Oats give energy, and they are ideal grain for horses, being digestible and light, but they should be bruised or rolled to prevent hungry or greedy horses from bolting them too fast, and to allow very young horses to chew them easily. Flaked micronised barley provides energy and bulk. It often replaces oats as the basic grain ration.
Bran, a by-product of wheat, lacks real food value but may be added to concentrates as bulk.
Maize is fed cooked and flaked, as a supplementary bulk food, as is soaked sugar beet, which is also a non-heating appetiser.
Good quality oats are clean, plump and hard. They are fed (a) whole, (b) rolled, (c) clipped, or (d) bruised - but lose nutritional value if too heavily crushed or kept too long.
