Horse Feeding & Diet (sage ability)

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Gives knowledge regarding the feeding of horses, including accurate judging of the animal's weight and dietary needs. The knowledge gives no special ability to control animal disease, but the ability does prevent the likelihood of animals over-eating or suffering from malnutrition, so long as food is available. Horses are fed twice a day, with the amount they are given divided in two halves.

Needs

If allowed a relaxed and easy life, a horse can survive almost wholly upon forage (plant material), eaten by grazing. However, if natural grasses or pulses are not available, a horse can be sustained on dried hay for up to five months, so long as very little work is required of the animal (less than four hours a week). If not ridden or worked, a horse must eat 2% of its body weight in forage per day. Prepared feed, consisting of bran, seeds, sprouted legumes, salt and yeast culture, is not needed.

Working animals that are ridden or walked on dirt roads or better will eat 2½% of their body weight in forage and ¼% of their body weight per day in prepared feed. This feed is fed to the animal by trough or bag, to ensure the horse eats this supportive diet.

If a working animal in taking part in hauling a cart or wagon on any surface, or is ridden off road for more than one hour, the amount of forage the animal is given will increase to 3% of their body weight per day, while prepared feed is doubled (½% of their body weight).

If injured or in training (to be readied as a warhorse, for racing or jumping, or as a performance horse), the horse should be fed 2½% of their body weight in forage and 1% of their body weight in prepared feed each day.

See Horseback Riding