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Do all horses require some type of grain or sweet feed?

Last Updated: July 19, 2006

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Horses are non-ruminant herbivores. That is, they require a minimum amount of roughage or forage in the diet for normal gastrointestinal function. Different classes of horses can be maintained strictly on good quality pasture and/or hay. All feeding programs should be based on the forage a horse is consuming. Grain or sweet feed should only be supplemented when the forage the horse is consuming cannot maintain the desired weight or performance.

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