| There is an old Cliche that goes: Show me your | | | | become more brooding and prone to arguing and |
| horse, and I'll tell you what type of person you are... | | | | fighting, with them becoming progressively worse in |
| However should your horse be skinny that would | | | | winter. |
| reflect very badly on you. | | | | Seasonal? Not really, horses can be joyfully happy all |
| We took a look at the feeding horses, the | | | | year round if they did not have their one main |
| psychology behind feeding and the psychosocial | | | | concern, concerning them. Food. |
| effects that feed has on a horse, as well as how the | | | | Food, or the abundance thereof in spring and |
| digestive system works. Then threw it all in a mixer | | | | summer allows for horses to concern themselves less |
| to come up with the ultimate guide to feeding or | | | | with finding food, and more with enjoying their time |
| feeding up your horse. | | | | by playing and breeding. From about mid-autumn on |
| But first some background | | | | food is less plentiful, resulting in the horses becoming |
| Many people consider, or think, that a skinny horse is | | | | less playful and more brooding. Where in winter there |
| the result of negligence. This is not always so. Bad | | | | is the dread of going without any food so all food |
| horse or stable management more often than not is | | | | must be protected, causing them to fight. |
| the root cause. | | | | Horses do not know of hay stockpiles and bagged |
| Why do we talk about a skinny horse? Because | | | | food. Oh they know what they look like! They do |
| most people only realize the importance of feeding | | | | not understand the concept behind storing hay and |
| once their horse starts loosing weight. | | | | concentrates. Therefore to them hunger and |
| A skinny horse, or a horse that is loosing weight is | | | | starvation is a real threat even with being stabled |
| warning you that something is not right, that | | | | and having food brought to them. |
| somewhere something has gone wrong and | | | | Lets look at spring again, to start off the horses eat |
| continues to go wrong. | | | | and eat and eat until well they almost pop, then they |
| There are many reasons why a perfectly healthy | | | | slow down. (Remember this it is important) once this |
| horse could go skinny in a matter of a few weeks. | | | | stage has been reached life is good. |
| These reasons include: | | | | Now lets look at winter, there is little food and lots |
| Insufficient nutrition | | | | of horses that wants to eat it so they eat fast and |
| Medical or physiological conditions | | | | fight the others off so that they can have it all. The |
| Stress or psychological reasons. | | | | further the winter progresses and the more likely |
| Before attempting to feed up ones horse, you would | | | | they are to loose weight the more desperate they |
| need to know the reason behind its loss of condition. | | | | become to eat more and faster, until blissful spring |
| Insufficient nutrition includes, | | | | arrives with its plenty grass again. |
| Not enough food, | | | | Do you still think food does not change or control a |
| The wrong food, | | | | horses' mood? |
| The wrong type of food. | | | | So what is wrong with horse management today? |
| No set feeding times or routine. | | | | Most horses today are kept in large numbers on |
| Medical or physiological It is a proven fact that | | | | properties often too small for the amount of horses. |
| nothing throws weight off a horse faster than pain, a | | | | Most of these horses are fed out of bale and bag, |
| horse suffering from a painful condition will appear to | | | | and with the rising cost in feedstuffs many yards |
| loose weight overnight, this because pain is either | | | | have limitations on how much food your horse will |
| caused by an infection (the horse will have a | | | | receive before charging extra. When taking all this |
| temperature) which the body is fighting off using all | | | | into consideration and the fact that there may be |
| resources available to it or the pain is of such a | | | | little or no grazing is available. To the horses' system |
| nature that the horse does not or cannot consume | | | | it's starting to sound very much like a natural winter. |
| enough food or alternatively digest the food properly. | | | | It is no wonder some horse have the issues they |
| Theses are often confirmed by a vet or dentist and | | | | have, and only want to eat (like their starving) when |
| corrected | | | | they actually see grass. |
| Medical or physiological reasons include, | | | | Knowing all this, how could you use it to get your |
| Recovery from injury, conditions and illnesses, | | | | horse fat? |
| Worm infestations, | | | | Finding the root of the cause as mentioned would be |
| Stomach ulcers, | | | | the starting point of. Remember putting weight on a |
| Tooth ulcers, | | | | horse is a long time project. There is no quick way to |
| Sharp ridges on the teeth. | | | | put weight on a horse. Many will claim they have a |
| Very few realize the psychosocial impact feeding and | | | | quick solution, however when the next stressful |
| food has on a horse. How like humans food can alter | | | | situation comes along the weight is gone, leaving you |
| their moods, and by that we do not mean makes | | | | to start over again. |
| them hot. Food can have a big impact on a horses | | | | When feeding a horse: Getting it fat is expensive, |
| outlook and behaviour. | | | | keeping it fat is cheap. This is because a healthy |
| We investigated this a little further. | | | | horse does not need much to maintain itself, it only |
| When we think of springtime with our horses (those | | | | needs what it burns up whilst working. Where a |
| who are turned out into pastures daily) they appear | | | | skinny horse has to survive and provide for the |
| joyful, playful and well broody. This lasts through | | | | energy to do its work. |
| summer till about mid-autumn, when the horses | | | | |