assuming they will self-regulate, there are several reasons why we could actually be putting their health at risk.
Predators are always looking for their next meal. Despite the evolutionary deck being stacked against larger animals, the horse endured thanks to its excellent survival instincts, and the ability to habituate to its surroundings and learn from previous experiences. Survival of the healthiest and fittest means the successful evolution of the species.
My Horse is an Eating Machine!
Too often our stabled horses are victims of boredom and will eat as a pastime rather than as a need for nutrients. The natural regulation of feed intake is not always well expressed in domesticated horses, and we see them get fat despite our best efforts to prevent it. When our horses eat to relieve boredom, it isn’t “natural” anymore, and they must be managed to help them adapt to their domesticated circumstances. Management practices such as this are not “unnatural” - they are good husbandry.
Native forage species did not adapt well to the rigours of grazing, and thus, humans introduced forage species that would. Over the years, modern forage species have been selected by forage specialists to be tolerant to stresses such as intensive management, grazing, and disease conditions. The key to their greater survival under intensive management is their ability to store nutrients. The result of this is that they can provide energy in excess of what many horses need. Allowing horses to follow their natural tendency to eat these forages free choice can result in a higher calorie intake than that required for survival and health. Is grass forage a “natural” feed for horses? Absolutely. But nowadays, the nutrient content of the forages we commonly offer our horses is far from that of the forages they ate while evolving. Is it “unnatural” to adapt, along with your horse, to the feed sources available and to manage your horse’s feed intake? Determining a safe feed intake for your horses and following a plan to provide it falls once again under the heading of Good Husbandry.
PHOTO: ISTOCK/HKUCHERA
Forages are Not the Same “Natural” as Before
WINTER 2019
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CANADIAN HORSE JOURNAL
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