Feeding in Sync with Instincts Produces Good Behavior
Your horse’s mental state affects his entire body, making a holistic perspective all the more important when it comes to feeding
by Juliet M. Getty, PhD
h, the stress-free life. Free to roam, explore, eat, socialize with friends, lie down to take
a nap. Such a life doesn’t exist for many horses -- it’s no wonder they’re stressed. Te more you treat your horse like a horse living in the wild, the calmer and more cooperative he will be.
THE BASICS Y
ou can keep your horse at his healthiest if:
• he’s allowed to be turned out 24 hours a day along with a shelter for protection against nasty weather • grass hay and/or pasture (forage) are available at all times • concentrated meals are small in size • vitamins and minerals are supplemented to hay-only diets • clean water and salt are easily accessible
Most of your horse’s diet should come from forage. If a horse has all the forage he wants, his instincts will kick in and he will self-regulate his intake, eating only what his body needs to maintain condition. Studies show this totals 1.5% to 3.0% of his body weight.
HORSES NEED FORAGE, FREE-CHOICE In their natural setting, horses graze virtually all day. It is very important that
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a horse’s digestive system have forage in it to avoid digestive problems.
Horses’ stomachs, unlike our own, produce acid continually. Terefore, an empty stomach will be exposed to excess acid. Tis can produce ulcers, as well as diarrhea, behavioral problems, and even colic. Chewing is necessary to
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instincts will kick in and he will self-regulate his intake.
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produce saliva, which acts as a natural antacid, so if a horse has no hay or pasture, he will chew on whatever he can to produce saliva: fences, trees, even his own manure. Tis level of stress causes the secretion of cortisol, a stress- related hormone. Ironically, cortisol leads to insulin resistance, which causes fat storage and may lead to laminitis. It seems contradictory, but an overweight horse who is restricted from forage will stay overweight.
Te horse’s digestive tract is made of muscles that need to be exercised. A
If a horse has all the forage he wants, his
constant supply of forage keeps the intestinal tract moving and prevents colic. A horse’s cecum contains billions of microbes that produce digestive enzymes capable of digesting forage. Te acid from an empty stomach can destroy them, leading to inefficient digestion, colic, and even laminitis from endotoxin production.
GIVE YOUR HORSE A CHANCE TO SELF-REGULATE When fed a small amount of hay, horses will likely eat it very quickly and will be anxious for more. But if given all they want, they will overeat for a few days and then, once they see that they can walk away and the hay will still be there when they return, they will calm down and eat only what they need to maintain health. If your horse is stalled at night, the only way to know whether he has enough hay for this self-regulation to take place is for some hay to be left over in the morning.
F
eeding more hay is not the solution. If you simply feed more, your horses will eat more.
Te key is to feed enough so they never run out. Ten, and only then, will instincts take over and, in the vast majority of horses, they will self- regulate their intake.
Holistic Horse™ • August/September 2010 • Vol.16, Issue 68
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