Nutrition and Care for a Horse in a Stall
After moving from Kentucky to coastal Southern California my horse Artie had a rude shock to the system He went from 247 pasture board to fulltime life in a 1224foot pipe corral. Although the weather is always nice and he has plenty of friends around him I cant help but feel bad that he doesnt get to graze anymore. Where we live land is too expensive to turn out a horse anywhere besides the arena for a few minutes during quiet times of the day. At a busy boarding barn with hundreds of horses on 6 or 7 acres that isnt too often! After studying equine nutrition in depth for my masters degree I learned some important tips and tricks to care for and keep a horse wellfed and perhaps more importantly sane if he must live the unnatural fulltime stall life.
Up until just a century or so ago hay was very laborintensive to cut and store without modern tractors and mechanical implements so people turned their horses to graze freely just like their wild ancestors.
The best way to care for and create a nutrition plan for a horse who lives in a stall is by recreating this scenario as closely as possible. Slow feeders or a hay net with small holes are your new best friend. Any feeder with large holes or one large hole like a trough will be too easily emptied in minutes.
Assuming horses at your barn are fed at least twice daily you will need to have someone pack your net or feeder once or twice per day for your horse to work on. If your horse lives close by or on your own property this makes things a lot easier but you can usually find enterprising teens or contractorsworking students willing to do it
for a small fee.
Now for the payoff of this care and nutrition plan Your stalled horse will reap the rewards of a busy digestive system that is less prone to impaction by having a constant stream of fiber moving through his gut. Another benefit of a stomach filled with hay is that it is more resilient against
