Mother Nature's Design for Feeding Horses

A horse's stomach makes up only a small portion of the entire digestive tract.  This small stomach is designed to continuously process small amounts of forage and feed.  When fed large meals, a horse is more likely to suffer digestive disorders, such as colic, founder, ulcers, and tying-up.

Different Forage Types, Different Advantages
 

Pasture - Good pasture is the ideal forage for many horses.  Horses on pasture move around and eat small amounts of grass continuously, the way nature intended for proper functioning of the digestive tract.  However, pasture is not always available and doesn't supply enough nutrients for some horses.  Additional supplementation may be needed.  Pasture can be used to meet some or all of each horse's forage needs.

Grass Hay - Good-quality grass hay is the single feed with the best balance of protein, energy, and fiber for horses.  Choose grass hays that are bright green in color, free of dust and mold, and cut in early stages of development.  Allow horses between 1.5 and 3% of body weight (about 15 to 30 lb) of good-quality grass hay per day. Feed to maintain appropriate body condition.
 

Legume Hay - Alfalfa and clover are examples of legumes.  They contain more protein, energy, calcium, and vitamin A than grasses.  The inclusion of some legumes (20-50%) in rations for growing and working horses and broodmares takes advantage of these additional nutrients.  Legume hays should be clean and bright colored and cut at early to mid-bloom stage.
 

Cubes/Pellets - FORAGE FIRST Alfalfa and Timothy/Alfalfa Hay Cubes and FORAGE FIRST Hay Replacer (pellets) are consistent, good-quality partial or complete forage sources for horses.  The cubes provide a higher leaf-to-stem ratio, more concentrated nutrients, and less waste compared to most long-stemmed hays. Cubed products are ideal for traveling and can be soaked for senior horses with dental problems. Hay Replacer can be used to extend, supplement, or replace forages.  FORAGE FIRST Horse Rewards are your horse's well-deserved treats!
 

Forage, a horse's natural feed, should be chosen to meet as much of a horse's protein, energy, and fiber needs as possible.  Forage types can be combined to provide the best program for each individual horse.  Each horse should be fed 15-30 lb of forage daily. Refer to our Technical Edge "Are You Feeding Your Horse Like a Horse" on our Web site for more information.

FORAGE FIRST Hay Cubes
 

FORAGE FIRST Alfalfa and Timothy/Alfalfa Hay Cubes offer horse owners consistent, high-quality forage sources that can be used to supply all or a portion of the forage needs for all classes of horses.  These products are cubed, which produces a higher leaf-to-stem ratio, more concentrated nutrients, and less waste than most long-stemmed hays.  FORAGE FIRST Hay Cubes are excellent choices for horses with dental or respiratory problems or for travel.
 

FORAGE FIRST Hay Cube Advantages

• Reduce feed waste - Very little waste occurs with cubes as compared to the 20% or more wastage with long-stemmed hays.

• Consistent and maximum nutrient quality - Cubes are subjected to rigid quality control standards and must meet product nutrient guarantees.

• Avoid blister beetles - Made from forages grown in northern areas of the US and Canadian meadows far north of the known habitats of blister beetles.

• Less storage space - Cubed forages require less storage space compared to baled hay.

• Low moisture content - More value and longer storage time.

FORAGE FIRST Hay Replacer

FORAGE FIRST Hay Replacer offers horse owners a consistent, forage alternative to home-grown or purchased forages. FORAGE FIRST Hay Replacer is a high-quality, pelleted forage product fortified with vitamins and minerals.  It can be used as a partial or complete hay replacer in rations for all classes of horses.  It is consistent and guaranteed to provide vitamins and minerals in balanced ratios for horses.
 

FORAGE FIRST Hay Replacer Advantages

• Reduce feed waste - Very little waste occurs with pellets as compared to the 20% or more wastage with long-stemmed hays.

• Consistent and maximum nutrient quality - Pellets are manufactured under rigid quality control standards and must meet product nutrient guarantees.

• Recommended for all horses - Flexible to extend, supplement, or replace forages.

• Avoid dust and mold spores - Minimize exposure to harmful dust and mold spores compared to long-stemmed hays.

• Less storage space - Pelleted forages require less storage space compared to baled hay.

• Convenient and easy to handle - Reduced labor, storage, and facility management costs.

FORAGE FIRST^®  Forage Products
click here for FAQs

ADM Alliance Nutrition, Inc. , a wholly owned subsidiary of the Archer Daniels Midland Company