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Regional,
Monthly All-Breed Horse Magazine • Since 1993 |
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Copyright 2011 Rocky Mountain Rider. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Reproduction of any editorial material, artwork and photos is strictly forbidden without express written permission of the publisher. For information about reprint rights, please contact the editor; editor@rockymountainrider.com.
True
or false? Horses don’t need as much hay during the night because they sleep. False,
and dangerous. Equine nutrition
expert Dr. Juliet Getty frequently has to bust this myth. Believe the facts: • Horses are awake and
moving most of the time. • Mature horses will
sleep up to two hours per day, broken into short periods. • These 15 to 20 minute
naps are intermittent throughout the day and night.
In other words, horses do not sleep for long periods of time the way
humans and some other animals do. Being prey animals, horses must get their
sleep in frequent breaks of short duration, ideally in a group situation where
some take turns resting while others remain alert for dangers.
One more fact to keep in mind: The horse’s digestion is designed to
process food continuously.
Horses are trickle feeders, designed to graze continuously to keep the
digestive system functioning normally, thereby preventing ulcers and colic.
Feeding them in sync with their natural instincts and physiology requires that
they have forage available any time they want it. And that means 24/7.
The solution is simple: Feed enough hay at night to make certain there is
some left over in the morning. If your horse runs out of hay and you wake to
find him kicking and pawing, he is hungry. But even if he seems to be waiting
patiently, he is in discomfort or outright pain due to the acid bathing his
empty stomach. Certainly, he is also mentally stressed; this stress can lead to
a multitude of health problems (including, ironically, persistent overweight).
Ease your horse’s discomfort (and keep his digestion healthy) by giving
him more hay than he could possibly eat. Once he realizes the supply will never
run out, he will self-regulate and actually begin to eat less because he has
relaxed, both physically and emotionally.
And you can sleep better, knowing that all night long your horse is
eating just the way he was meant to—like a horse.
Dr. Juliet Getty has taught and consulted on equine nutrition for more
than 20 years. Her website, www.gettyequinesnutrition.com,
offers a library of helpful articles, a forum on nutrition, and a calendar of
appearances, teleconferences and interviews. Dr. Getty’s comprehensive
reference book, Feed Your Horse Like A Horse: Optimizing your horse’s
nutrition for a lifetime of vibrant health, is available in hardcover and
CD-ROM (pdf file) through her website or at Amazon.com. Dr. Getty offers a free
monthly e-newsletter, “Forage for Thought.”
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Rocky
Mountain Rider Magazine • Montana Owned & Operated |
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