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Johnna:
I would refer you to my posts on the use of additives that keep stating the
basic food stuffs are the most important for any endurance horse. First is
plenty of good water, then forage in the form of hay and/pasture,
electrolytes initially just salt then as work load and sweating increase the
other electrolytes, THEN and only then, as work load is increased and
energy demands need to be met grain should be added to the diet.
We feel that supplementation of grain (and grain is only a supplement to the
basic diet, it is not the base feed) should be in an easily digested form.
Oats are not easy to digest because of the hull structure. Therefore you
should at least have "crimped oats". But with rolled barley at the same
price why not go to the grain with the greater total digestible nutrient
content?
Next, when the basic diet supplemented with the singular grain is not enough
for maintaining weight and energy when fed in moderate amounts (say two
daily feedings of 3 lbs each or a total of 6 lbs per day) then add corn as a
supplement. You mentioned cracked corn, but why crack the corn and have a
lower energy content? We use whole corn with good results. First it helps
satisfy the chewing instinct, second the germ has not had a chance to
oxidize, and third many horses do not like the fine texture of the cracked
product. We have never had to exceed a feed amount of two pounds of barley
and two pounds of corn per feeding. (we feed twice a day so a total
supplementation of 8 lbs of grain per day). If you have a horse that really
needs more or you want more energy then start the oil supplementation. We do
supplement with selenium as our region is substantially lacking in this
mineral. That is all we do for feeding.
The "hot" you hear about is referring to energy not body heat. More
supplementation with grain more "hot" or energy that is available. This
expressed in an eagerness to "GO" generally when you do not want them to go.
A very important item most persons miss. You MUST weigh the grain supplement
!!!! Bulk density of grain has a great variation!!! The energy is based on
bulk density not bulk volume.!!!
This formula for feeding has worked for us but you must realize our horses
are free ranging in 140 acres of hills, have no shelter, get quite a bit of
exercise on their own and have been quite successful in endurance riding
over the years.
Bob Morris
Morris Endurance Enterprises
Boise, ID
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