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Posts: 262
 
| I'm looking into different feed options and wanted to know what is the best fat and protein ratios for a performance horse? Also same question for a horse that is not being worked?
Thank you so much! |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12838
  
| Fat is for sustained energy like endurances horse that go 100 miles in one day or thoroughbred horses that run in mile+ races. I am not a big fan of high fat feed. Mine is 6%.
On the protein, I feed a feed from a local feed mill that is a 14% pellet. the total percentage of protein from all sources should total about 20%
Thnis is an excellent reference book about feeds and feeding.
https://www.amazon.com/Horse-Nutrition-Handbook-Melyni-Worth/dp/1603... |
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 I Don't Brag
Posts: 6960
| Depends on the horse. If you have a PSSM horse, fat is MUCH more important along with restricting the non-structured carbs. Fat is the main source of energy for the PSSM horse.
There is no one size fits all on anything. I used to be a 12% protein/8% fat grain based kind of feeder but after experiencing a PSSM horse I have switched all my horses to a low NSC, higher fat feed and they are ALL doing great on it. After years and years of being told that grain based feeds were a horse's natural food I came to realize that no wild horse was going to find quarts of oats and corn growing in the wild to sustain itself.
Feed needs are also going to be influenced by the quantity and quality of hay a horse gets.
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 Expert
Posts: 2097
Location: Deep South | Forage is THE most important part of your horses diet. Your feed program should compliment the type and amount of forage you provide. There is so much more to feeding a horse than just fat and protein. |
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Expert
Posts: 1694
Location: Willows, CA | BamaCanChaser - 2017-02-21 1:01 PM
Forage is THE most important part of your horses diet. Your feed program should compliment the type and amount of forage you provide. There is so much more to feeding a horse than just fat and protein.
This is true. The most important part of the diet is the forage. This should make up the majority of the diet, and any support that helps in efficient digestion of the forage is a good thing. Growing horses need around 15% protein for the entire diet. In areas where forage protein levels are very low, a quality protein concentrate may be a benefit. Mature horses need around 11% protein for the entire diet. This can usually be pretty well met with quality roughage with very little concentrate needed. As to fat, most horses do well at around 5% to 6% of the entire diet. in a 20 pound total diet, that would be 1 - 1.2 pounds of vegetable fat in the diet. Many people do not realize that vegetable fat is a natural energy source for horses. Many roughage sources are 1% to 1.5% fat, so about 1/4 of the needed fat calories are already being fed. Performance horses easily handle the required added fat sources if the horse owner does not go overboard by adding too much refined oil. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 851
Location: West Texas | Protein and fat in the Total diet is what you look at. I suppose it is a matter of opinion. To me, 14-16% protein and 2.5-3.5% fat are ideal. Quality and source of protein and fat are every bit as important to me.
P.S. I like higher protein diets than most recommend for a mature horse. Horses are just healthier and in better condition with good source of forage protein. On the flip side I do not personally believe in high fat diets either, anything above 4% in my opinion.
Edited by Tdove 2017-02-22 6:35 AM
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 Expert
Posts: 1612
Location: Cocoa, Florida | rodeoveteran - 2017-02-21 12:57 PM
Depends on the horse. If you have a PSSM horse, fat is MUCH more important along with restricting the non-structured carbs. Fat is the main source of energy for the PSSM horse.
There is no one size fits all on anything. I used to be a 12% protein/8% fat grain based kind of feeder but after experiencing a PSSM horse I have switched all my horses to a low NSC, higher fat feed and they are ALL doing great on it. After years and years of being told that grain based feeds were a horse's natural food I came to realize that no wild horse was going to find quarts of oats and corn growing in the wild to sustain itself.
Feed needs are also going to be influenced by the quantity and quality of hay a horse gets.
I don't have a Pssm horse but I have a growing colt and I feed about the same ratio |
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Veteran
Posts: 262
| Thanks everyone! |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1035
Location: TN | I prefer a higher fat feed so that the calories will come more from fat and less from starch and sugar (NSC). |
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| rodeoveteran - 2017-02-21 10:57 AM
Depends on the horse. If you have a PSSM horse, fat is MUCH more important along with restricting the non-structured carbs. Fat is the main source of energy for the PSSM horse.
There is no one size fits all on anything. I used to be a 12% protein/8% fat grain based kind of feeder but after experiencing a PSSM horse I have switched all my horses to a low NSC, higher fat feed and they are ALL doing great on it. After years and years of being told that grain based feeds were a horse's natural food I came to realize that no wild horse was going to find quarts of oats and corn growing in the wild to sustain itself.
Feed needs are also going to be influenced by the quantity and quality of hay a horse gets.
Fat is important in the PSSM type 1 diet as an energy source.
Protein/Amino Acids are critical in the PSSM type 2 and P3/MFM diets to keep them feeling ok and to (hopefully) lessen the muscle damage brought on by the disease.
Edited by wishingforsun 2017-02-22 4:28 PM
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