Did you know that horses on lush spring pasture sometimes continue to want to eat dry hay? Spring grass is a great source of simple carbohydrates (sugars), energy, vitamins, and minerals. Unfortunately, spring grass is a poor source of structural carbohydrate or fibre. Horses need fibre in their diet for proper digestive function. If horses are not fed enough fibre, they will seek other sources of fibre. In this case, horses are attracted to the high fibre content of dry hay. If fibre is not provided as hay, horses will usually choose wood fibre from fence boards or stall fronts. Ultimately, if enough fibre is not provided in the diet, horses will have symptoms of digestive upset (colic). As the pasture grasses begin to dry and grow taller, the fibre content of the grass increases and horses will spend more time grazing. Try adding some stemmy grass hay to your horses diet if the lush grass is too rich for him.
Posted on: Mon, 09 Sep 2013 01:51:32 +0000
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