Sorry I missed your post. PLUS I had to dig to get some information on feeding wheat (other than wheat bran) as it is not commonly used as a horse feed. For the most part, I had to go to my old, old reference books for this. I did find one reference in a recently published book, Storey's Guide to Feeding Horses by Dr Melyni Worth:
The high levels of protein called gluten in wheat present a problem with using whole wheat for horse feed. Gluten, the protein that provides the "stickiness" in wheat flour that is prized by bakers, may lead to impaction colic.....Wheat grain contains 1.55 Mcal per pound (energy) 13% crude protein and around 3% fiber.
From "Horse Nutrition Handbook" published in 1974:
Wheat is occasionally fed to horses, but almost always in a mixture with other grains and usually in a limited amount - less than 20% of the total ration.
From one of the horse/livestock feeding golden standards - "Morrison's Feeds and Feeding" (I have the classic 1948 version):
Wheat itself is not usually fed to farm animals in this country. The wheat bran and middlings secured in milling wheat for flour are by far our most important by-product stock feeds.
Since the kernels are rather hard and small, wheat should be ground or crushed for feeding to cattle and horses. The grain should be ground to only a medium degree of fineness, for wheat ground to a fine, floury meal is less palatable and more apt to form a pasty mass in the mouth.
In using wheat as a feed, the fact that it is higher than corn in protein should be borne definitely in mind. The protein of the entire wheat grain is of relatively poor quality, although it is superior to that of corn. In wheat bran and wheat germ, the protein is of better quality than in the rest of the kernel. Wheat has about as much nitrogen-free extract (nearly all starch) as does corn and is only slightly higher in fiber. It is only about 2% fat in comparison with about 4% for corn. Wheat is fully as digestible as corn, and supplies about as much total digestible nutrients as No 2 grade corn. Wheat is low in calcium, having only 0.04% with an average phosphorus content of 0.39% which is appreciably higher than that of corn. It deficient in vitamin A and vitamin D. It is a good source of thiamine, but low in riboflavin like the other cereal grains.
Wheat is usually well liked by stock and is frequently fed to fatten cattle and sheep. However, cattle or sheep occasionally go "off" feed or have digestive disturbances when heavily fed on wheat. This can be avoided by mixing wheat with other feeds such as corn, oats, barley or bran.
In horses and mules, wheat is a satisfactory substiute for oats, if ground coarsely or crushed and mixed with a bulky feed to prevent colic.
RE: wheat grass
Crested wheatgrass is especially well adapted to the northern Plains States and in the drier parts of the northwestern states. It is winter hardy and very drought resistant. Furnishes earlier Spring and later Fall pasture than the native range. It can be used for early grazing in the Spring and if the stock is then transferred to native pasture, the wheat grass will grow up for a hay crop. Crested wheatgrass should be cut for hay when it is heading out, or at least by blooming time, for the feeding value and palatability fall rapidly later. Early cut crested wheatgrass hay is superior to the usual native hay in value.
NOTE OF CAUTION: This information on wheatgrass is from a 1948 publication (though this book is still widely used in equine nutrition education). Best bet is to check with your local agricultural extension agent regarding the type of wheatgrass you are considering and how it would benefit your horses.
Robin C
