Alternatives
· Chopped forage - is quality forage that has essentially been dehydrate and chopped into a 2-3-inch stem length. By going through the high heat drying process, nutrients from the forage are locked in, mold spores are drastically reduced or eliminated thus offering a dust free forage option. Most chopped hays are bagged in plastic. Between the dehydration process and the plastic bag containment, chopped forage is easy to store and has a long shelf life. There are many kinds of chopped forage options available on the market, so it’s important to pay attention to the information on the bag. Some options are fortified with additional vitamins and minerals and others have a guaranteed low sugar/starch content. The convenience and consistency chopped forage options offer are, typically, their biggest appeal.
· Hay Cubes – the process by which hay cubes are made involves chopped up quality hay, mixed with water and a binder and compressed through a die with extreme pressure and heat. The result after being cooled and dried is a compact, dust-free, hay cube with consistent quality nutrients. It’s block like shape can slow consumption down for horses that tend to bolt their feed and forage by requiring more time on chewing to break the blocks down. This forage alternative option, also, soaks well; making it ideal for those with poor dentition or needing a hydration boost. When stored in a cool, dry location protected from pests, their shelf-life can extend over 12 months, though it is advised to feed within 6 months to guarantee the nutrient content. Hay cubes are easy to store and transport making them an ideal option for horses with respiratory issues, locations that are short on storage space or for those needing a forage mash with a little stem.
· Hay Pellets – are made very similarly to hay cubes. The biggest differences are:
o The initial hay in which the cubes are made from are more finely chopped.
o The dies used to compress the mixture are much smaller than that of the hay cubes.
o The heat used during compression is steam, which aids in the hay particles essentially gelling together.
o Once the pellets are dried and cooled, they harden and are screened to reduce the dust before being bagged.
Hay pellets offer a consistent mixture of nutrients like fiber and protein in a form that is easy to soak, creating a mash for those with poor dentition or needing a hydration boost. While they lack fibrous stem that the ‘good bugs’ in the gut prefer, hay pellets are still a viable option for those that can not physically consume longer stemmed forage. Shelf-life for hay pellets can last up to 6 months. However, they need to be stored in a dry, cool, pest free location or container to prevent deterioration, spoil and mold development.
· Beet Pulp Pellets – Beet pulp is a super fiber that is created from the left-over fibrous material of sugar beets. Once a sugar beet is processed to remove the sugars and fluid, the remaining material is dried and compressed into pellets; similar to that of a hay pellet. They have a tad longer shelf-life than the average hay pellet at 9-12 months when kept out of direct sunlight, in a cool, dry, pest-free and well-ventilated area. Beet pulp pellets are recommended to be soaked prior to feeding. This process helps to prevent choke and packs a good dose of hydration. Because the sugars have been extracted from the final product, beet pulp pellets provide a slow release of consistent energy through fiber. While added molasses options are available to increase palatability, for those with metabolic issues, digestive upset or are easily excitable, the molasses-free versions are suggested. Ideal for a variety of horses:
o Senior horses or those with poor dentition
o Performance horses in need of additional non-heating energy
o Hard keepers or those needing a safe forage option to help improve or maintain their body condition
o Those needing a slow release of consistent energy without the disadvantages that stem from sugars and starches
o Beet pulp, also, has a lower potassium level than most grass hays which makes it an ideal forage alternative for those horses with HYPP.
· Beet Pulp Shreds – Beet pulp shreds are very similar to beet pulp pellets with a few distinct differences. After the sugar beets have been processed to remove the sugar and fluid, they are dried and then shredded instead of being compressed into pellets before being bagged. The result is a super fiber with a long shelf-life, over a year when stored correctly, that soaks well and much quicker that pellets. While beet pulp shreds can be a good option for all the same reasons as pellets, they tend to be a touch more expensive and take up more space to store.
Important Side Note: An old trick that many of us have heard of is feeding a bran mash on a cold winter’s day to increase hydration and put a warm meal in the horse’s belly. If this is something that you incorporate into your feeding program, please take note of the most recent research. Bran not only does not help to hydrate; it actually leeches out existing hydration from the body. Additionally, bran has been proven to increase inflammatory responses. Beet pulp is a far better solution to the practice of incorporating warm mashes into a horse’s diet. Beet pulp is a low sugar/starch, super fiber that provides a slow release of energy and aids in overall gut health. It soaks quickly and absorbs a great deal of water, making it an ideal solution for hydration boosts.
If you have any questions regarding adding a forage alternative to your horse’s diet, contact the equine specialists at The Mill. We are here to help you navigate the various options with confidence to find the right solutions for you and your horse.
