Horse Feed Quiz
September 28, 2009
Test your knowledge about feeding your horse with Junior Master Horseman’s Hay Horse Sense True-False Exercise.
From How much do you know about feeding your horse properly? Find out with this quick true-false exercise:
- Your horse’s weight isn’t important when it comes to feeding.
- It’s a good idea to make sure your horse likes his feed before buying a large amount.
- Feed in equal amounts at the same time each day.
- Keep feed bins off the ground but much higher than the horse’s shoulders.
- Feed good hay like alfalfa because it is high in energy, protein and calcium.
How did you do? Find the answers at the bottom of this post.
Did you enjoy this quiz? Find out how you can have more fun and learn more about horses with AQHA’s Junior Master Horseman series.
Corporate Partner News
TSC will now be carrying select Nutrena brand feeds.
From AQHA Corporate Partner Tractor Supply Co.
Tractor Supply Co. will begin carrying select Nutrena brand feeds October 5.
Nutrena will be one of the first national brands of equine and livestock feed offered by the retailer, giving a premium offering to the company’s current popular brand lines, DuMor and Producer’s Pride.
“We are excited to offer our customers the top national feed brands in the country,” says Tractor Supply Co. Chairman and CEO Jim Wright. “Tractor Supply has always been committed to understanding and fulfilling the needs of our customers. We can now offer them a complete assortment of animal feeds and access to products they haven’t been able to purchase from us in the past. Plus, with our regular night and weekend hours, our customers will be able to purchase these products when they need them.”
Tractor Supply Co. will carry the five best-selling Nutrena horse feeds from the company’s lineup, including SafeChoice and Life Design series.
Nutrena is the official horse feed of the American Quarter Horse Association.
Want to have more fun and learn more about horses at the same time? Check out AQHA’s Junior Master Horseman series.
Answers:
- False
- True
- True
- False
- True
Comments
22 Comments on “Horse Feed Quiz”
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September 28th, 2009 at 4:04 am
It would be good to know the reasons for the answers. Just a thought!
September 28th, 2009 at 5:30 am
I completely agree Mary. That would be nice to know. However, it was an interesting topic that so many wonder about with all the different brands and types of feed out there. More information would be helpful!
September 28th, 2009 at 8:23 am
I would like info on the proper way to increase feed to increase weight safely in an older (geriatric) horse. He eats well, is on a senior feed, has his teeth attended to regularly and is holding his weight but is having trouble gaining weight.
September 28th, 2009 at 8:27 am
#1 – Size of horse (weight) determines the amount of food to feed
#2 – Test your horse likes the food before you buy – because you generally can’t return feed your horse wont eat.
#3 – Feed same protions over equal times of the day. You don’t want to feed a large amount in the AM and Small amount in the PM. Horses are grazing animals. Best to feed smaller portions multiple times per day.
#4 – Again horses are grazing animals there ability to eat is with their head down not up. Feeding lower is more natural.
#5 – Feed GOOD quality feed. I think this is clear. I don’t think they mean feed Alpha, it’s really “GOOD QUALITY”, in the right protions for your bread and type of use.
September 28th, 2009 at 9:22 am
The last one is not for too many horses I believe that to much alfalfa is bad for hoove’s and the digestive track of horses. The first thing to look at when horses have feet problems is there diet.
September 28th, 2009 at 10:51 am
What feed do you all think is best to put weight on and maintain a healthy weight? i have a horse on the thin side and have fed him everything and he wont gain weight any ideals? thanks kim
September 28th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Hi Judi and Kim,
We’ve got a story scheduled for an upcoming issue of the America’s Horse print magazine on how to safely put weight on a horse, so stay tuned! (FYI, the print magazine goes only to AQHA members … so if you’re not currently a member, join up now!)http://www.aqha.com/membershipapp.html
September 28th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Alfalfa is cow feed. Timothy hay is a lot better choice.
September 29th, 2009 at 7:56 am
I agree with the other Kristin. I have had problems with feeding alfalfa hay to my horses. I have a 13 year old mare that developed laminitis after feeding alfalfa hay for only a couple weeks. She did have some risk factors, such as being prone to obesity and a cresty neck, but I would encourage others to feed it cautiously. Thanks.
September 29th, 2009 at 9:56 am
In these difficult economic times it is wonderful horse owners are discussing eating requirements of their horses. I have found age, health and use factor is the determining factor. I call my horses grass mowers with limited good hay supplement,when needed. I used to feed according to what the mills and processors recommended. I went broke, my horses fat score was off the charts. Then a few years ago our Extnsion people stressed the fact that most horses do well on good hay and/or grazing. All my horses are pictures of health. Could we get some stats on that philosophy?
September 29th, 2009 at 11:17 am
I disagree slightly with the last answer because it’s too one-size-fits-all. Of course you should feed good quality hay, but as to alfalfa, the statement is not always true or false, but sometimes true and sometimes false. For some horses you may need to avoid too much calcium, depending on potential medical issues, or you may want to feed a hay with less caloric or protein content.
