Unique Dietary Needs of a Horse

When you are a horse owner, you want to make their health a top priority. Since good nutrition is one of the primary building blocks of your horse’s overall health and wellness, it is essential that you understand the unique dietary needs of a horse, including the elements of nutrition that must be in their food to keep them feeling their best. Here are some of the most important things to keep in mind about horses’ dietary needs when shopping for supplies for your stable.

Digestive Considerations
Horses are non-ruminant herbivores, meaning that they are biologically inclined to graze throughout the day. Their stomachs are relatively small in relationship to their size, with a capacity of approximately 2 to 4 gallons. Because of this, the majority of a horse’s digestion takes place in the hind gut. This unique digestive process works quite well for horses, as long as they are permitted to graze throughout the day; however, domesticated horses whose owners feed them on a schedule may be prone to overeating, which leads to poor digestion and a host of other health problems. To keep your horse in the best of health, try to follow his or her natural tendency to graze, and make sure that all of the nutrition you are providing for your horse falls into one of the six classes of nutrients that they need to remain healthy:
* Water
* Vitamins
* Minerals
* Protein
* Fats
* Carbohydrates

Class 1: Water
As with humans, water is one of the most important nutrients, not to mention a basic necessity for survival! Your horse requires about 10 gallons of water per day to remain properly hydrated and to digest his or her feed and hay properly. For each pound of hay consumed, your horse should be drinking approximately two quarts of water in order to promote healthy digestion. This amount can be tripled or even quadrupled under special circumstances such as hot weather, exceptionally hard work, or if a mare is lactating. Make sure that your horse always has access to a fresh supply of water, and allow your horse to drink as much as he or she wants at all times, except immediately following exercise- in that case, it’s necessary to allow your horse to cool down prior to drinking.

Class 2: Vitamins
In order to preserve your horse’s normal body metabolism, it’s critical that you make sure he or she is getting the right amount of essential vitamins in his or her diet. Horse feed is fortified with nearly all the vitamins your horse requires; however, vitamin A is often missing from most horse feed. This vitamin is necessary for your horse’s eye functionality, and a deficiency of vitamin A could lead to night blindness or excessive tearing. You can purchase vitamin A supplements for your horse at all feed stores, or you may request an injection of vitamin A, which lasts for about three months, from your veterinarian. Perhaps the best source of vitamin A for your horse can be found naturally in spring and early summer grasses. These grasses contain high amounts of carotene, which the body naturally converts to vitamin A.

Horses with little to no access to fresh green feed may also be at risk of a vitamin E deficiency, which has been linked to neurologic, muscle, and reproductive problems. You can help your horse get the vitamin E he or she needs by including wheat germ oil or alfalfa meal in his or her diet.

Class 3: Minerals
Your horse’s diet should contain at least 21 required minerals, which can all be found in most high-quality feeds. Because of this, horses rarely suffer from mineral deficiencies. However, horses naturally crave salt, and an adult horse at pasture can go through about half a pound of salt per week, while mares and horses in training can consume even more. Be sure to provide plenty of salt for your horse in order to maintain a healthy weight and appetite.

Class 4: Protein
Most adult horses only require about 8 to 12 percent protein in their regular diet; however, protein is an important part of your horse’s daily nutrition. Since protein is responsible for healthy muscle development, it is vital that your horse receives the recommended amount of protein in his or her diet. Some natural sources of protein that can be incorporated into your horse’s diet include alfalfa and soybean meal. Protein supplements can also be found at any feed store, and are rated according to quality. If your horse is deficient in protein, he or she may become lethargic, and his or her coat may become dull and rough. By making sure your horse has enough protein in his or her diet, you can help them to stay strong and healthy throughout their lives.

Class 5: Fats
Since horses do not have a gallbladder, as humans do, they are unable to process high levels of fat in their diet. Most horse feeds on the market contain less than 6 percent fat, which appears to be a sufficient amount to meet your horse’s nutritional needs. Few, if any, fatty acid deficiency cases have been reported in horses, so as long as you give your horse a quality feed, you need not worry about supplementing his or her fat intake. However, if your horse participates in shows where a glossy coat is necessary, adding an ounce or two of polyunsaturated plant or vegetable oil to his or her feed twice a day can help keep your horse’s coat show-quality, improving its natural luster and sheen.

