What is considered limited turnout and how does it impact a horse’s feeding program?
Continuous grazing is defined as access to pasture 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, 365 days out of the year. Not many modern horses are housed in this manner. It is much more likely that your horse is managed with “limited turnout.”
Limited turnout can vary from as little as 30 minutes to up to 12 hours per day. The extent of your horse’s turnout time, the quality of the pasture he is turned out on, and your horse’s metabolic type will determine how much additional feed and supplements he or she will need to remain healthy.
Research has shown that horses require at least 8 to 10 hours of turnout per day, on good quality pasture, to achieve the minimum dry matter intake of 1% of their body weight. The recommended dry matter intake for an average horse is 1.25% to 2% of their body weight daily. As you can see, when it comes to the most basic recommendation for fiber intake, even half a day of turnout can come up short, particularly on overgrazed pastures. That means most modern horses need more nutrients than limited turnout can provide.
The nutritional needs of the easy keeper on limited turnout.
The term “easy keeper” is a bit of any oxymoron, as easy keepers can be anything but easy to manage! Easy keepers are horses that need fewer calories than the average horse to maintain a healthy weight. Put that easy keeper out on good quality pasture for 8 hours and you will have a butterball in no time!
Some easy keepers suffer from metabolic diseases that impact how carbohydrates are utilized, and others are just very efficient at utilizing energy and in some cases consuming food (meaning, the head goes down and never comes up!). Most easy keepers will benefit from wearing a muzzle during turnout time.
A muzzle reduces intake by about 30%. It allows the horse to be managed along with normal horses and gives them more exposure to the benefits of turnout: exercise and social time. When horses are fed hay in a group situation, a muzzle can also be used to reduce intake in your “portlier” individuals.
The easy keeper may need less time out on pasture or a muzzle to reduce intake, but they still need to consume the recommended amount of fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals. A mature grass hay is the best solution when it comes to meeting an easy keeper’s dry matter requirements.
Mature hays provide more dry matter (fiber) and fewer calories per pound than less mature hays. Your easy keeper can munch away and not get too fat. The key is to balance out turnout time and hay intake so that you are feeding at least 1.25% dry matter per total body weight per day without adding a ton of unneeded calories.
The easiest way to determine if you are achieving your goal is to monitor your horse’s body condition score. Aim to keep your horse between a 5 and 6.
When it comes to protein, a mature horse requires 10% protein in their diet. Most hays will provide this amount. If your hay tests low, you can choose a balancer pellet that contains a protein source plus vitamins and minerals. Be aware that balancer pellets add calories to the diet, and make the necessary adjustments.
A good solution for the easy keeper who is meeting both dry matter and protein requirements with hay and limited turnout is a low-calorie, balanced vitamin and mineral supplement that also contains a maintenance dose (500 IU to 1,000 IU) of natural vitamin E.
Vitamin E is an essential nutrient that is found in fresh green grass. Once grass is harvested for hay, the vitamin E levels fall quickly. Horses on limited turnout will need supplemental vitamin E. Horses that are ridden lightly require 1,000 IU to 2,000 IU of natural vitamin E per day. For horses that are training and competing regularly, we recommend 3,000 IU of natural vitamin E per day.
Joint supplements, hoof supplements, omega-3 fatty acids, and digestive aids can be added to a horse’s feeding program as needed.
The nutritional needs of the average horse and hard keeper on limited turn-out.
Horses that need more energy than can be provided by limited turnout and hay are a little easier to deal with. Based on your horse’s desired body condition score, additional dry matter can be fed as hay or hay cubes, hay pellets or beat pulp.
The average horse can be maintained on good quality hay fed at a rate of 1.5% to 2% of their body weight per day. Good quality hay typically provides plenty of protein. If the horse is maintained on an all-forage diet, then a well-balanced vitamin and mineral pellet will fill in the nutritional gaps.
