Do you feed your horse hot bran mashes if so how often?

I used to and did add both.
Now because I am lazy I feed the horses hot speedibeet instead when I get home from hunting. They like it just as much judging by how they devour it at speed!!
 
I don't see any nutritional value/worth in feeding bran at all now.
Would possibly feed it to an ill horse or one near to foaling. It is very palatable and has laxative qualities.

If I want to give my horses a hot feed I normally mix a tablespoon of black treacle into hot water and use that to mix the feed instead of cold water. they love it!
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Not often. Our yard feeds them after a hard day's hunting, but I agree that anything warm would probably be as good. Also the mares, after foaling.
 
Please excuse my ignorance here - but I don't get it, how can there be a laxative quality in a bran mash, as if it has more roughage than actual hay? Surely hay is much more rough?

Also, I have heard that bran can cause there to be iron/salt/minerals (not sure which is it zinc?magnesium) to pass through when it should be absorbed by the gut, so can cause a deficiancy if used too much, is that right? what's the gen?
 

Armhole - Wheat bran is high in phosphorus and thus upsets the calcium to phosphorus ratio of 2:1 (unless a calcium supp is fed simultaneously).
Also it contains a chemical known as phytic acid, which has the ability to bind itself to the vital minerals a horse ingests in the course of its day. These chemicals are not properly metabolised by the horse, and thus in addition to a calcium and phosphorus imbalance, this can cause a mineral deficiency.

If I remember rightly wheat bran can also be a laxative because it speeds up the fermentation process in the gut - thus meaning not all food is digested properly - if used too often the microorganisms can upset the gut and inhibit the healthy bacteria and subsequent digestion.

It is fine to feed on an occasional basis and will probably not do horses harm but it does not do them any good either!
 
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I Wont be buying that sack of bran this weekend then!!!!
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Awww dont feel like that! I cant see there is anything wrong with feeding bran - although I have been told that I must NOT call Ellie's food bran mash - it is now "hot dinner mixed with bran"
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(as I dont use limestone flour, or epsom salts)

Ellie has (and has had for the past 7 years, with no problems) a hot-dinner-mixed-with-bran every winter evening. She has 3 quarters of a scoop of bran, half of sugarbeet, half of conditioning cubes, half pasture mix and a handful of chaff, and she does just fine! All our horses and ponies have always had this kind of tea during the winter months, and we have never had any kind of problem.

(plus it smells gorgeous!!!
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MizElToe,

What you are feeding is fine because the rest of the feed will be balanced in calcium. Not a true bran mash as you say -
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but def won't do any harm.
Bran IS palatable for horses and can encourage them to eat but IMO there is no advantage to feeding it.
 
I've been feeding my mare calm and condition and i feed it warm,i've noticed it looks and feels just like the bran mash i used to give my hunting pony years ago when i was about 9!
I put speedibeet with it and serve it very warm,my mare loves it especially after hard work.
 
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