Horse Bedding & Feed

To choose the correct bedding and feed for your horse, you need to consider a number of factors, including:

Age: Younger horses and older horses may have different bedding and feeding needs. For example, younger horses may need more bedding to cushion their joints, and older horses may need a more digestible feed.
Activity level: Horses that are more active, such as performance horses, may need a different diet than horses that are less active, such as pleasure horses.
Health: Horses with certain health conditions, such as allergies or digestive problems, may need a specialized bedding or feed.
Climate: Horses that live in extreme climates may need a different bedding or feed than horses that live in more moderate climates.

Once you have considered these factors, you can start to narrow down your choices. Here are some tips for choosing the correct bedding and feed for your horse:

Bedding:

Choose a bedding that is absorbent, comfortable, and safe for your horse.
Avoid bedding that is dusty or moldy, as this can irritate your horse's respiratory system.
Consider using a bedding that is compostable, so that you can reduce your environmental impact.

Feed:

Choose a feed that is appropriate for your horse's age, activity level, health, and climate.
Avoid feeding your horse too much grain, as this can lead to health problems such as obesity and laminitis.
Offer your horse plenty of hay or grass, as this is the best source of fiber for horses.

If you are unsure which bedding or feed is right for your horse, it is a good idea to consult with a veterinarian or equine nutritionist. They can help you to assess your horse's individual needs and to choose the best bedding and feed for your horse's health and well-being.

Here are some additional tips for choosing and using bedding and feed for your horse:

Bedding:

Spread the bedding evenly in the stall to provide a soft and comfortable surface for your horse to lie down on.
Remove wet and soiled bedding on a daily basis to help prevent the growth of bacteria.
Add fresh bedding to the stall as needed.

Feed:

Feed your horse at regular times each day.

Divide your horse's daily feed ration into two or more meals.

Offer your horse fresh water at all times.

Monitor your horse's body condition and adjust the feed ration as needed.

By following these tips, you can choose the correct bedding and feed for your horse and help to ensure that your horse stays healthy and happy.

Featured Listings - Bedding & Feed

Taylor Select Horse Bedding

Rockton, IL 61072
ph: (815) 601-3002
Email: info@taylorselect.com

We offer a variety of bedding products to satisfy even the most discriminating buyer. Our products range from pine shavings of varying sizes to pine pellets and chopped straw. With so many products to choose from you are assured to find the right product for you.

Featured Listings - Feed Analysis

Equi-Analytical

730 Warren RD, Ithaca, NY 14850
ph: (877) 819-4110
Email: service@equi-analytical.com
We specialize in the most modern techniques for determining the nutrient content of forage and feed for horse owners. International samples accepted.

Please note: many of these companies also sell supplements. Please refer to the website or contact the supplier directly.

Bedding & Feed - General

Bedding & Feed - National - United States

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Bryan & Brittingham, Inc., 38148 Bi State Boulevard, Delmar, DE 19940

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Rockin E Country Store, 1201 W 500 S., Woods Cross, UT 84087

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Dave's Farm Supply, 18455 Seneca Trl, Maxwelton, WV 24957

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Bedding & Feed - International

Bedding & Feed - International - Canada

Champion Shavings Corporation®m 933400 Airport Road, Mono, ONT L9W 6C3 CAN

Bedding & Feed - United Kingdom

Horses don’t just munch on grass and call it a day.

They’ll wander a bit first, sniffle stuff around, nibble a little, and sometimes latch onto the same little patch like it’s the most delicious thing they’ve ever tasted. One horse might be really into clover, the other will hunt down every last dandelion – some horses even like mint or wild herbs. A pasture is to a horse what a buffet is to you.

But, as tasty as some buffets can be, they aren’t exactly healthy. Well, some are. But not all of them. This has much to do with the fact that some snacks are full of ‘the good stuff’, while some are just packed with nasties.

So this article is for you, the owner, so that you can see (and pay close attention) to the difference between which food is safe, and which isn’t.

Nutritional Impact of Common Pasture Snacks

As humans, horses are picky eaters. They won’t just eat any old grass that’s in front of them. Sure, they will if they HAVE TO. But only so in order to survive. You can be sure they won’t be happy about it. Not one bit.

In order to create healthy (and tasty) snacks, you need to put in the ‘good stuff’ into them (e.g., clover, dandelions, plantains, chamomile, mint, etc.).

This variety is very good for horses because it keeps their digestive system active the way nature intended. If the snack is tasty and healthy, then the horse is happy. This means less stress.

As far as nutritional values, these types of natural snacks are different from carrots, apples, and packaged treats you might usually give them. Pasture snacks have subtle amounts of vitamins and minerals, but because they graze, horses get them in steady amounts.

Hand-fed treats, on the other hand, are sweeter, and they’re given in bursts. Both are good and both deserve to have their place, but their roles aren’t the same.

This is why you’ll see a lot of horse owners browsing horse stalls for sale online to look and ask for features that make feeding routines easier to manage (e.g., safe hay racks, well-placed feed doors, etc.).

Safe Pasture Snacks vs. Risky Ones

Not every plant on the pasture is safe for your horse, so let’s see what’s okay, what’s risky, and what to be especially careful with.

Safe Snacks

There’s a good number of plants horses can safely eat while they’re grazing. Clover is one of the most common ones, and it’s very beneficial because it’s full of protein, which supports muscles and overall condition. Dandelions are another excellent choice, although many people see them as nothing more than weeds.

They’re packed with vitamins A and C, as well as minerals like calcium and potassium (great for bones and healthy teeth). Horses find them delicious, and they’re surprisingly healthy.

Wild herbs like plantain and chamomile have small digestive or even calming benefits. Mint is another herb that’s pretty popular with horses, but it’s not a big source of nutrition. Still, it’s safe and refreshing.

Risky Snacks

Even safe snacks can become risky if they’re eaten in excess, so make sure your horse always snacks in moderation.

Clover – safe in moderate amounts – is dangerous if a horse eats too much. It can cause slobbers, which is a condition caused by a fungus that (sometimes) grows on clover.

Lush spring grass is risky from the start because it contains a lot of sugar, which can trigger laminitis in sensitive horses.

Buttercups are another risk, although a lot of horses avoid them because they’re bitter. They’re actually mildly toxic if they’re eaten fresh, and they can irritate the digestive system.

Acorns are a seasonal risk in areas with oak trees. Some horses ignore them, but others will eat enough of them and cause serious poisoning. Horses are naturally curious, but this curiosity sometimes endangers their health.

Plants You Need to Be Careful with

Weeds and wild plants should never be a part of a horse’s diet.

Ragwort, horsetail, bracken fern, and yew are examples of toxic plants. Horses usually avoid them if they have plenty of good forage to eat, but if grazing is limited, they might start nibbling on something toxic simply because they’re bored.

Hunger, of course, would be the other reason.

Even small amounts of these plants can cause serious and long-term damage, so make sure to walk past pastures regularly and remove anything that might be dangerous.

Conclusion

Horses don’t care about nutrition labels and feed charts. As picky as they are, they would sometimes wander into a junk food aisle (if you’d let them) and make themselves sick. Think of them like big children. Would you leave it up to them to pick what they want?

Sure, in nature, they’d have no trouble eating what nature has intended them to eat. But here, in civilization, they’re constantly surrounded by a lot of different options – some of which aren’t that great for them, with some even being outright dangerous.

Remember that it’s up to you to prevent this, and every acorn they eat IS ON YOU. Every digestive problem a wild plant causes is also on you.

Do you research and inspect the pastures regularly to keep your horse(s) safe and happy.

There are more interesting articles in our section on Health & Education.