what should i feed my horse?

Question
Hi,

I have a 16.3hh, 9 year old warmblood mare. During the summer I ride her everyday for at least an hour and do all different kinds of work with her such as hacking, schooling, jumping and cross country. Shes not a typical warmblood and is usually quite lazy to ride. So I was wondering what to feed her and how much you think she should be fed?
thanks for your help.

Olivia

Answer
Hi Olivia,

Thank you for your question.  What type of feed to choose for your mare, and how much of it to feed, will depend a lot on what sort of condition she is currently in given her work load.  Body condition is usually a good indicator of how much more/less energy your horse needs in her diet.  In my opinion, a Body Condition Score (BCS) of 5 is ideal for a light performance horse or a horse in maintenance.  If your mare has a BCS of 5 with her current workload then chances are she doesn't need any (more) grain and may simply need to be supplemented with mineral. If you find she tires easily, choose a mineral supplement in a protein base as the protein will help build muscle and improve stamina.

If her BCS is lower than a 4.5, you may want to add grain to her diet.  If your mare tends to get a 'hot' attitude, choose a feed that is fat/fiber based.  If your mare is sluggish then try a feed with some added starch...like a sweet feed but feed small meals and only what is needed to keep in her at a BCS of 5.

Your feed company will make recommendations in feeding rates on the feed bag.  If you would like a more specific idea of how much to feed I would need to know how much your mare currently weighs, what specific feed you have chosen and what kind of forage she currently eats (what kind of pasture/hay she is on).  You can send me that information if you wish, and I will be a bit more accurate for you.

Thanks, Corlena