# feeding horses wheat straw?



## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

So a gal told me that you can use wheat straw as bedding..first off I don't know the difference from wheat straw and straw...is it the same thing? She said it would be okay for them to eat it because it gives them a shiny coat and has a lot of vitamin K in it. She also mentioned a lot of race horses use straw as bedding and they don't care if they eat it cause it makes them glossy..etc.

My question is wouldn't it block them up? My horse is prone to colic soooooo I stick to shavings but we have a little mare that we are in the process of putting weight on her.She is already looking a little better! but we are cautious on what to use as bedding because we don't want her for some reason eating it and becoming impacted and have a colic happen. 

She has a thin coat and it's shedding(probably because she is still thin I am guessing).


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

I am English, and we use straw as bedding there but I would not want my horse to eat it, and I always made sure that they had enough good quality hay to see them through the night. 
The place I just moved my gelding from used shredded newspaper as bedding. On the nights I was there he would not eat the paper as he has enough hay that I would give him. On the nights I was not there, I think he ate the paper as there was about half the amount that I would see them load a stall with.


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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

I would use shavings! They will eat the straw. Many have anyway. I'd use shavings as it is easier to clean.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Maverick101 (Nov 8, 2009)

Straw is the by product of grain fields being harvested (the chaff that is left on the field from the combine/harvester)
Wheat straw comes from wheat fields, oat straw from oats, Barley from Barely....you get the picture.

If your horse eats some straw its isn't going to hurt them.....it doesn't have a lot of nutritional value, kinda like eating white bread....it fills ya up, but isn't loaded w anything substantial.

ensure they have access to hay while in the stall, and they wont eat their bedding.....they may nibble on it here and there, but its not horrible for them to eat just not ideal in the sense its empty calories.


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## Gluey33 (Jun 2, 2008)

If you've got them use shavings. If you do bed in straw make sure there is plenty of hay that she is used to. If she takes a liking to the straw and eats to much in one go she could get colic. 
I actually feed mine barley straw but they are all used to it and its easier to digest than wheat straw. 
I have known people water the straw lightly with a phenyle solution to stop them eating the bedding.


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## Maverick101 (Nov 8, 2009)

Sorry your horse wont colic from eating straw. It just has no nutritional value. So as a result they tend to get a "straw belly" which horses who stand in front of large round bales all the time w little to no excerice can get a hay belly.

Many people feed straw as a filler to stretch their hay in years where hay is scarce.....Again its not ideal, but not going to cause colic.


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## damnedEvans (Jan 23, 2010)

Here in my area some people tend to feed the horses with straw if they are in a pasture with some grass. They give them straw in addition to the grass because straw has no nutritional value. 
We use straw as bedding for the moment and it tends to be more difficult to keep the stalls clean. The horses are eating some of the bedding but it's not to much and they have no problems whatsoever.


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## Gluey33 (Jun 2, 2008)

Maverick101 said:


> Sorry your horse wont colic from eating straw. It just has no nutritional value. So as a result they tend to get a "straw belly" which horses who stand in front of large round bales all the time w little to no excerice can get a hay belly.
> 
> Many people feed straw as a filler to stretch their hay in years where hay is scarce.....Again its not ideal, but not going to cause colic.


Sorry a horse who is not used to it and stands there and eats it all night can colic. Not that they will but it is a risk. Been there done that.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

I have to agree with Maverick on this one.

If you want to use straw bedding give it a try. Make sure your horse has plenty of hay and I highly doubt they will even touch the straw.

I currently own a horse who eats his straw sometimes and I previously owned a horse who would eat every stick of straw in his stall over night (the place I boarded that is all they offered for bedding). Neither had a colic issue from it.

Gluey, you are right, a sudden change in diet can cause a colic risk. So, I suppose if the OP did not give her horse any hay and shoved them into a stall full of nice straw the risk of colic would be greatly increased.


ETA - I would not bed in straw because you think it is going to help your horses coat.


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

alright thanks 
It won't be me who will bed my horse in straw because I KNOW that she will eat it even if I give her plenty of food. She is a complusive eater and she has coliced twice because her stomach is extremely sensitive so I use shavings and they last a long time since she goes to the bathroom out in her paddock...good girl,hahaha.


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