Most Horses Do Not Need Grain, but ...

According the the EquiMed horse feed calculator, regardless of the hay that is fed, the majority of horses do not need a grain supplement. In fact, according to the calculator, most horses don't even need nutritious hay! They do just fine on grass hay, the tasteless, less than satisfying choice of most veterinarians (who of course are too smart to own horses.)

Most people do not need ice cream

According to my bathroom scale, regardless of what else I eat, I still do not need ice cream. In fact, according to my wife, I don't even need tasty food. I would do just fine on frozen lite entrees along with a fiber bar or two.

The problem is

My horses like to eat grain, and I like to eat ice cream. Horses enjoy variety in their feed. If given a  choice between a monoculture pasture and a mixed forage pasture, horses tend to choose the pasture that has a variety of feeds - some bitter, some sweet, and some slightly poisonous. In this aspect, they are similar to most people.

Can you imagine living on a diet of a wholey nutritious bowl of vitamin fortified mush? I know - horses are not people and they do just fine on eating grass hay every hour of every day of every week of every year. But do they really?

The problem is that fat horses have more health problems and live shorter lives.

A solution (imho)

The trick in equine nutrition, or any animal nutrition, is to provide the essential proteins, amino acids, fats, fiber, vitamins and minerals that are required to support good health. Assuming an otherwise healthy and diseases free horse (ie ask your vet), exchange WORK CALORIES for GRAIN CALORIES.  Work calories are those that are consumed during exercise. Simple solution:

1. Forage based diet (see the EquiMed Feed Calculator for basic info).
2. Grain supplement fortified with vitamins, amino acids, and minerals.
3. For each hour of exercise, allow 1 3-lb scoop of grain.
4. No exercise - no grain!
5. Monitor body weight - If it increases, increase the exercise (more trotting, loping)

Remember exercise does not have to be under saddle. Round penning or lunging can be used, but take care with young horses to not stress joints by keeping most work at a trot. The benifit of working under saddle is that you qualify for 1 scoop of ice cream for every hour that you ride!

I'm sure that a number of equine nutritionists are going to disagree with my proposed solution, It's not particularly scientific but it is simple and works for me.