Feeding The Traveling Horse

By Tara Devine

P.C.H.A. In order to make your horse's journey comfortable, you need to look at certain factors that will affect the horse during the trip. First, how far are you traveling with the horse? Is the trip going to involve 8 hours of traveling or 8 days? A long trip will require more planning and caution when feeding your horse than a short trip will. Second, what are the weather conditions going to be like? Will it be 90 degrees and humid or 30 degrees and raining? Intense heat and humidity can really add to the stress of travel, just as extreme cold temperatures will require the horse to create more body heat. Third, how do you expect the horse to handle the stress of traveling? Is the horse a seasoned campaigner who is used to long hauls or is the horse a nervous Nelly who goes off feed when upset? Your answers to these questions are clues that will help you care for your horse so he/she will be comfortable and in good condition when you arrive at your destination.

Providing enough water is a crucial part of keeping the horse healthy during the ride. Water should be offered every two to three hours. If possible, try to carry some of your horse's current water supply with you in spill-proof containers (new, clean gas jugs work well). Many horses may refuse to drink different water because it smells or tastes funny to them. If this happens, you can add small amounts of flavoring to the new water (try molasses or powdered drink mixes). The horse may also be more comfortable if you bring his/her old familiar water bucket along. Be sure to monitor the amount of water that your horse drinks. Compare the quantity to what he/she normally drinks at home. Generally speaking, a 1000-lb. idle horse will drink about 8-10 gallons of water a day. Realize that if the weather is very hot and humid the horse will have a higher water requirement in order to replace the water that is lost during sweating. If you are concerned that the horse is not drinking enough water, you can help by giving a sloppy bran mash or by adding water to the regular ration of grain. Water is crucial to a horse's digestion and ability to regulate body temperature. It is probably the most critical factor in keeping your horse in good health during a trip.

One of the biggest components of feeding a horse on the road (or at home) is offering hay. In general, you should provide hay in a hay net at all times during the trip. By munching on hay constantly the horse will keep essential bacteria in the gut alive and healthy. These bacteria are necessary for the proper digestion of food. Providing free choice hay will help keep the horse occupied and will also provide the horse with a substantial portion of the calories and nutrients he/she needs for the day. It is best if you bring your own supply of hay with you so that the horse's digestive system is not subjected to different hay. If you cannot bring hay along, then be sure to buy bales along the way that are similar to what you were feeding. For example, try not to go from a local grass hay to a straight alfalfa hay. It is too drastic a change. If you are concerned that the new hay will be very different, save enough of your old hay to blend with the new. This will help your horse gradually become accustomed to the new hay. Whether or not you feed grain during your trip is really dependent on the questions presented in the first paragraph. During a short trip when the horse would only be missing a meal or two, you would probably be better off not to feed any grain. The hay that you are offering will provide them with the calories and nutrients he/she needs for the day. But if it is a longer trip, it may be necessary to feed the horse some of his/her normal ration.

How much depends on what the normal ration is based on. If you normally ride your horse a couple of hours a day, his/her grain ration contains enough calories to support that amount of work. But once the horse is on the trailer, he/she will not be burning as many calories so you must cut back on the feed.Also take a look at the horse's personality and how he/she is reacting to the trip. Nervous horses present a problem because they tend to need the extra calories that the grain provides. On the other hand, they are more prone to colic and other digestive upsets. If your horse seems to be extremely agitated, you would be better off not to feed grain and just offer hay. If you do feed grain, offer it in small feedings at least three times a day. Smaller portions offered more frequently are the best way to go to avoid stomach upsets. Be sure to bring your grain with you or use a commercial feed like Purina that is available throughout the country. It is critical not to switch your horse's grain during the trip (even more so than the hay) to avoid serious digestive problems. If you know that you will have to switch feeds during the trip, bring enough of the old feed along so you can gradually blend in the new feed.

By planning ahead and observing your horse's reaction to the stress of traveling, you will be able to feed your horse so he/she will arrive healthy and happy. Happy trails!

 

[Publisher's note: Tara Devine is a Purina Certified Horse Advisor. She also has a B.A. degree in Management, has been a horse nutritionist for ten years, conducts horse nutrition seminars, and owns a feed and tack store. Tara has been a horse owner all of her life.]