Hay cobs & roughage

As a natural feedstuff, roughage is the nutritional basis for animals. Hay is certainly known to every horse owner as roughage. However, roughage is not just hay, but also straw, branches/leaves, silage/haylage, lucerne cobs, hay cobs, grass and bark.

The horse's digestive system is optimized to process small amounts of roughage over a long period of time. The constant chewing of hay and co. releases saliva, which is conducive to this digestion. The roughage must therefore be sufficiently available and accessible to the animal at all times.

If possible, an animal should never be without food for more than four hours. Depending on how the animal is kept, it can be fed in small portions during the day or the animal has free access to roughage. For about 8-10 kg of food, an animal needs up to 10 hours of feeding time. But again, every animal is different and should be treated individually.