Counting Calories at the Barn
…you out, we’ve put together this chart of calorie-burning values for common horse-related activities. Walking a 10-foot circle as you longe your horse will not only burn calories for you,…
…you out, we’ve put together this chart of calorie-burning values for common horse-related activities. Walking a 10-foot circle as you longe your horse will not only burn calories for you,…
…maintain a healthy weight. – Calories are the measure of energy?fuel that keeps your body running. Fewer calories in (eat less) and more calories out (exercise more) means you’ll lose…
…be converted to heat, which can be measured. We measure the energy stored in feed in megacalories (Mcal) or kilocalories (kcal). Kilocalories may also be reported in literature as Calories…
…calories in hay are expressed as DE (digestible energy) and given as Mcal/lb. (megacalories/lb.). Hays actually vary widely in their calorie content, from 0.7 Mcal/lb. or less for poor-quality hays,…
…your horse’s ration is to bolster the fat content. While carbohydrates and proteins offer around four calories per gram, fats offer a whopping nine calories per gram. If introduced slowly,…
…have more calories than rice bran – calories from carbohydrate. Beet pulp has about 11% fewer calories than rice bran but more calories coming from carbohydrate and especially from easily…
…stores. However, fat is good for weight gain. We define a high-fat diet as one that contains more than 10% fat. However, some horses need added calories, and fat is…
…was actually higher in calories than most standard grain mixes. Fiber’s not the answer either, as using a feed that’s labeled “high fiber” is no guarantee you’ll get lower calories…
…forages (such as pasture) are the main source of calories for horses, and the safest. Grains provide calories in the form of sugars and starches, which are great fuels for…
Horses become overweight for the same reason we do-they eat more calories than they burn. It isn’t any healthier for them than it is for us. Putting your horse on…