About Jessica Hughes Expertise I can answer diet and nutrition questions regarding performance, breeding/raising young horses, showing, and pleasure riding needs. I can answer questions regarding riding and training problems or advice. I can answer questions regarding equine behavior problems. I can answer questions regarding show horses, how to groom the english or western horse for the horse show arena. I can answer any general question regarding horses.
Experience My expertise includes owning and running a successful show and boarding facility. I have done much research on the nutritional needs of all different types of horses and how their digestive system works and how to keep that healthy. I have shown and trained horses for cutting, western pleasure, halter, breed show all around, and currently hunter/jumpers on the hunter curcuit. I have also raised babies and bred my own mares for the last 5 years specializing in thoroughbreds, warmbloods, and welsh ponies. I also give lessons to all types of riders. I evented for 3 years.
Organizations I currently belong to Blue Ridge Hunter Jumper Association and American Quarter Horse Association.
Education/Credentials I apprenticed under Mark Poovey an accomplished cutting horse trainer for 4 years where I was assistant trainer and barn manager. I have ridden under and participated in many clinics under such people as George Morris and Daniel Geitner. I have also worked as a vet tech at a local veterinarian. I attended Isothermal Community College where I attained my business degree.
Awards and Honors I was #8 in the nation in 1994 with the American Paint Horse Association at the end of that year in the event of Working Hunter 18 & Under. I was also 4th at the AQHA World Show in 1994 in the event of Hunter Under Saddle Youth Team Tournament. I won many year end awards with the APHA during that year. I also won the Raleigh Cutting Horse Futuritiy in the youth division in 1994. I was leader of a local 4-H group for many years.
Past/Present Clients Hope Bleeker, Freda Jessen, Judy Scott, Sharon Scruggs, Elizabeth White, Jackie Gardinier, Laura Bailey, Kevin Hamby, Jane Juanaco,
Anne Schager, Diane Randolph
Question I am taking a 4-H project on Horseless Horse where we make posters on all kinds of subjects about horses. My required subject this year is horse nutrition. I want to know what the basic components of a diet should be for an average horses with no special needs and also is their anything not to feed a horse?
Answer Hi Holly, The main components of a horses diet consist of three parts. Water, roughage, and grain. Roughage is probably the most important as horses digestive system is designed for them to be processing small amounts of roughage at all times. Roughage includes grass pasture and different types of hay. Having access to roughage keeps a horses gut moving at all times. A horse with a healthy gut will produce gut noises almost constantly, like stomach growling. Horses should also have free access to water at all times, if they are deprived of water they could dehydrate and become very sick but most often they will colic from impaction from lack of fluids. Most horses are fed grain, being that grain is man made it is not as easy for a horse to digest, however, most horses have no problems when fed in correct amounts and intervals. A horse does not have to have grain to be healthy, however, if you are riding, breeding, or raising young horses they usually need the extra nutrients and energy to sustain a healthy weight, enough stamina, and proper growth. You should feed grain in small amounts more often rather than in large amounts at one time. Again because of their gut not being equipped to handle large amounts of food at one time. There are tons of different types of grain formulated for specific needs such as performance, breeding stock, pastured horses, and growing horses. There are many things a horse should not eat, the most common being moldy hay or grain. This can cause a horse to have a stomach ache (colic) and could turn into an intestinal twist which can be deadly. Trees and shrubs a horse should not eat include tung oil tree, prickley poppy, boxwood, showy crotalaria, jimsonweed, purple rattlebox, jasmine, bog pod, coffeebean, bitterwood, common lantana, China berry, oleander, poke weed, Eastern bracken, oaks, casterbean, eldeberry, night shade, Carolina laurel-cherry, Johnson grass, oriental cocklebur, and rain lily. There are more, but these are the most common. These are toxic to horses and can result in death if ingested. Other side effects include blindness.
I could write pages on this subject but this is just a short version to answer your question. You may check with your extension office for more on toxic plants and trees in your area. Good luck, Jessica
