A Total Mixed Ration (TMR) Solution
Everything you need to know is in the bag
Of Interest...
An Instructional Guide for a Healthier Horse...
Important Information to Follow for a Healthier Horse
a) Limit the Feeding of Grains.
“I understand it’s not easy to know what to feed your animals. Information is scant, and often misleading. But I have a simple request for all horse owners.
b) Don’t over-feed grain to your animals.
Over-feeding grain harms the horse, plus it’s expensive. So why is it done? ‘That’s how we’ve always done it’ is not a good reason. Read on, and we’ll get into what keeps a horse healthy.” Dr. Harlan Anderson, DVM.
Naturally, horses in different stages of life have different nutritional needs. Age, type, weight, general health, climate and exercise all factor into the quantity and make-up of feed required. If you stay in tune with your horse’s condition, you’ll be more successful in keeping your animal fed at the correct levels. How can you tell? Your horse is “talking” to you about its condition and feeding program if you learn how to watch, listen and evaluate its temperament. Horses express their dissatisfaction with their feeding program with several behaviors, such as what many call boredom – or frustration -- typified by wood chewing, weaving (standing in place and swaying), stall walking (the horse equivalent of human pacing), and cribbing (arching the neck and sucking air). Better digestion improves temperament and overall health. The beneficial microorganisms of a forage-based feeding program result in disease resistance and prevent digestive disorders such as gastric ulcers, colic and foundering, also called laminitis -- a very painful inflammation of the feet.
But there are a few things that apply for keeping your horse healthy, under any circumstances:
a) The Horse is Built for Forage. Think about the heritage of the horse before they were domesticated. They ate nothing but forages – mainly plant leaves and stems. Their digestive systems are designed to process forage, not high-protein grains. Too much grain and too many supplements interfere with proper digestion.
b) A Horse Wants Freedom to Eat. Horses are made to eat freely and frequently. Their stomachs are small compared to body size and cannot hold large amounts of food. Free choice feeding – supplemented by plenty of water and loose salt – results in better digestive health.
c) Preventive Medicine Starts with Good Nutrition. The right nutritional program will prevent the stress of disease, improve the immune system of your animal, and reduce visits by the vet.
d) Weight Control is Important. Obesity and diabetes can be the result of overfeeding cereal grains. Starch and sugar can be valuable elements in a horse’s diet, but they should be controlled carefully in a Total Mixed Ration.
e) Sorting Should be Controlled. Given the opportunity, a horse will sort through feeds to find the “treats” it likes and leave behind beneficial forage. Owners need to find ways to assure horses are consuming a balanced diet.
f) Make Feeding Changes Gradually. Don’t make radical changes in diet. Let the horse’s system adjust slowly over ten days to two weeks.
g) The Research is Clear. Go to our Research section to see what respected horse nutrition researchers have to say about our approach to horse health.
h) It’s Not Easy. As a horse owner, there is a lot of information to absorb, manage and act upon. That’s why Dr. Anderson has developed an easy-to-feed solution that relieves the horse owner of worries about feeding – a Total Mixed Ration (TMR) solution -- Square Meal Horse Feed.