Cost-effective nutrition for your horse
It is possible to feed horses on a budget!
When it comes to caring for your horse or pony, providing proper nutrition is essential. However, with costs skyrocketing, horse ownership can sometimes be a financial challenge, and it’s certainly not getting any cheaper.
In this article, we explore valuable tips and strategies to help you without compromising on your horse’s health and wellbeing. Whether you’re a new horse owner or simply looking to save some money, read on to discover cost-effective ways to feed horses on a budget with the nutrition they need.
Understanding Horse Nutrition Basics
Before we dive into tips on how to feed horses on a budget, we probably should establish some basic principles regarding horse nutrition. Understanding this will help you make better-informed decisions and optimise your horse’s health.
Basic Equine Nutrition Principles
Horses need to consume a minimum of 2% of their body weight just for maintenance. This amount goes up when they’re in work, growing, pregnant, or feeding a foal. Thus, a 500kg horse needs at least 10 kilos of feed for maintenance. Many need closer to 12 kilos. A 600kg horse needs at least 12 – 15 kilos, and so on. If your horse is not maintaining weight on the recommended amount for its weight, increase the amount. Conversely, if it’s putting on too much weight, reduce the amount.
Horses should receive at least 1-2% of their body weight as bulk forage or roughage i.e. hay, chaff, grazing etc. So – how much hay do I need to feed a 600kg horse? Between 6 – 12 kilos per day.
Horses are trickle feeders meaning their digestive system is designed for continuous consumption of small amounts of food. In their natural state, they rarely go more than 3 or 4 hours a day without eating, and they also rarely ‘gorge’ themselves on huge meals in one sitting. Unfortunately, neither of these fit in with many modern horse husbandry practices, which is why so many domestic horses have metabolic disorders and behavioural problems. They are stabled or yarded for hours without access to forage, and fed kilos of feed in one or two meals.
Horses can produce most of the vitamins they need in their gut so long as they have access to the right feed sources (i.e. green forages). Therefore, feeding vitamin supplements is probably a waste of money. Minerals however are a different story, and most horses do require some type of mineral supplementation, if only to balance out the excessively high iron levels in forages.
Cost-Effective Feeding Strategies for your Horse
Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s explore practical tips to help you feed horses on a budget while still meeting your horse’s nutritional requirements. These strategies will assist you in maximising your budget without compromising the quality of your horse’s diet.
Tip 1 – Evaluate Your Horse’s Nutritional Needs
Horses can be wasteful creatures when it comes to effective metabolism of nutrients, and many owners make the expensive mistake of overfeeding various nutrients that just end up in the horse’s manure or urine. That’s great news for your paddocks, compost heap, or veggie garden but not such good news for your wallet. Indeed, one of the reasons horse manure is much loved by gardeners is precisely because it contains so many nutrients. However, you really want your horse using those nutrients, not your garden or horse paddock!
Arm yourself with some basic knowledge about equine nutrition. There’s plenty available on the Internet, and also some good feed analysis programs around. If your budget can stretch to professional advice, some vets offer a feed analysis service, as do some feed companies (some of these services are even free!). Or consult an equine nutritionist. This will help you avoid unnecessary expenses on overfeeding, or on supplements or feed that may not be suitable for your horse.
Tip 2 – Optimise Feed Rations
Developing a well-balanced feed for your horse can save you a lot of expense by reducing excess or redundant supplements. If you’re already feeding a good balancer pellet, or complete feed, at the recommended rate for your horse for example, there’s no point feeding a vitamin or mineral supplement as well. At best, you’re wasting money by doubling up on nutrients your horse will just poop or pee out. At worst, you can create nutritional imbalances, or overfeed micronutrients like selenium, that will eventually compromise your horse’s health. If you are concerned what you’re feeding may not completely meet your horse’s nutritional needs, get the diet analysed. Then tailor the feed to suit.
Tip 3 – Focus on Quality Hay
Hay is a staple in a horse’s diet, so providing good-quality hay is essential. Never feed your horse mouldy or poor quality hay. Unlike ruminants (cows, sheep, goats) horses cannot regurgitate food so what goes in one end stays in the horse until it exits out the other end. If it’s poor quality, it can cause all manner of health problems on its way through your horse’s digestive tract!
Just as buying groceries in bulk can help your household budget, buying hay in bulk can also pay off. Hay rolls for example are generally much better value than the equivalent in small bales, and an ideal way to source hay if you have somewhere to store it. You’ll also find it is cheaper buying hay in bulk direct from the farm rather than through your local feed store.
Tip 4 – Consider Alternative Forage Sources
If the cost of hay is a concern, explore alternative forage sources. Access to paddock turnout can be a good way to supply part of your horse’s forage requirements. In fact, good quality pasture is an excellent source of nutrients as well as being cost-effective. Additionally, you may consider sourcing alternative types of bulk fibre, such as beet pulp, oat hulls, lupin husks, pelleted fibre feeds, and other similar products, to replace a portion of the hay in your horse’s diet.
Tip 5 – Bulk Buying and Storage
Buying feed in bulk can significantly reduce costs. Explore purchasing options for larger quantities of feed if you can afford it, and store it properly to maintain freshness and quality.
Key Takeaways About How to Feed Horses On A Budget
It is not impossible to feed horses on a budget. By implementing some cost-effective strategies, you can provide your horse with the nutrition he or she needs while keeping your wallet happy. Remember, tailoring the diet to your horse’s individual requirements is an essential step towards cost-effective and balanced nutrition. With proper planning and smart choices, you can ensure your horses stay healthy and well-fed without breaking the bank.
