Nutrition

  • dark brown horses eating hay in a stall

    By: Robyn Stewart, ANR Agent and County Extension Coordinator, Lincoln County Introduction The foundation of every equine diet is good-quality forage. That statement alone raises several questions: What qualifies as forage? What parameters define “good quality”? And if forage is the foundation, what do we do when we don’t have sufficient hay or pasture? The…

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  • Microscopic image of Epicloe coenophialum by Nick Hill, UGA

    By: Brenda Jackson, County Extension Coordinator and Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent, Murray County Tall fescue is one of the most widely grown pasture grasses in the U.S., with over a million acres grown in North Georgia alone. A bunch grass, it is the most heat tolerant of all the cool season grasses. However, that…

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  • two square bales side-by -side view.

    By: Allison Bailey, ANR Agent, Wilkes County Hay is the foundation of any horse’s diet. Most horses can get the majority of their nutrients from hay, with concentrates or supplements added as needed to complete the diet.  Because horses are grazing animals, their digestive systems are designed to process forage almost continuously rather than in large meals like…

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  • A brown horse with a long mane grazes on grass in a grassy field, with trees in the background.

    By: Lucy Ray, Morgan County Extension Agent Temperatures are getting cooler and we are not far from the beautiful fall foliage that makes this season one of my favorites!  Along with being the perfect time for trail riding, fall is the perfect season to start thinking about your winter forage needs.  Fortunately, in Georgia, we have several…

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