Heavens no...I am talking about an average horse, with an average daily exercise schedule on a high quality VARIETY of grass hays. Not sick,old,lactating mares, breeding stallions, or foals or yearlings..and the amounts differ according to size, use, etc...the point was all these grains being fed are not better than grasses in average situations.
I just love blanket statements! Do you mean to tell me that you would feed a gestating mare the same as a lawn ornament who doesn't expend any energy?
I agree a good quality hay is important, but....the farmers who are looking to stretch their dollar and save some money are not replacing the nutrients that are pulled from the crops. The hay today is not the same as hay grown years ago. The soil is not the same. You also have the different parts of the country the are selenium rich and other parts that selenium poor. Should the selenium poor regions not supplement? That being said, COB is technically not a horse feed, it is a livestock feed. Look in your horses manure, tell me if you see any oats, or corn pieces and the barley is barely digestible. Years ago before the research and development of the proper feeds for the Horse digestive system, COB was the only thing around to add to the diet of hay to add extra energy. Good for Grandpa, he was trying. But now Grandpa drives a Buick not a hay wagon to town and Grandpa should step into the new millennium as far as feeds go too. As for the sunflower seeds added to the diet, be careful of the pesticides that are put on the plants. The seeds are not grown for animal consumption, the birds that they are intended for crack open the shell and eat the kernel inside.
Do you mean to tell that a hay alone diet will help my older horse with joint problems better than Cosequin? Amazing! I guess if hay can do all of that we should be grateful for how comparatively cheap hay actually is since it saves us from having to buy joint supplements or biotin for better hoof growth.
All of this being said, I don't think your blanket statement was thoroughly thought out. IMHO
