Rewriting the rules

The golden rules of feeding are something we all learn as a reliable guide to the basic practices that ensure horses receive good nutrition. Many of the rules are decades old and, thanks to scientific research and as we find out more about optimising the horse’s digestive health, it appears that some could be in need of updating.

Forage facts

Most of the nutrients a horse needs can be obtained from good-quality forage in the form of grass, hay or haylage, depending on the time of year and location.

However, leading agronomists are raising concerns over the poor soil nutrient profiles that result from modern farming practices and climate change. As a result, nutrient imbalances are evident across two thirds of UK soils.

When you factor in the low species variation that’s typical of modern pasture, it’s easy to see why forage alone isn’t enough to meet the needs of a naturally diverse browser such as the horse. Forage and fibre should be the largest part of any horse’s diet – at least 1.5% of bodyweight daily – but must be balanced with vitamins and minerals to reduce the risk of dietary deficiencies.

Daily essentials

All horses require the following in their diets, whatever their breed, size, type or workload…

• Water
• Fibre
• Carbohydrates
• Fats
• Protein
• Vitamins and minerals

Little and often

Being trickle feeders, horses have evolved to eat for up to around 16 hours a day and, as hindgut fermenters, they rely on a vast population of microbes – an army of bacteria, yeasts and protozoa – to digest the fibrous diet they consume. Replacing even some trickle feed with meals means the stomach empties relatively quickly, dumping any undigested starch into the hindgut, which potentially can then lead to a number of digestive problems.

Furthermore, excess starch is associated with many health issues, from gastric ulcers to obesity and laminitis, so it’s important to minimise starchy cereals in the diet. Any concentrates that are fed should be split into multiple small feeds across the day, so maybe the old idea of feeding a couple of times a day should become feed little and often and minimise meal feeds.

Discover more about feeding traditions and modern methods in October Horse&Rider – out now!