Comments on: How to Feed a Stabled Horse

on 8/15/2007 Just another comment on this article about the statement on corn -- during the winter (for the last two years) we feed shelled corn -- with the exception to the picky eaters - and they look good! Some of them are even fat come spring! It doesn't hurt them at all! I haven't had any instances of colic or anything else from the corn, and we have horses which range in age from 2-20. We started feeding corn in the winter after much discussion and seeing some horses which have been raised on corn and sometimes oats. The guy who has them always has nice looking horses - well filled out, etc.

on 7/27/2007 Hay you should sell all of your horses and make dog food out of them. They all eat too much and are a pain in the ass. There are much better forms of transportation availiable today. Leave the horses for the cowbows. Motorcycles only need to be fed when they are ridden and if they start acting up you simply just turn then off with the switch. If you are looking for a earth friendly form of transportation try a bicycle. If you want to throw money away like I used too then buy some horses and feed them all the alfalfa they can eat and watch as all of your money dissapears and you get very little in return for it. Did you know the average cowboy only makes about 12,000 dollars a year? And further nore he is usually impailed by the time he is 40 somehow. Better hope he picked an understanding and hard working woman to support him for his last 20 years here. Just a thought

on 6/11/2007 The myth that alfalfa hay is bad is proven by these comments. Studies from the University of Kentucky and University of California, Davis show that protein is not hard on the kidneys, but a horse eating a higher protein content tend to drink more water and typical back yard horse owners just don't provide for this. The smell in urnine is excess nitrogen being excreted. Protein is made up of amino acids, composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen, all used for energy. There is no reason to believe the kidney's will be damaged when a horse drinks more water. BTW, more water intake means more urination. Before you start spreading rumors and hearsay, please check the facts first, you are doing the horse industry harm through your ignorance.

on 6/4/2007 I realize that the author of this artcle means well, but she/he is wrong. As Hailey said, there is no waiting period for feeding hay, in fact it's nutritional content and flavor is at it's best the earlier it is fed! Watch out for sweet feeds - they contain corn which is absolutly not good for your horse (horses are unable to digest the type of starch it contains) and the molassas is unnessesary, your feed should taste good enough without a sweetener! Try feeding whole or hulless oats with a good mineral supplement. Your horse can get all he needs from an all natural source, his condition, performance and your feed bill will please you.

on 4/4/2007 I like to dunk my hay in water.
Put the hay in a hay net and dunk it in and out of the water once or twice..let it drip then feed to your horse. Notice how dirty brown the water flows from the hay?
It gets rid of some of the dust and dirt. Dunking the hay in a water moistens the hay and is easier for the horse to consume.
My horse loves it.

on 2/28/2007 This article is AWFUL!!!!! Feed requirements are driven by activity. This article does not address protein contents of feed/hay, activity levels, age of the horse, medical issues etc. ALL hay can be moldy if not properly cured. Hay (anything grown that is cut) can be fed after it is cured & baled. There is no waiting period for hay to age until it is appropriate to feed. Most horses love alfalfa and prefer it to any hay. Alfalfa is high in protein and can harm kidneys if fed exclusively. Does your horses urine have a stron ammonia smell? If so, they are excreting excess protein from their feed in their urine. Please consult your vet immediately if you base your horse's feed schedules on this article.

on 2/1/2007 Alfalfa is a great hay. My vet recommends it highly. It does not cause health problems and is especially good for horses with breathing problems. We feed alot of it and have never had any problems. There is no research showing alfalfa to cause any problems other than SOME older geldings having bladder crystals.

on 8/14/2006 I would strongly advise the novice horse person to get advice from their vet or experienced professional who can advise based on the individual horse and circumstance. Horses may seem to be big and tough, but they are really amazingly delicate creatures and it takes a lot of experience and knowledge to give them the care they deserve.

on 8/6/2006 Alfalfa is known to hyper up horses and I agree with this statement. I worked with 2 crazy Oldenburg horses that were fed alfalfa and sweet feed. When the owner cut the feed down to half alfalfa and half coastal, the horses changed a lot. I documented this and found the less alfalfa the less hyper. But, the nutrition of the horse went down the owner now feeds half alfalfa and half coastal in the morning, and coastal in the evenings. Alfalfa supplies an excellent source of protein.

on 7/31/2006 Each horse is different, and each environment different, therefore I think that a horse's feed should depend entirely on the individual horse and what their environment is like. I have nothing against alfalfa, but I don't feed it to my horse because he is white and it encourages photo-sensitivity in horses.

Someone said that you should talk to your vet about what is the best diet for your horse, and I agree completely.

on 7/1/2006 A horse is designed to eat grass with it's head down. According to my certified equine dentist, by eating with their heads down, their teeth are in proper alignment to chew and grind. When their heads are up, they develop all sorts of problems, from TMJ to an inability to chew correctly.

on 2/1/2006 Alfalfa hay is great for a horse! Vets don't discourage it! A top school in America for horses approve it! Also, horses are suppose to eat with their heads up! It's a proven fact.

on 11/22/2005 One basic rule of thumb is to feed little and often. Most people give their horses 2 or 3 meals a day. My stable will feed three times a day. I have known some people who will feed 4 times a day.

on 11/22/2005 I think that horses should be feed 4 times every day instead of what this website says (3 feeds).The horses digestive track is very delicate so feeding it less more often means that it will have had a chance to eat and start digesting its food by the time the next feed arrives.

on 11/22/2005 Having raised many horses and managed expensive show horses for years, we have found that alfalfa does not kill horses. Horses need to walk and be able to graze naturally throughout the day. We feed Bermuda free choice in floor mangers or hang hay nets in stalls. In the morning every horse gets alfalfa and in the evening they get supplements, Bermuda and grains if needed. We have not had 1 single bout of colic in 20 years. Even our hot, nervous breeds are doing really well with this schedule. As long as your horse gets to munch throughout the day with lots of turn-out with a safe place to roll and lay down; you will have a happy, healthy horse! Get rid of your stalls or add in/outs to barn stalls. This has improved our horses health and psyche more than any nutrition program we could ever think of!! We are winning big with this type of management!