Horses, ‘Hot’ Feeds, Misconceptions

Over the years, I have worked for several horse trainers. Each barn had its own program in regard to training, routines and, of course, feed. Some trainers had their horses on schedules of feeding that entailed only forage (grass hay, alfalfa or a mixture of both) in the mornings and evenings, with “lunch” being supplement time: grain and various other supplements. Others fed forage and supplements simultaneously, morning and evening. Some fed only forage, with no supplements at all, with the exception of a few special needs horses. In all cases, these were training programs that saw horses being trained rigorously, with lots of exercise.

I think back to situations where a horse is exhibiting behavior that would be blamed, ultimately, on being over-energized. Bracing, prancing, head-tossing and all other behaviors that might make someone feel like they were straddling a keg of dynamite. One time in particular, I got lawn-darted by a three-year-old colt. After dusting myself off and scornfully asking that horse, “Jeez, didn’t you read my resume?” I was told this explosion must have been the result of that horse getting too much alfalfa, too much grain, something to that effect. Being my ever-skeptical self, I disregarded it and blamed my poor horsemanship instead.

The thing is, I hear this a lot. The folks who don’t feed their young horses grain are doing it because they think it will cause them to be too fresh, flighty and unruly. All I can think about is the leaps and bounds researchers have made in formulating feed that is balanced in protein, calories, vitamins and minerals to support the way horses – especially young horses – develop and recover after workouts. There is a supplement that targets support for practically any issue you could imagine – preventing gastric issues, muscle development and recovery, hoof health, coat health, mane and tail growth, adding fat, and more. Are we missing out on all these benefits because we’re worried it will make our horses “hot”?

This is where I ask people to focus on what is probably not a feed problem, but a training problem. It’s very easy to blame a flake of alfalfa for Fluffy’s less-than-stellar behavior one day. Some even say they take away the hot feed and, what do you know, the horse is back to normal. I don’t think it’s that simple.

I worked in a barn that prided itself on the condition of its horses. The horses were almost exclusively under the age of five. Most were colts – two and three years old – just getting started under saddle. Each morning and evening, every horse would get a flake of alfalfa. They’d also get plenty of supplements, including a mix of rice bran and grain that had fat nuggets, 12.5% protein, and plenty of other nutrients that some might say classifies it as a “hot feed.” Furthermore, these horses had hay nets in their stalls that were always full of grass hay. Riding a horse on an empty stomach can cause ulcers and other issues, so we always tried to have them grazing. Mind you, these horses were ridden six days a week, outside, on cattle, and more. They looked amazing – shiny coats, ample muscling, good feet and not too much fat. The reason for this program was plain and simple: If a young horse was going to be part of a rigorous training program, he needed to be able to develop muscles and stay strong. This wasn’t like giving a Snickers bar to a toddler – this was a fitness program, and these were athletes that needed proper nutrition to do their jobs without getting sick or injured. As far as their behavior? There were no endlessly loping circles to knock down a sugar high. These horses learned early on that being handled by a human meant it was business time.

I say all that to say this: Learn about different types of feed. Learn about how certain nutrients affect your horse. Consider your horse’s lifestyle. Make the best choice you can to give your horse a balanced diet. FBN

By Cheyenne Brown

Cheyenne Brown is the marketing manager for Olsen’s Grain.