my horses feed

Question
Hi, Mandiye I think I need help. I am new to having horses: If I give my horse hay,sweet ten,rice Bran and alfalfa cubs is that enough?
My friend said she feeds hers oats, vegetable oil,  beet pulp omolean no alfalfa I am so lost on what to do I don't want to make my horses sick, hers are fatter than mine, am I doing something wrong?....

Answer
Okay, first things first.  You need to make sure your horses teeth are not in need of floating.  If they are in poor condition, the horse may not chew the feed enough to receive adequate nutrition from it no matter what type of feed you provide along with the supplements you are giving.  Second, be sure you are also worming the horses on a routine schedule (most horses need it a minimum of three to four times a year, but I do every other month rotating wormers between ivermectin, safe guard and strongid with a panacur powerpack - single dose daily for five days once a year).  Finally, pick what feed you are going to use, and stick with it.  A high quality (omolene is a good base) feed with adding corn oil and rice bran you should see an improvement in your horses by making adjustments as needed.  Plan on giving a feed program a minimum of 4 to 6 weeks to really start to see an improvement as it takes longer to earn weight that is muscle not just fat.  

As I mentioned earlier, you feed depending on your horse's needs.  Your friend's horses may expend more energy in the fields or be ridden more aggressively requiring the higher energy level from the corn or oats.  They add both weight, but at a cost of added energy.  Alfalfa does a similar thing, but provides an excellent source of nutrition in the winter.  Make sure your hay is of good quality and leafy, not containing alot of stems or other things.  If you read my previous answer to EQUINE, it contains a good general feeding program for any horse.  Another thing I do is when I first get a new horse, I ask what the previous feed schedule was, especially if the horse does well on it and continue that as I gradually switch to the same regimen as the other horses, making adjustments as needed.  Good luck with your horse.