Can I feed wheat?

[sarahlowe]

I have an endless supply of free whole wheat and was wondering whether I could soak and boil it (to split the husks) and feed it to my horse. He is old and needs a bit of condition (rather than extra energy). What do you think?
Thanks,
Sez
PS I live in France and do not have access to all the feeds on the English market.

 

[Kris R]

I would take care to feed wheat as it can impact in the gut and cause colic.

have a look here.

http://www.agr.gov.sk.ca/docs/livestock/horses/feedhorse.asp

Don't worry you don't need fancy foods. Lets see what you do have access to.
Whay do you think your horse is out of condition ? What are the signs you are concerned about ?

 

[sarahlowe]

Thanks for the reply & links. I will have a look.
He's not really out of condition, I would just like a bit more weight on him going into winter. I can buy whole barley and boil that - I was just trying to save money seeing as I have so much free wheat!!

I was planning on feeding it with Alfa A and sugar beet pulp. Other than that, all I can get here is competition cubes and oats!

 

[Kris R]

Yes of course you would, as you have access to free wheat it makes sense to consider it. It may be worth asking the locals, they may have a way of preparing it you never know.

But in one way although you do not have access to all of the pre-prepared foods which are seemingly supposed to make feeding easy, you have the advantage of being able to learn to use what you have which makes nutrition interesting.

I went on an equine nutrition course a month ago and it was so helpful. We pushed all of the feeds to one side and started at the begining, learning about the digestive system of the horse and what foods provide energy etc. It was a real eye opener and we weren't so confused at the end of it.

all the best

 

[seaview]

Hi Kris R,

Your nutrition course sounds really good I wish we had something over here ( Northern Ireland) like that.

It has been once suggested to me to mix up my own feed as not only is it a lot cheaper but a lot more beneficial to the horses. Did they do anything about that on your course?

Nat
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