Why Do I feed My Horse Mash Everyday?
If someone were to look at my little herd of horses they would not immediately think “Give them more calories!”. In fact, most of my horses are easy keepers that lean towards chubby. There is actually work involved in trying to keep their weight down. They are in a controlled environment during the week. Spending time being hand fed in the paddocks and working. The weekend is break time, out in a beautiful, lush, 14 acre pasture…. a definite highlight in everyones week!
In, or out of the pasture, winter or summer, 365 days a year our horses get mash. They don’t need mash for the caloric intake but they do need it for so much more!
Everyday I mix a concoction that ends up being about 2 cups total for each horse. What I use for ‘mash’ isn’t really important, although it is geared toward easy keepers so has a low glycemic index. Everyone has their own preference. I call it mash, many might call it grain. What is important is that this mix is a carrier, a carrier for medication, a carrier for electrolytes, a carrier for moisture, fibre, minerals….
Everyday I head out with the bins. The horses see me coming and head over, excited for the treat. While they eat I check them over. I touch their ears, I clean out their feet, look at their legs, give them a stretch, put eye drops in the eye of our appaloosa that is prone to episodes of Uveitis.
This routine also allows me to check if they need a blanket because of wind or rain, and I can put one on if needed. They are also easy to halter and move back to the paddocks because of this routine. The horses are comfortable and calm with me touching them because I do it EVERYDAY.
The relationship of me handling the horses transfers positively over into veterinary and farrier care. The horses are accepting of treatment because they are comfortable with being handled and touched EVERYWHERE. Often, our horses will pick their feet up all on their own for the farrier, and will stand quietly while he works on them.
The mash the horses get each day goes beyond what I have just indicated. Horses are more prone to impaction colic during the winter months. We live in northern British Columbia, Canada so our winters are long, snowy, and cold. The horses spend a lot of time standing around eating at a feeder (filled with netted hay). They stand around in the shelter and don’t really move their bodies a lot. The waterer stands between the feeders and the gate. They walk right by the automatic waterer, that is heated to keep the temperature tepid, not too hot, not too cold. They come to the gate and eat their mash and ALWAYS stop for a drink on their way back up to the shelters and the feeders. This ensures they are getting a good quantity of liquid, helping to limit their risk of impaction colic and ensure they are staying hydrated.
Feeding my horses a daily ration helps me keep them healthy, happy, and safe!