If the horse needs more energy than just forage and turnout can provide, then an appropriate fortified horse feed can be offered. If the recommended amount of feed is consumed, then the vitamin and mineral pellet is no longer needed. If less than the recommended amount is fed, then continue to feed a vitamin and mineral pellet to fill in the nutritional gaps.
As with the easy keeper, natural vitamin E is an essential nutrient for average horses. Horses on limited turnout will need supplemental vitamin E. The amount of supplementation will be based on the horse’s workload (see above). Other targeted supplements, such as joint, hoof, digestive, and omega-3, can be added on an as-needed basis.
Hard keepers and senior horses may need additional calories to maintain a healthy body condition score. These calories can be provided in the form of a fortified horse feed and/or a high-fat supplement.
The key with hard keepers is to keep the meal size under control. It is best not to feed any more than 4 lbs of fortified feed in one severing. Multiple meals per day are healthier and the feed is utilized in a more efficient manner.
Consider adding lunch or a late-night dinner to the hard keeper’s program. Forage can be fed continually. Additional natural vitamin E can be supplemented based on the horse’s requirements, and other targeted supplements added as needed.
For more tips on feeding the hard keeper, check out this article:
https://kppusa.com/horse-supplement-categories/weight-gain-and-energy/
Learn more about feeding horses with metabolic syndrome:
https://kppusa.com/2013/06/17/feeding-starchsugar-sensitive-horses/
Article written by KPP staff.
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Categorized in: Easy Keeper and Metabolic Syndrome Hard Keeper Performance Horse
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Alright, saddle up because we're diving deep into the world of equine nutrition. First things first, let's talk about limited turnout. Now, I've been around enough stables to practically speak horse. Limited turnout refers to the restricted access a horse has to pasture, and it's not just some arbitrary decision. Modern horses, more often than not, don't get the luxury of 24/7 grazing. Instead, they're on a schedule that ranges from 30 minutes to 12 hours per day.
Here's the evidence: studies show that for a horse to meet the minimum dry matter intake of 1% of their body weight, they need a good 8 to 10 hours of quality pasture. That's no leisurely stroll; it's essential for their health. Now, the real conundrum comes in when you've got an "easy keeper" on your hands. Don't let the term fool you; these horses aren't necessarily a breeze to handle. They're the ones that pack on the pounds faster than you can say "hay."
These easy keepers often benefit from a muzzle during turnout, reducing intake by about 30%. It's a bit like putting a salad bowl in front of someone at a buffet—keeps things in check. But hey, even with limited pasture time, they still need their nutrients. Enter mature grass hay—a savior for easy keepers. It's got the fiber they need without the calorie overload. Balancing turnout and hay intake is the name of the game to maintain a body condition score between 5 and 6.
And proteins? A mature horse needs about 10%, which most hays provide. But if your hay's playing hard to get, throw in a balancer pellet for good measure. Now, vitamin E is a rockstar nutrient, found in fresh grass. Once that grass is hay, though, the E levels drop, and that's where supplements come in. For the lightly ridden, 1,000 to 2,000 IU; for the athletes in the horse world, a solid 3,000 IU of natural vitamin E per day is the way to go.
Jumping over to the average horse and the hard keepers, it's a different feed bag. Quality hay at 1.5% to 2% of their body weight can often do the trick. If they're all about that forage life, throw in a well-balanced vitamin and mineral pellet. Need more oomph? Fortified horse feed is your go-to. But watch the serving sizes; we don't want to overload the digestive system.
The hard keepers and seniors might need a calorie boost, enter fortified feed and high-fat supplements. But remember, moderation is key—no more than 4 lbs in one sitting, and spread those meals throughout the day. And, of course, sprinkle in some natural vitamin E and other targeted supplements based on individual needs.
For more horse-feeding wisdom, you can check out KPPusa.com's article on weight gain and energy. And if you've got a horse with metabolic syndrome, they've got a guide for that too. So, in the grand symphony of equine nutrition, keep the hay flowing, the vitamins balanced, and the muzzles at the ready. Because the horse that matters to you, matters to us. Giddy up!
