Horses are a powerhouse of energy, and it takes a specialized diet to keep them healthy. Whether it’s a lesson horse for a riding program or an Olympic jumper, each horse has its own feeding needs. That’s where a company like Equi-Analytical can step in to help horse owners and caretakers. Equi-Analytical performs analysis testing on feeds and forages that horses eat every day. Owners, trainers, nutritionists, and veterinarians use this information for not only what a horse eats, but also their overall health outlook.
There are many different types of tests offered by Equi-Analytical, and each matches a specific need that a horse might require. For all horses, there are two different services for hay and pasture analysis. All equines need to eat hay daily, and those that are able, go out on pasture too. As this resource from Kentucky Equine Research points out, how much hay a horse requires depends on its age, body weight, and physiologic state. Good quality hay is necessary to keep up with the nutritional demands of a horse.
Other analyses offered by Equi-Analytical address grain, also key for horse health. At a minimum, most horses receive grain twice a day at feeding times. Although many feed bags include an ingredient list on them, it’s not always a surefire way to confirm what is in the grain. A guaranteed analysis is required for all fortified horse feeds, but the numbers shown are concentrations of the nutrients, not the actual amounts.
A complete nutrient profile helps with all horses, but in particular:
- Athletic horses – a balanced ration is of the utmost importance for maintaining top performance.
- Older or problematic horses – to hold optimum health and performance, these horses need attention to their diets because feeding may be a challenge for them.
Nutritionists might also request this type of analysis as part of adjusting a detailed ration or when creating a new one. Stable managers may work independently or with nutritionists to request these tests for their horses.
Regardless, many Equi-Analytical customers have found feed testing an important part of keeping their equines in ship shape. Dancing Horse Farm said, “We have horses with different nutritional needs, and we have learned that how hay looks can be much different from how it actually tests from a nutritional perspective. Equi-Analytical has helped us fine-tune our horses’ diets to keep them at their very healthiest!” Another horse owner, Kim Fellows says, “Equi-Analytical’s excellent and reliable services constitute the backbone of my horses’ diets and ration balancing.”
To maintain top-performing and healthy horses, Equi-Analytical is here to help with feed and forage testing. For more information, visit our website.