Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Just have to throw this out.

In the dim dark past, when there were not so many choices in feeds, we found 
that newly weaned foals would learn to eat whole oats quicker than any thing 
else.  Same when starting bucket calves on grain.
A vet told us one reason they did well on whole  oats as a "starter" was 
because the chewing required stimulated both saliva and digestive fluids.
Once they were eating whole oats well we could start adding anything else, 
such as rolled mixed grains or pellets with good results.
The youngsters, and most horses in general, finicky eaters and all, will 
often eat whole oats when they won't eat anything else.   I think they just 
like the taste.

As far as whole oats passing through still whole, this usually happened with 
the older horses with poor teeth , or,   new thought here,   if we were 
feeding more whole oats than the horse could proccess between feedings. 
Most hard working horses can manage a couple gallons of oats at a feeding. 
More than that and more than a few oats show up in the droppings.   Cut down 
the amount, very little passes through.

No science here, just observations over the years. 


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