| You may think the stuff you throw over the | | | | disease, whether in humans or horses. |
| fence, the hay for horses, offers your horses the | | | | So if hay for horses doesn't cover the basic |
| nutrition they need to stay totally health, but you | | | | nutritional needs, what is it good for? Why, for |
| would probably be wrong. Being a zen cowgirl | | | | entertainment, of course. Horses need be walking |
| inquisitive science-type, and having hung around | | | | and eating about 23 out of 24 hours in the day, |
| with a major hay producer in my area who | | | | so having hay constantly in front of them is fairly |
| actually tests hay for its nutritional value, I'm | | | | essential. In fact, if you really want to reproduce |
| realizing that hay for horses is basically | | | | the conditions of wild horses, you would not only |
| entertainment, not nutrition. | | | | have to have hay in front of horses all the time |
| In other words, the hay I'm throwing, while better | | | | (or have them out in pasture), but you would |
| quality than the hay in some places, is pretty | | | | have to keep them walking and chewing. Pete |
| empty of the vitamins, minerals, and trace | | | | Ramey has discovered a wonderful way to do |
| minerals that my performance horses need to | | | | this with his Pasture Paradise concept (just Google |
| both perform and stay healthy. If you look | | | | it for more info). |
| around at the performance horse barns in your | | | | The Good News About Hay for Horses |
| area, you'll see what I mean. | | | | So the bad news is that the hay you throw over |
| An Example to Chew On | | | | the fence for your horses probably isn't enough |
| For instance, around here we have a top cutting | | | | to meet their full nutritional needs, especially if |
| horse barn. The horses get fed either straight | | | | they are in training or heavy work. The good |
| grass hay or a grass/alfalfa mix. Nothing else. The | | | | news is that it doesn't take all that much nutrition |
| horses get top-quality care, are glossy and | | | | to fill in the gaps that feeding hay alone creates. |
| well-groomed, and look good. They perform well. | | | | This is because horses are used to eating foods |
| However, the average age at which a horse in | | | | that are low in caloric and nutritional value, so |
| that barn is retired because he's used-up or | | | | adding just small quantities of high-quality nutrition |
| injured is six years old. Does it make sense to | | | | to their diet will create a big effect. |
| you that a six-year-old horse should be "retired" | | | | For instance, I feed my horses 1-2 ounces daily |
| because it's too old, injured, or tired to keep | | | | of a special nutritional "goo" that I whip up at my |
| going? Does it make sense that three-year-old | | | | kitchen table. It amazes me that 1-2 ounces of |
| horses need hock injections to keep going? | | | | nutrition does the job on a 1,000 pound horse, but |
| Why Hay Alone Is Not Enough for Performance | | | | the results can't be denied. Adding this small |
| Horses | | | | amount of power-packed nutrition results in |
| The fact that most of these horses need hock | | | | healthy hooves and coat, no allergies, no colic, and |
| injections or are retired at such an early age tells | | | | a generally happy outlook on life. In case you |
| me that their bodies are not getting the nutrition | | | | want to know, the goo consists of 1 packet of |
| they need from hay alone to stay healthy. | | | | Simplexity Health Essentials (blue green algae, |
| Nutritionist Carol Bennett says, | | | | probiotoics, and enzymes) plus 1-2 ounces of |
| "Aging is the process in which the body loses the | | | | XanGo mangosteen juice. It works a treat. |
| ability to defend itself." | | | | So do I grow hay for my horses? Yes. Do I feed |
| When performances horses age prematurely and | | | | plenty of it? Yes. Do I count on its nutritional |
| have to be retired at such a young age, I get the | | | | value? Never. I cover the bases with algae, |
| message that their bodies are unable to defend | | | | probiotoics, enzymes, and mangosteen juice. I |
| themselves against the stresses of training. Add | | | | enjoy watching my horses eat hay, though, |
| to that this statement from the Surgeon General | | | | because I know it entertains them thoroughly and |
| and you get a more complete picture: | | | | satisfies their instinctive need to chew |
| "67% of all human diseases are diet-related." | | | | continuously on long-stem, low-content food. And |
| Now I know we're talking about horses here, but | | | | when they're happy, I'm happy. |
| I interpret this to mean that a poor diet leads to | | | | |