Page 144 - June_2023

VETERINARY VIEWS
by Nancy S. Loving, DVM
FINE-TUNING A FEEDING STRATEGY
There really is no single way to feed a horse other than ensuring that he receives sufficient quantities of high-quality forage.
It is best to consult with your veterinarian
so an individualized diet can be tailored for your horse, and modified as needed, with your horse in mind. Not all horses need supplementation. In case they do, your decision as to which food supplements to
use depends on which system works most conveniently and within financial reach for you, and which feeds provide the best useable nutrition for your horse while inspiring him to eat.
Regardless of the basic ration developed, you’ll want to continually re-tailor the diet to accommodate your horse’s exercise demands and the weather. Photographs are useful to periodically compare body condition from month to month. You see your horse each day, so it is easy to lose perspective, whereas
a picture really is worth a thousand words. Although not exactly accurate, weight tapes can provide a comparative measure of how much your horse is gaining or losing. The objective is to maintain your horse’s body condition as steady as possible at the perfect weight. Vacillations in body condition are difficult for your horse to accommodate. A horse may seemingly lose flesh overnight,
but it takes a long time to safely put body condition back on his frame.
Regardless of the basic ration developed, you’ll want to continually re-tailor the diet to accommodate your horse’s exercise demands and
the weather.
142 SPEEDHORSE June 2023
EQUINE NUTRITION PRIMER