Coastal 101 Nutrition Talk with Nutrena: All-in-One Horse Feed
Welcome to another edition of Nutrition Talk with Nutrena®. Coastal recently met with two of our favorite nutrition experts on Facebook LIVE to talk about horse health as well as Nutrena Country Feeds® Complete Pellet for equine and how it can change the way you feed and care for your horses. We’ve compiled some of the questions and answers below the video.
Q: What is Country Feeds® Complete Pellet?
It’s an in-one, roughage-based feed that can be fed to any equine, from a mini all the way up to a performance horse. To replace hay, you simply feed based on their weight and amount of exercise. This feed features a controlled starch formula with prebiotics for healthy digestion, lysine and methionine support for muscle development and recovery, as well as organic trace minerals and biotin support for healthy hooves and coat.
Q: What is a topline evaluation?
It’s an evaluation of the muscling of the back. A horse’s top line can affect how healthy they are, how your saddle will sit, and your horse’s ability to carry you. Nourishment is a big part of a healthy topline.
Q: Can you suggest a gastric support product?
You want something that works beyond the stomach. The goal is to lower the Ph in the stomach to avoid ulcers, but Nutrena takes horse health a step further to include the entire gastrointestinal system. SafeChoice® products from Nutrena offer the support hoses need for gastric health.
Q: Is there a specific amount or time-of-day you should feed a horse for optimal health?
The Nutrena experts explained that when to feed your horse is dependent on your schedule. But they also reminded us that a horse’s stomach is only lined on the bottom half. For that reason, you never want more than 11-pounds of feed going in at any one time. If you have a horse that is very active, be sure to break up the amount you feed them to avoid exceeding that 11-pound limit. If you are feeding your horse 30 pounds of food per day, you would need to break that up into three feedings.
Q: What should I feed if my pasture or hay didn’t come in as well this year?
Forage should be the majority of a horse’s diet. Country Feeds® Complete Pellet can be used as a hay and pasture stretcher.
