When it comes to feeding your horses with food, you are required to know the right supplies to give them. Their consumption should be small amounts of fodder over a long time. This is because these animals have complex digestive systems that require them to feed continually. No matter the type of feed you give your equines, you need to do it appropriately. An excellent option to take is utilizing the use of slow feeders for horses to enjoy the advantages highlighted in this article.
Equines are physiologically created to eat a lot of food. However, this feeding has been known to increase cortisol, a hormone related to stress. If the cortisol increases, the level of insulin rises, and this leads to more fat storage. This can lead to obesity in equines. Therefore, finding a slow program of feeding where they can continuously feed will help in maintaining and even losing weight.
Slow feeding helps in preventing ulcers. The constant intake of food causes the stomach to produce acid round-the-clock. This is because saliva production is activated from chewing, which, in turn, buffers the gastric acid produced. Hence, if food is always present in the stomach, it prevents splashing of the acids on the inside, reducing chances of ulcers.
The program promotes metabolism. Proper digestion and fermentation of food need ample time, and this is available with the free-choice mode of feeding. With optimal digestion, conditions that lead to colic cannot occur. This promotes the health of the equine. The ideal way of maintaining the balance between beneficial and harmful bacteria is by ensuring that horses are constantly feeding.
Horses primarily focus on feeding. Therefore, if there is not enough feeding, these animals could focus on other unpleasant activities like kicking the stalls and cribbing. A healthy equine sleeps for a maximum of four hours in a day, and they sleep for not long those fifteen or twenty minutes. For this reason, eliminate their boredom by incorporating slow feeding.
The feeders prevent trampling of hay by equines or blowing by the wind. If hay is spread all over the field, the animals may trample on it and might not eat afterward. In other cases, the hay forage gets blown away by the wind. In such a situation, the program is ideal since the food is contained. This helps in low or no wastage.
Since these creatures are animals of prey, they highly depend on their seeing and sound senses to detect their predators. Locking them up for long may, in turn, make them feel unsafe, causing a negative effect on their feeding behavior. Since the feeder is usually placed in open places, these animals feel safe while they are eating. It will also ensure your animals are feeding appropriately, improving their health.
This mode of feeding eradicates food aggression. If you put them in several locations, the herd can eat and live peacefully. Dominant equines can keep the less dominant ones away from eating if they are using a single source. However, with alternate sources, it encourages feeding and enables you to put wet hay for animals that need more calories.
Equines are physiologically created to eat a lot of food. However, this feeding has been known to increase cortisol, a hormone related to stress. If the cortisol increases, the level of insulin rises, and this leads to more fat storage. This can lead to obesity in equines. Therefore, finding a slow program of feeding where they can continuously feed will help in maintaining and even losing weight.
Slow feeding helps in preventing ulcers. The constant intake of food causes the stomach to produce acid round-the-clock. This is because saliva production is activated from chewing, which, in turn, buffers the gastric acid produced. Hence, if food is always present in the stomach, it prevents splashing of the acids on the inside, reducing chances of ulcers.
The program promotes metabolism. Proper digestion and fermentation of food need ample time, and this is available with the free-choice mode of feeding. With optimal digestion, conditions that lead to colic cannot occur. This promotes the health of the equine. The ideal way of maintaining the balance between beneficial and harmful bacteria is by ensuring that horses are constantly feeding.
Horses primarily focus on feeding. Therefore, if there is not enough feeding, these animals could focus on other unpleasant activities like kicking the stalls and cribbing. A healthy equine sleeps for a maximum of four hours in a day, and they sleep for not long those fifteen or twenty minutes. For this reason, eliminate their boredom by incorporating slow feeding.
The feeders prevent trampling of hay by equines or blowing by the wind. If hay is spread all over the field, the animals may trample on it and might not eat afterward. In other cases, the hay forage gets blown away by the wind. In such a situation, the program is ideal since the food is contained. This helps in low or no wastage.
Since these creatures are animals of prey, they highly depend on their seeing and sound senses to detect their predators. Locking them up for long may, in turn, make them feel unsafe, causing a negative effect on their feeding behavior. Since the feeder is usually placed in open places, these animals feel safe while they are eating. It will also ensure your animals are feeding appropriately, improving their health.
This mode of feeding eradicates food aggression. If you put them in several locations, the herd can eat and live peacefully. Dominant equines can keep the less dominant ones away from eating if they are using a single source. However, with alternate sources, it encourages feeding and enables you to put wet hay for animals that need more calories.
About the Author:
Slow feeders for horses can easily be found on the Web. Spend a minute or two reading the FAQs here at http://www.hayburnersequine.com/faq.
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