Horse Nutrition
Feeding Horses For Health And Performance

Horse Nutrition is most important in horse care. Feeding a horse is both an art and a science. Facts about equine food and the best horses diet.

Are you confused by the wealth of different horse feeds and supplements on the market?

Are you wondering how much and what to feed?

Are you worrying if your horse's diet is balanced and if he gets all the nutrients he needs?

Trust me, you are not alone! But feeding horses doesn't have to be complicated and crazy expensive. Understanding your horse's digestive tract and nutritional needs will demystify horse feeding.

Don't get confused by the array of horse food and supplements available. Most of them you don't need. Good equine food does not have to be expensive. A bit of investigating can save you a lot of money.

Photo: Pixies and Pixels

The most important thing in a horses diet is good quality horse hay or grass. It is the foundation of good horse nutrition! What is lacking in the hay has to be substituted.

For correct balancing you need a hay or grass analysis. Most hays are deficient in copper and zinc and contain too much iron. This has to be balanced with an adequate mineral mix.

Contact an equine nutritionist or do a course at www.drkellon.com to learn how to balance your hay. It is not that difficult and you will see big changes in your horse.

How To Feed A Horse

Good forage or grass is the foundation of every horse diet and is crucial for a healthy horse. Feed 2-3% of your your horses ideal body weight in hay.
Small portions - little and often

Feed like mother nature and understand the natural feeding behavior of your horse. A horses stomach produces digestive fluids 25/7. If the stomach has nothing to digest it will start to digest itself.
Determine weight and workload of your horse to be able to calculate how much food he needs. (Yes, good horse nutrition is about calculating, not guessing!)

Keep mealtimes consistent from day to day.
Clean and fresh water always has to be available!
Hygiene: Keep food bowls clean. Keep horse feed in separate rodent-proof bins to avoid contamination. Good quality horse hay and horse feed is important, it shouldn't be mouldy or smelly.

Why good equine nutrition is critical:

Important for optimum performance and horse health. We all are what we eat!
The horse diet impacts on growth. Extra care needs to be given to brood mares and foals. Avoid growth disorders with balanced horse nutrition.
Impact on horse behavior. Deficiencies can cause sensitivity.

A lot of hoof problems are nutrition related. (laminitis, hoof thrush, hoof infections, white line disease, poor horn quality, wall separations,...)
A balanced diet prevents diseases like colic, insulin resistance, gastric ulcers, etc..
Malnutrition will weaken the immune system of the horse leading to increased risk of infections, mud fever, rain scald, etc..
An unbalanced diet can cause fertility problems and abortions.