March 05, 2010
The All Arounder: Issue #012
2010 March To The Arch
&
Guide to Horse Hay
March 2010
Welcome!
The All Arounder is the official monthly newsletter of the Stock Horse Show Source website. With this issue stay up to date with news from the site and horse industry, hot tips for showing and caring for your horse, and "members only" specials!
Any questions, comments, corrections, suggestions, or topic ideas are greatly appreciated. Please feel free to contact us as we would love to hear your input!
If you have difficulty reading this as an email, we offer all our back-issues online in the All Arounder Archives.
News & Updates
Site News!:
New Website Look For 2010!
As promised we are unveiling a new look to Stock Horse Show Source.com! Though still a work in progress we are continuing to update new pages everyday! We hope you like the new look as much as we do! Check it out if you haven't already! http://www.stock-horse-show-source.com
Western Show Clothing - Breaking It All Down
How do you best dress for show with western show clothing? A simple question that can be a little difficult to answer. If you look around any horse show you will find a huge variety of rider styles.
When you pick out your show clothes for the season it is best to pick colors and patterns that are flattering to both you and your horse. Remember to have fun and be creative with what you put together.
Read More
English Horse Show Clothing
Curious about english horse show clothing and how to figure out what you need for your classes?
Shopping and finding the right attire and equipment can be a tedious and somewhat confusing process, especially if you are new to showing horses.
Read More
Horse Show Spotlight
Date: March 11-14, 2010
Location: National Equestrian Center, 6880 Lake St Louis Blvd, Lake St Louis, MO 63367
2010 Show Bill: http://www.markharrellhorseshows.com/showbills/2010%20Showbills/2010%20MTTA.pdf
Pattern Book: http://www.markharrellhorseshows.com/showbills/2010%20Showbills/2010%20MTTA%20Pattern%20Book.pdf
Show Information: http://www.markharrellhorseshows.com/marchtothearch.html
Horse Hay
Your Guide to Hay Selection & Feeding
Horse hay is a very important staple in your horse's diet. 
Your horse is a grazing animal and benefits from eating and digesting small amounts of forage, such as hay, consistently through the day.
Since hay is so important to your horse's digestive health we will be discussing how select good quality hay and set up a proper feeding program for your horse.
Choosing Hay
Horse hay can be categorized as either a grass or legume. Legumes tend to be higher in protein, energy, and vitamins when compared to a grass type of hay. Alfalfa and clovers are your common legume hays. Ryegrass, timothy, brome, fescue, Bermuda grass, and orchard grass are examples of your grass hay mixtures.
Once you decide on which category of horse hay works best for your horse you need to make sure you are getting good quality hay to feed to your horse. Poor quality hay (dusty or moldy) can lead to significant health problems in your horse such as colic and respiratory issues.
Here are several tips from the American Association of Equine Practitioners when choosing hay for your horse:
1. Ask for anywhere from one to several bales be opened so you can check out the inside of the bales for an idea on the quality 2. Opt for hay that is more fine-stemmed, green, and leafy. You want it softer to the touch as opposed to overly coarse
3. Steer clear of hay that smells dusty, moldy, musty, and even fermented
4. Steer clear of hay that contains lots of weeds, debris, or dirt this is a recipe for colic
5. Make sure you try to purchase hay within one year of its harvest to ensure it contains its proper nutritional value.
Feeding Hay
Now that you have an idea on how to choose the best quality hay for your horse you should also set up a plan for a feeding program for your horse. Horses need more consistency in their diets and are therefore more sensitive to changes in diet.
This is why it's important to set up a consistent feeding program. How much protein and energy a horse needs depends on many factors such as age, workload, and metabolism. An adult horse will eat 2-2.5% of its own body weight each day.
Half of this percentage should be roughage such as hay fed on a daily basis. If you think about 1% of 1,000 pounds of horse, you'll need to feed around 10 pounds of hay each day!
It is a great idea to speak with your veterinarian to determine appropriate amounts of hay to feed your horse each day.
Most owners ration out the total amount of hay into 2-3 daily feedings. As mentioned above, horses are grazing animals and feeding smaller amounts of horse hay through the day helps keep their digestive system going smoothly especially if your horse is not turned out regularly.
Looking for more helpful tips? Check out stock-horse-show-source.com for more information on finding and feeding the right horse hay.
http://www.stock-horse-show-source.com/horse-hay.html
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