EQUINE NUTRITION BASICS

  • Balance the diet between ROUGHAGE (hay/grass) and CONCENTRATES (grains/pellets) remembering that horse’s natural diet is pasture and that roughage is therefore the most important part of a horse’s nutrition.
  • Modify to suit each individual horse according to their condition, size, workload and age.
  • Feed meals at regular times and at least twice daily for horses with limited access to pasture.
  • Ensure the feed is of good quality and not dusty or mouldy.
  • Mix the ration well.
  • Ensure the horse is in good general health and ensure regular teeth care, worming and exercise.
  • The horse should have access to clean fresh water at all times.
  • Supplement horses with adequate electrolytes, especially when in work.
  • Make ration changes gradually.
  • Reduce concentrates if horse not being worked.

Tips

  • Chaff is a “filler” for concentrate feeds and does not provide enough bulk as a roughage component alone.
  • Adequate amounts of hay or access to pasture is essential for digestive health.
  • Soaking hay can reduce sugar content and is useful for horses prone to laminitis, Cushings Disease, or metabolic syndrome, (fat, cresty ponies).
  • Speedibeet (soaked) or rice bran pellets are another useful feed for horses with laminitis or endocrine disorders such as Cushings Disease.
  • Horses which have too much energy, muscle problems or who are prone to tying up should have oats/grains removed and be fed a low GI diet.
  • Lucerne hay and chaff are a good source of calcium and balance out the high phosphorous content in concentrate feeds.
  • Any grains should be crushed, rolled or flaked to improve digestibility. Boiling of barley can improve digestibility in horses where weight gain is required.