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Tnh0004-Nutritional Needs Of Horses, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Animals/Livestock

Horses, as well as other animals, should be fed according to their nutritional needs. Horses’ nutritional requirements are based on stage of production and activity. The categories that determine nutrient requirements are maintenance, gestation, lactation, growth and work. The horse is then fed to meet those nutrient needs. Maintenance requirements are those requirements needed for a horse to simply maintain its present body status, neither gaining nor losing weight. Pregnant mares during late gestation require additional nutrients above maintenance to sustain body weight and provide for the growing fetus.

Nutritional requirements dramatically increase during lactation. This is the stage of …