September 29th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
I bought my gelding three years ago on only being fed 1 flake of alfalfa in the morning and 1 at night. I could see his rib cage and he looked like a 2 year old gelding.I put him on a diet of COB 14% pellets vitamins and a mix of hay(which contained grass,brome,alfalfa and timothy).Now I do find alfalfa is a heat factor in some horses too much is not good try to mix your hay but keep your grain feed regular.If you want to equal your protiens pellet feed will give the balance from over feeding the the enhancement of the high protiens from the alfalfa.Like I said I feel a good hay mixture keeps a good healthy horse. And I do have one.
October 2nd, 2009 at 7:18 am
I have a 21 year old American Quater horse. He eats Equine Senior. When I need him to put on some weight I give him corn oil. You need to start out with a small amount once a day and go from there. Like 1/8th for a week or so then I went to a 1/4 of a cup. When he gained what weight I back down and keeped track of his weight. I talked to my Vet and he was fine wlth the uses of corn oil. I used kroger brand. You do not need to spend alot of money. Jen {lori was wondering about a way to put on weight on }
October 2nd, 2009 at 6:10 pm
all good things
October 7th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
I would have to disagree with the alfalfa as a good quality feed. I have boarded horses for over 20 years and have rarely seen a healthy horse on an all alfalfa diet. There are many feeds such as LMF A to decrease the high calcium high protien content in Alfalfa, or it may be soaked in water over night. ( I was told by a nutritionist that this water makes a great weed killer.) The calorie content is usually far too high for most pleasure horses. I would have to also consider the area on the country. In WA state we have some of the best hay coming out of eastern WA. If an ideal protien content for a horse is about 12-14%, why would we want to feed something with 25% or more? I would rather have my horses eating for longer periods of time rather than giving them a tiny flake of a high calorie feed. When horse people got ahold of alfalfa 40 years ago or so, they found they could feed much less and keep weight on their horses. I have found that many horses that have been on an all alfalfa diet seem to start with digestive problems by about middle age. For many of my own horses and my boarders it made their horses too hot to handle. We call it horse crack! I only add some to their diet in the winter to replace pasture. I am able to store 40 tons of hay, and have an analysis ($30) done on each semi load. I choose a nice orchard grass any day over alfalfa.
October 8th, 2009 at 11:58 am
I would like to add that late maturity alfalfa hay alone or grass mix does make good horse hay for growing horses or horses needing a higher calorie intake. Late maturity is going to have more stalk in it which is undigestible fiber. Only feeding dairy quality alfalfa as a hay source is not going to provide enough fiber for horses. Also, alfalfa hays are good to buffer stomach acid for ulcer prone horses. Alfalfa hay is not going to be a good option for fat horses or pasture muffins. If you care enough about the hay you’re feeding, I would encourage people to get it analyzed. A local farm store/co-op can usually help you with this or point you in the right direction. It should not be that expensive, around $20 per test. Most importantly digestible energy and sugar content is what most people are going to be interested in but specialists can help you pick out the important parts of the test. I’ve seen grass hays that contain high levels of sugars and have foundered horses, too. Analyzing is the only way to know for sure what you’re feeding. Depending on the region you live in is also going to be a huge factor in the type of hay you get to feed.
October 9th, 2009 at 6:35 am
Glad to see so many responses about the last answer concerning alfalfa. Very informative, first hand experience, and more useful than the quiz or article. It is definitely a problem feed for many horses, and now is also linked to cases of photo sensitivity due to it’s effect on kidneys and liver. There have been several cases I have personally had to deal with out here.
As for the weight gain question I have a 24 year old in my herd and keep him on Nutrena Senior Feed, and add 1/2 cup corn oil, 1 cup rice bran, probiotics and free choice grass hay with a little alfalfa in it to gain weight. Of course deworming and dental care must be attended to as well. He is fed separate from the rest of the herd so that he can eat at his own pace.
November 26th, 2009 at 5:46 am
I am in the process of a vet check on a horse that came from a trail camp. They feed Alpha, and I have brome hay, have always used brome. My question is how do I go about switching the QH from alpha to brome?
December 3rd, 2009 at 8:36 pm
to brenda,
you will want to switch the horse slowly, if u start him on new hay he isn’t used to it could tie up his digestive system because his bodies not used to processing it, if he’s a picky eater you might have trouble getting him to eat it, start adding small amount of brome to what he’s used to and letting him pick through it, once your sure he is eating it without problems (example: constipation or diarrhea) start increasing it and decreasing other hay he’s used to, do this slowly till he is completely switched over. the slower the better, because you have less risk of complications. it’s tuff changing a horses diet and can really stress them especially when it comes to going somewhere new. the easier you make it on them the better. so this is my suggestion hope it helps
July 21st, 2010 at 4:24 pm
Any info from Nutrena and TSC should be taken with a grain of salt. Alfalfa is OK if you know how to feed it, but grass hay is safer for most horses and horse owners. Alfalfa has an inverted Ca:P ratio which can cause problems in growing horses if the rest of the ration isn’t properly balanced. My advice is seek out feed companies who value quality and use locked or fixed formulas.
August 12th, 2010 at 7:29 pm
one time i got diarrhea attack while riding on a long bus trip, it really sucks,;,
August 16th, 2010 at 4:02 am
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