Feeding Barley To Horses | ProHorse (2024)

FAQs

Feeding Barley To Horses | ProHorse? ›

Prior to feeding barley to horses they need to be cooked, rolled or crushed. When rolling and crushing, the grain should not be crushed in a way that it becomes too fine. When it is being cooked this should be done without having to roll or crush the grain first.

More energy-dense than oats, and a higher fibre content than maize, barley is seen as an 'in between' grain. Micronised barley increases digestive efficiency so it has an elevated energy level over that of uncooked barley. Barley has been historically fed to increase the bulk of a horse (to put weight on).

It's considered a good feed for putting condition on a horse, but it's certainly not the perfect feed. It has a poor phosphorous/calcium ratio (Corn and oats aren't great either, but barley is the worst of the three). It also lacks vitamins A and D, so alternative sources will need to be found by horse owners.

In general, barley has a feeding value that is about 95% that of corn. It is relatively high in crude protein for a feed grain, ranging from 8 to 13%, but like oats, barley is relatively low in lysine and methionine. Because most feed barley contains the hull, fiber content is relatively high at around 5 to 7%.

Barley (65% starch) has a hard kernel that horses cannot easily chew, so it is usually rolled. However, even in rolled barley, the starch has a low pre-cecal digestibility (about 21%) in horses. Therefore, oats are a much better choice for horses than barley.

Consumption of large quantities of high starch grain can have drastic consequences to a horse's intestinal health, causing digestive upset, abdominal pain (colic), and diarrhea. The most notable consequence of this occurrence is the development of laminitis (founder), which might only become evident days later.

Boiled barley is rich in starch and is therefore a worthy dietary addition for calories, but it should not be the basis of the diet and should be kept at less than 50% of his ration.

Barley has a tougher hull than oats, so it is most commonly processed (cracked, rolled or steam flaked) when put into horse feeds. Whole barley can also be soaked or boiled and can be a really nice way to add barley in wintertime – warm.

Oats, one of the most popular grains to feed horses, are higher in fiber than corn and barley. Again, processing these grains will improve digestibility; in other words, processing grains will increase the amount of nutrients that the horse can get from the grain.

Alfalfa hay is usually highest in nutrients. Alfalfa is useful in the diets of horses with high nutrient requirements like broodmares and growing horses. Alfalfa is very palatable so horses usually waste less. Timothy and orchardgrass hays are usually lower in most nutrients than alfalfa hay.

Is barley high in sugar for horses? ›

Barley or wheaten hay can also be fed to horses and if well-made can have a similar value to oaten hay. Disadvantages – Due to the high sugar content, cereal hays are NOT suitable for IR/laminitis prone horses. The high sugar content can also cause horses to spend hours grazing on it, resulting in dental issues.

Good quality, alfalfa mix hay can be used; alfalfa cubes can also be purchased at farm supply stores; in the case of severely malnourished horses it may be helpful to soak the cubes in water to soften them prior to offering them to the horses.

In particular, oats and corn are more likely to be problematic from a behavioural point of view, however there may be instances where a highly digested form of barley (eg EXTRU-BARLEY®) may provide the conditioning benefits of carbohydrates without excessive fizz.

Whole barley consists of whole kernels of barley with the outer covering intact. Barley has a tougher hull than oats, so it is most commonly processed (cracked, rolled or steam flaked) when put into horse feeds. Whole barley can also be soaked or boiled and can be a really nice way to add barley in wintertime – warm.