What requirements need to be taken into consideration in a horse’s feed ration ? - Dry matter (DM)
- Protein (EDNM)
- Energy (EFU)
- Cellulose
- Minerals and trace elements
How to evaluate your horse’s requirements :
- Your horse’s mean weight (see document on your horse’s weight)
- Your horse’s level of work (rest, light, moderate or intense work)
=> See INRA tables
Horses on artificial bedding (shavings, flax, etc.) :
No straw in the stable for the horses to feed on (less chewing activity; risk of cellulose deficiency, etc.)
- Provide larger quantities of hay: 7 to 8 kg per day
- Choose a combined feed with a safe formula in terms of protein/cellulose balance
(e.g.: Horsy, Fringan croc', Horse Prim, Fringan floc')
How to evaluate nutritional content :
Nutritional content in the basic ration excluding combined feeds :
Nutritional content to be sourced from combined feeds in order to supplement the basic ration =>Refer to the technical data sheet for the feed stating its nutritional characteristics and nutrient content.
Typical ration calculation :
Requirements as per the INRA :
Horses weighing 500 kg, undergoing moderate work : 1 to 2 hours a day, walking, trotting, cantering, require:
7.5 EFU
480 g of EDNM
10 to 12 kg of DM
Nutritional content of a theoretical basic ration for a given day :
5 kg of hay : 2.2 EFU
4.2 kg of DM
3 to 4 kg of straw : 0.8 EFU
2.6 to 3.5 kg of DM
Total EFU provided in the basic forage ration : 3.0 EFU
Total dry matter content : 7.2 kg
Nutritional content required from the feed in 2 or 3 rations : Provision of daily EFU requirements :
7.5 EFU – 3.0 EFU = 4.5 EFU
With Fringan Croc: 4.5 EFU (to be provided)/0.75 EFU (provided in 1 kg of feed) = 6 kg/day, i.e. 9.2 litres (5.3 kg of dry matter provided by the feed)
Provision of dry matter requirements :
7.2 kg DM + 5.3 kg DM = 12.5 kg of DM OK !
Reminder :
A horse on wheat straw consumes approximately 3 to 4 kg/day, i.e. 0.88 EFU.
One segment of meadow hay = 1.5 to 2 kg, i.e. 0.67 to 0.90 EFU
Density and equivalent values :
Whole cereals 1 litre = approx. 550 g for oats
1 litre = approx. 600 g for barley
Rolled cereals 1 litre = approx. 300 g
Pelleted feeds 1 litre = approx. 650 g
Flaked feeds 1 litre = approx. 450 g
Mash 1 litre = approx. 380 g
N.B.: Remember to distinguish between litres and kilos ! PLEASE WEIGH so as to AVOID any risk of mistakes !
1 kilo of feed, irrespective of type = 88 % dry matter
