equine nutrition

Feeding time at Bits & Bytes Farm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BEFORE - Queen's Rowdy Lad needed a good worming and some groceries.

BEFORE - Queen's Rowdy Lad needed a good worming and some groceries.

Go to Queen' s Rowdy Lad Success Stories to more see how well he looks now.

 

Peppermints please.

Peppermints please. French Made loves his peppermints and would curl his tongue around them.

 

the feeding program Bits & Bytes Farm

Boarding > feeding program

We believe that feeding top quality hay and grain with high fat supplements makes a difference in our horses. Thoroughbreds need a consistent feeding program delivered at the same time every day. Horses will worry weight off themselves wondering when and if they will be fed so, we feed at the same time every day - three times per day.

Our pantry of products include:

  • Buckeye feeds including: Senior, 12% Sweet Feed and 101 Endurance high performance feed.
  • These grains are supplemented with high fat supplements including: calcium balanced rice bran, Buckeye Ultimate Finish, flax seed and corn oil.
  • Additional vitamins and minerals are supplied with Buckeye Gro `n Win, Buckeye loose minerals and Buckeye Mineral blocks and white table salt.
  • Garlic is added to the food in the warmer months. Garlic is best known for its health protective properties. It is one of the world’s most powerful antioxidant foods and has been used for centuries as an insect repellent and is thought to stimulate the body's immune system. We find it keeps the fly population down. It is suggested to promotes friendly bacteria in the digestive tract and it contains natural MSM. Even if it does none of these things, it makes our feed room smell like an Italian kitchen! Click here for more information on the benefits of garlic. You find lots of recommended garlic reading at the bottom of the page.
  • The older horses and newer horses off-the-track benefit from shredded beet pulp to put on or maintain their weight. It is also given to all the horses as a good source of fiber and calories that will not make them hot. If you are trying to stretch your hay, beet pulp will help you get the fiber your horse needs into his diet.
  • When there is a weather front moving through or a sudden change in temperature the horses receive a warm bran mash at the 10 PM feeding.

Each horse has a grain bucket where their own special "recipe" is listed on the side along with any additional supplements the owners choose to be beneficial for their horse. Elizabeth personally mixes each horses food after each feeding to prepare for the next feeding. The feed is adjusted for work load or lay ups. When traveling away from the farm the feed is pre-mixed so that the consistency is maintained while traveling.

After - Queen's Rowdy Lad after only six weeks.
After - Queen's Rowdy Lad after only SIX weeks and being wormed with two classes of wormer and being on our feeding program. See Queen's Rowdy Lad's Success Stories.

The grain is wet down with warm water as it is placed in the horse's stall bucket. Some of the older horses get a soup mixture for easy digestion. Some horses get three feedings if they need weight put on. Each horse has a feeding program especially designed for them and it is adjusted as needed. Read more about putting weight on Thoroughbreds in a Training Note from Elizabeth.

The horses love peppermint treats and these are used to disguise medicines in the feed as well as to reward them for good behavior. We use peppermints and horse treats to do our daily chiropractic stretches.

OTTB - Former Prospect Horse For Sale -"Blue" doing his stretches with Dr. Lance Cleveland.
Former Prospect Horse For Sale -"Blue" doing his stretches with Dr. Lance Cleveland.

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