Nutrition

Your horse’s diet play a critical role in their overall health. What, when and how you feed your horse matters.

Key Points:

• Every horse is different in their nutritional requirements, and a balanced diet should be discussed with your veterinarian
• The average adult horse should be fed at ~1.5-2% of their body weight every day

For most horses, the bulk of their diet should be composed of forage. There are a variety of hays on the market and the main categories are alfalfa hay, and grass hays (which include timothy, orchard, and teff). Your horse’s energy requirements, body type, concurrent disease processes and metabolic status will help determine what hay is most appropriate for them.

*Note – Bermuda hay is a type of grass hay that is offered by many feed stores. Bermuda hay has well-document evidence of extremely high rates of gastric impaction and colic, and is not a recommended feed*

In addition to hay, there are a variety of grains that can be supplemented to your horse’s diet. Many are formulated for different needs, including performance horses with very high calorie and energy requirements, senior grains, ration balancers, and more.

Between hay and grain, the average adult horse should be fed at about 1.5-2% of their body weight each day.

Whenever possible, it is best for the majority (>60%) of your horse’s diet to be composed of hay, and to minimize large grain meals.

While horses are meant to be grazing consistently throughout the day, our stalled horses exist on several meals throughout the day. Small, frequent meals are most beneficial, but not always logistically possible. A slow feeder or hay net is a great option to ensure your horse has hay in front of them throughout the day.

There are a vast number of nutritional supplements on the market for your equine friend. It is important to evaluate these products carefully and with a critical eye. Supplements are not a regulated market, meaning that the claims made by the companies do not necessarily have to be able to be proven to be true – and can lead to a lot of lofty promises!  Be cautious of unresearched supplements and discuss with your veterinarian what additions may be helpful and actually worth the expense.

It is extremely important to note that every horse is going to have different nutritional requirements, and no two horses can be fed exactly the same way! Their level of work, age, breed, dental status, metabolic status, body condition score, and more will contribute to their dietary needs.  Your veterinarian can help you develop a diet that best fits your horse’s needs.