Information from New South Wales

To avoid health problems, quantities of feed given to performance horses that are in confinement and not worked needs to be reduced. Horse owners and managers need to understand these animals' feed requirements.

To avoid digestive upsets, roughage (hay, chaff and pasture) needs to be provided at 80-100% of the diet. This means it is necessary to reduce the concentrate (grain, pellet, meal and oil) content of the ration that is normally fed. Avoid giving horses high protein feeds, especially if the animal is sick, to reduce the protein load on the horse's digestive system.

Feed horses pasture hay or a mixture of lucerne, oaten and or clover hays at the rate of 1.5 to 2 kg/100 kg bodyweight. If hay alone is not available, Table A (below) indicates the quantities of feed suitable to meet the energy and protein requirements of idle horses and ponies in confinement.

To calculate the weight of your horse see Primefact 494.

Rules of feeding

• Use high-quality ingredients that are free of weeds, mould and other contaminants.
• High protein feeds e.g. protein meals and lucerne as a sole feed should be avoided, especially in sick horses.
• Introduce new feeds slowly. Mix or shandy new feed with those that the horse is already eating.
• Feed little and often. It is best to give the required quantity of feed in at least two but preferably three feeds each day.
• Feed and water individual horses in their own containers. Do not swap or share feeders and waterers between horses.
• Handle and feed sick horses last and use good hygiene practices.
• Healthy horses should be walked on a lead. They should complete some light exercise (ridden or lunging) each day if possible.
• Pregnant and lactating mares and growing horses need to receive additional feed to meet production requirements.

*Lucerne, pasture or often hay can be substituted for clover hay.