Basic Needs of American Quarter Horses 2 American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame & Museum This Basic Needs lesson is a higher level continuation of The 1 st grade Basic Needs lesson and is based on a 3 rd Grade level.
What are the basic needs of a Quarter Horse? FFood WWater SShelter SSpace
Food
What do horses eat? Horses eat all different types of hay A few examples are: Bermuda Grass HayBermuda Grass Hay AlfalfaAlfalfa Bluestem Grass HayBluestem Grass Hay
Horses have to receive certain nutrients from their food… Energy- comes in different forms and combinations. Protein- helps build muscle, provides energy, and keeps the heart healthy. Amino Acids- are smaller parts of proteins that give young horses energy. Minerals- help digestion and keeps bones strong. Vitamins- keep your horse’s muscles, organs, and bones healthy Fiber- helps your horse digest food.
A balanced diet includes A minimum of … Protein/Protein/ amino acids MineralsMinerals VitaminsVitamins
Bermuda Grass Hay 20% more nutrients than prairie hay or Bluestem Hay.
Legumes Known for higher protein and is a good source of iron. Known as a “Hot” hay. This means it gives the horse lots of energy. Other legumes include: clover, peas, beans, and peanuts.
Alfalfa A legume hay % more energy Twice the protein of Bermuda Grows inches high.
Prairie Hay Prairie Hay is what grows on the land naturally.
Bluestem grass Grows to be 1-6 ft tall An improved prairie hay Cheaper 20% more nutrients than prairie hay than prairie hay
Horses can also eat grain mixtures. Most horse grain feeds are rolled into pellets.
By feeding your horse grain you can offer it more nutrients with one kind of food. Grain mixtures have large amounts of starches and sugars.
Water
Water is important to a horse’s health. An adult horse must have 5-8 gallons of water a day.
Major effects of the amount of water a horse needs: Perspiration (how much a horse sweats) ExerciseWeather
Horses sweat to cool their body and they must be able to replace this with fresh water! When horse’s work they can lose up to 4 gallons of sweat per hour.
Horse Water Horses should have fresh and clean water available throughout the day. However, after an extreme work out you must let your horse cool down before letting him drink the cool water. Horses usually prefer water at room temperature.
When it’s cold outside… Horses will drink up to 14% less water when the temperature drops suddenly.
Shelter
Just like you….Horses need shelter. The shelter you choose for your horse can be as simple or as fancy as you want.
Horses need shelter from… WeatherPredators
Can you name some predators of horses?
Your Horse’s Stall… Inside a horse stall, a horse should have room to stand, eat, lay down, turn around, and grow. The stall should always be clean and block the wind.
Space
Space allows a horse to… GrazeExerciseGrow
Horses need space. Some horses are kept mostly outside, but for those who aren’t you should pay special attention to how often they are turned out in either a pen or a pasture.
Space Keeps Horses Healthy Exercise allows a horse to keep a good attitude and a healthy mind. Exercise helps them build muscle tone, be flexible, and it keeps their lungs and heart healthy. Exercise keeps your horse’s bones strong.
Preparing For Winter When horses are turned out in cool weather, it helps their hair grow thicker to protect them from the cold winter weather.
Foals need space too! It is important for young horses to be turned out to “play” just like kids! It helps them to learn, grow, and develop.
Some things you can do to exercise your horse are…
Resources juniper.com/i_and_i/invasive_spp/bermudagrass_lge.jpg&imgrefurl= ro- juniper.com/i_and_i/invasive_spp/bermuda_grass.html&h=802&w=700&sz=96&hl=en &start=2&tbnid=90odF4HKZpIOBM:&tbnh=143&tbnw=125&prev=/images%3Fq%3D Bermuda%2Bgrass%26gbv%3D2%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den