Article From SubmitYOURArticle.com: Equine Nutrition Basics - Feeding Your Horse a Healthy Diet

A lot of care and attention is spent on feeding a
horse. For a new horse owner, choosing feeds can
be a little overwhelming. Fortunately, years of
horse ownership has simplified the process a
little bit and a horse owner can find a wealth of
information on nutrition starting with their
equine veterinarian.

A balance and healthy equine diet is break down
into six essential components:

Water

Water should be your very first concern when
thinking about your horse's nutrition. Water
regulates every system in a horse's body and
without water or if the water has dangerous
ingredients in it, a horse can become dehydrated
and experience serious and debilitating
conditions. A horse will need to take enough
water to match its activities level. A working
horse and a horse kept for leisure will have
different water intake requirement. Horses sweat
much like humans do and that water must be
replaced.

Protein

This nutrient is found in every food substance
that grows on earth from cattle to dandelions.
While we associate protein with meat or dairy
products, a horse is able to get its protein
requirement from vegetables. Alfalfa, especially
the second and third cut, provides excellent
protein.

Protein is necessary for muscle growth among
other functions and it is especially important
that a young horse be given enough protein so its
growth can continue unhindered. A great sign
that a horse might not be getting enough protein
is the development of a rough coat of hair.

Carbohydrates

This nutrient is the basic energy unit that you
will find in most forms of horse feed.
Carbohydrates are easily digestible and provide
ready and quick energy. A horse left to graze
all day will consume all its necessary
carbohydrates, but since most horses do not have
this luxury, they must be fed a grain such as
corn, oats, or barley.

It is vital to control the amount of
carbohydrates in a horse's diet. A horse could
develop colic if there is a sudden increase in
carbohydrates such as sugar in their feed.

Fat

While most fats are not present in large
quantities in a horse's natural diet, they do
have nutritional value. A measure of fat can be
added to a horse's feed if the feed is not dense
enough with energy. Fat should be given only in
limited quantities however to prevent disease and
obesity. A horse's body has simply not developed
to handle a large amount of fat, so a horse owner
must be careful when adding it to avoid colic or
gastrointestinal distress in their animal.

Vitamins

Because we feed horses foods other than their
natural foraged diet, their feed will lack
certain essential vitamins. Most horse owners
love their horses so much and would not bear to
see their quality if life suffer as a result of
insufficient vitamins and minerals intake.

One of the ways to find out if your horse is
having the required vitamins is to examine the
food it consumes. Diets high in grains are
likely not vitamin heavy and horses on these
diets, as well as horses under stress may need
extra vitamin supplementation. Your veterinarian
can help you decide exactly what kind of vitamins
and supplements to give your horse.

Minerals

Minerals are necessary for the correct growth and
regeneration of many parts of the body. These
minerals are often present in forage, but again
may be lacking in a high-grain diet. A horse on
a diet that is low on minerals may not show
obvious signs, however it may affect its health
over time.

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