to much nutrition

[animallover1]

we just got an older hourse yesterday he has been eating mostly hay till we brought him home, is it possible for him 2 eat to much grass and get sick from to much nutrition

 

[patandchickens]

Oh yes by all means it is possible to hurt a horse by putting him out onto grass if he is not used to it. Colic or laminitis/founder are pretty common under those circumstances.

First, start the horse onto grass very GRADUALLY if he's not used ot it (or not used to good pasture) -- one reasonable approach is to limit him to 20 minutes a day for the first half-week, then 30 min for the rest of the week, then 45 min for next half-week, then an hour, then two hours, then four, then as much as you want to leave him out on (unless the pasture is very lush e.g. if you're in one of the areas been getting lotsa rain, in which case continue to increase gradually)

Secondly, PLEASE PLEASE get a good basic book on horse healthcare, since if you are in a position to be asking this question and asking about 'too much nutrition' there are clearly a lot of things you need to know about in order to provide proper, safe, watchful care of a horse.

Best of luck, have fun, learn things ,

Pat

 

[animallover1]

k thx

 

[LauraM]

Here is an excellent book for beginners as well as experienced horse people:

The Horse Nutrition Handbook

 

[w c]

When you get a new horse find out ahead of time what he has been eating, if he has been grazing, and how much. If he is eating hay or grain buy some from the barn where he is and take it with him. Feed him what he is used to as you gradually switch him over to your hay, your paster, etc.

Too, each pasture is different. He might go from an orchard grass pasture at one place to a pasture that has a whole lot of clover and alfalfa growing in it and get very sick because the new pasture is much richer.