Class 6: Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy in your horse’s diet. Most quality feeds contain an adequate amount of soluble carbohydrates such as starches and sugars, which are easily broken down by your horse’s digestive system, as well as insoluble carbohydrates, such as fiber, which are fermented by intestinal bacteria to produce energy. As long as you use a good quality horse feed, your horse is likely receiving the recommended daily amount of carbohydrates.

Making sure your horse receives proper nutrition is the most important part of horse ownership. By ensuring that the quality of your horse’s diet meets daily nutritional requirements, you are setting your horse up for a long, healthy life, and helping him or her to stay with you and performing at his or her peak for years to come. Want to support your Horse’s emotional and physical well being with the many benefits of our CBD infused products? Check out one our new Equine formulas: Certified Organic Olive Oil Infused with Organically Grown Colorado CBD Hemp Extract.

Write a comment

X
Top

The Results Are In!

HempMy Pet™ Hemp (CBD) Oil Formula Clinically Proven Effective In Treating Pain In Osteoarthritic Dogs
Save on Hemp Oil for Pets

Simplify Your Pet's Care

The HempMy Pet™ Autoship Program

Never run out of your pet’s favorite biscuits or oils with the convenience of automatic ordering and shipping, and save more with each recurring purchase – up to 30%!

How It Works

1st Order

Save 5%

1st Recurring Order

Save 10%

2nd Recurring Order

Save 15%

3rd Recurring Order

Save 20%

4th Recurring Order

Save 25%

5th Recurring Order

Save 30%

Continue to Save 30% on all recurring orders.

Edit, pause or cancel anytime. No commitments, contracts, or fees.

Sign Up & Autoship Management

1. Choose Autoship on your next purchase.
You’ll automatically save 5% off the retail price.
2. Schedule the frequency of your order.
You will receive 2 email reminders for every shipment.

Reminders are sent both 10 days and the day before every recurring autoship order is processed.

Cancel, pause, or change at any time.
No contracts, no commitments, no fees or penalties for pausing, editing, or cancelling.
Previous
Next

Sign Up & Autoship Management

1. Choose Autoship on your next purchase.
You’ll automatically save 5% off the retail price.
2. Schedule the frequency of your order.
You receive 2 emails both 10 days and the day before every recurring autoship order.
Pause, cancel, or change your account anytime!
No contracts, no commitments, no fees or penalties for pausing, editing, or cancelling.

Previous
Next
Cruelty Free Dog Products

No animals are harmed in the manufacturing of our products. 

In the animal rights movement, cruelty–free is a label for products or activities that do not harm or kill animals anywhere in the world. Products tested on animals are not considered cruelty–free, since these tests are often painful and cause the suffering and death of millions of animals every year.

Vegan Dog Products

No animal products or by-products used in any of our oils.

The only non-vegan product we have are the Pumpkin Hemp Dog Biscuits which do contain egg. (The Peanut Butter Banana Hemp Dog Biscuits do not and are also vegan.)


DEFINITION OF VEGAN VS. VEGETARIAN

Getting vegetarianism confused with veganism is a common mistake most people make. So today we are going to closely examine the definition of vegan versus the definition of a vegetarian in this post. Hopefully, this provides a little clarity.

DEFINITION OF A VEGETARIAN

The Oxford dictionary definition of a vegetarian is “a person who does not eat meat or does not believe in eating meat, fish, fowl, or in some cases, any food derived from animals, as eggs or cheese, but subsists on vegetables, fruits, nuts, grain etc.”

This basically divides vegetarians into two groups; vegetarians who exclude eggs and dairy and vegetarians who include these items in their diets. The latter can then be broken up into a further three groups; ovo- vegetarians (who consume eggs but not milk), lacto-vegetarians (who consume milk but not eggs) and ovo-lacto vegetarians who consume both milk and eggs.

There’s often controversy surrounding “semi-vegetarians”, whose diet consists mainly of vegetarian foods but includes fish or poultry. The main differentiating factor between all of the above-mentioned groups is how much animal products are included in the diet.

DEFINITION OF VEGAN

The above difference is the main distinguishing factor between the definition of vegan and that of a vegetarian because vegans exclude animal products in their entirety. The official definition of veganism is “the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products, particularly in a diet. As well as following an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of sentient animals.

A follower of veganism is known as a vegan”. That means veganism extends beyond the diet of a vegan individual. That is the biggest difference between vegans and vegetarians. While vegetarians may not consume animal products, they may use them if they are present in other products, such as items containing silk, honey or leather.

