Tuesday Tips and Trivia #1
Announcing a new recurring series called Tuesday Tips and Trivia! Be sure to check the blog for tips and trivia gathered from all facets of the horse world. The tips will focus mainly on general horse tips or time and money saving advice, while the trivia will focus on unusual, humorous, or little-known horse facts.
Tuesday Tips and Trivia is an attempt to share useful information among horse owners and perhaps a little laughter along the way. If you have any tips or trivia you’d like to share here, send them using the contact form. Rest assured, you’ll receive credit for your submission.
Thank you for your support of American Horse Talk, and happy reading!
TUESDAY TIPS
Not all hays and feed weigh the same. Although not practical to weigh hay or feed each time you feed your horse, one way to get a good idea of how much you’re feeding is to take a scale to the barn and stand on it by yourself with your empty scoop. Then stand on it with your feed (in the scoop). Subtract the two numbers to get an idea of how much you’re actually feeding your horse. Repeat the procedure holding a flake of hay and subtract your weight from that number to see how much the flake weighs. (Remember to repeat the procedure if you change hays or feed.)
Doing this will help you “get a visual” on how much hay to pull from the bale. You can also mark your scoop with a line indicating the appropriate amount of feed for your horse, following the manufacturer’s recommendations.
It’s a good idea to keep an eye on your horse’s weight and body condition and adjust how much you feed accordingly. Another factor to keep in mind is how much your horse is being worked. A horse being consistently worked may need additional forage or feed, with the opposite being true as well. Certainly, overfeeding is a waste of money, not to mention a detriment to your horse’s health.
You know your horse best, so use your best judgment, but always consult your veterinarian for professional advice on issues that may arise regarding feeding.