Vegans, on the other hand, avoid the use of animal products in all areas of their lifestyles.

Human Grade Dog Products

All ingredients and manufacturing processes are Human-Grade. We would never make anything for our pets considered not suitable for ourselves. The term human-grade in pet food means the finished product is legally suitable and approved as nourishment for humans. It is “edible.” Human foods are much more rigorously regulated than foods made for animals.

Organic Dog Products

All of our products are made with top quality, Certified Organic carrier oils and Organically-grown ingredients, all sourced responsibly and sustainably. Our products are infused with our own Full-spectrum Hemp extract which is derived from our own Organically-grown Colorado Hemp that was grown at our own facilities.

Cultivar Specific Hemp Oil Dog Products

For consistency. HempMy Pet grows one particular cultivar of hemp, selected specifically for its cannabinoid profile, and uses it every time for our hemp extract, maintaining consistency and eliminating unknowing trial and error.

Cannabis strains including Hemp and Marijuana are either pure or hybrid of the plant genus Cannabis, which encompasses the species Sativa, Indica, and Ruderalis.

Varieties are developed to intensify specific characteristics of the plant, or to differentiate the strain for the purposes of marketing or to make it more effective as a natural supplement. Variety names are typically chosen by their growers, and often reflect properties of the plant such as taste, color, smell, or the origin of the variety. These varieties have been cultivated to contain a high percentage of cannabinoids, including CBD, CBG, CBC and more. Several varieties of Cannabis, known as Hemp, have a very low THC content, and are instead grown for their fiber, seed and therapeutic propertiess

Third Party Tested Hemp Oil for Dogs

From Seed-to-Sale all HempMy Pet products are tested by reputable independent laboratories for purity, safety, and quality. The soil, the water, the plants and the finished product are all rigorously tested to ensure no solvents, pesticides, heavy metals or micro-bacterial contanimants are present. Certificates of Analysis (COAs) are published online with each product and always available upon request.

Organic Hemp Dog Products

All of our Hemp is organically grown in Colorado at our own greenhouse or farm. We do not import our hemp from overseas or any other state. We strive for perfection in our growing, curing, processing and formulating of our Hemp products.

Veterinarian Recommended Hemp Oil Dog Products

Clinically studied by independent veterinarians and sold in veterinarian clinics nationwide.

Full Spectrum Hemp Oil for Dogs

All the Cannabinoids, CBD, CBG, CBC..plus the terpenes and other minor cannabinoids made from the Whole Plant for the complete entourage effect.

CBD has become quite popular over the last couple of years but despite what you might think it is only one of the 100 compounds that have been identified in the Cannabis Sativa L plant. Full-spectrum CBD oil, unlike CBD isolate products, includes a wide range of cannabinoids present in the cannabis or hemp plant. Depending on the condition and what you are looking to achieve it can provide a greater effect than CBD alone as all the cannabinoids work together in what is known as the entourage effect.

Full-spectrum CBD also contains a variety of essential vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, protein, chlorophyll, terpenes, flavonoids, and fiber. When referring to CBD in the hemp plant, it’s important to understand that Hemp contains a large number of cannabinoids (in trace amounts), but the main compounds are CBD and cannabidiolic acid (CBDa). As CBDa is more abundant in the hemp plant, firms must decarboxylate the oil. This process heats the oil and changes CBDa into CBD.

Just one last thing before we explain the benefits of Full Spectrum CBD oil, its important to understand that CBD from Cannabis is only legal in Medical or recreational states, while CBD hemp oil is legal in all 50 states under the 2014 US Farm Bill. While it may not be able to treat all conditions it has been known to assist with a variety of medical conditions including anxiety, depression and acute pain.

The Benefits of the Whole Plant

One of the most important studies relating to full-spectrum CBD oil took place at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Hadassah School in 2015. It compared the performance of a full spectrum extract with one that contained CBD only. The study concluded that full spectrum was more effective when fighting pain and inflammation.

While CBD only is somewhat effective, the whole plant extract not only provided faster and better relief, the effects also lasted longer. This is why an increasing number of companies in the CBD industry are selling full-spectrum CBD oil as a rule.

The aforementioned entourage effect is the main reason behind the efficacy of whole plant extracts. There are over 100 ‘identified’ compounds in the cannabis plant. While most of these compounds have their own therapeutic benefit, they come together in a synergistic way to provide far better performance than any single compound, including CBD.