Using this chart you can determine which feed amount should be adjusted. It only takes a few minutes – request your plan today. Keeping hay in front of horses at all times allows them to most closely mimic their natural grazing behavior. If your horse is overweight, or if its ribs are showing, consult a veterinarian for advice on the horse's feeding schedule. Horses should be fed only good quality, mould and dust-free forage. Do not give the horse diet or medical supplements without the advice of a veterinarian. Fully loaded with expert advice, it’s a must-read for horse owners. Changes in your horse's lifestyle, such as increased or reduced work, movement on and off pasture, pregnancy, lactation and ageing will require changes to your horse¿s diet. Our diet analysis service connects you to our consultant nutritionist. In this lesson, you will learn all about what horses eat. An equine nutritionist or an equine vet can advise you. Horses need to maintain a balanced diet in order to be healthy and have energy. However, some hays may be deficient in an essential nutrient or, depending on the breeding status and activity level, some horses may need more or less hay in order to be in good body condition. Simply answer some questions about the lifestyle and condition of your horse and our nutritionist will contact you via email with nutrition advice that you can trust.
KEY #1—Forage is the basis of a horse’s diet. Ideally, this comes in the form of fresh grass. If grass is not available, free-choice grass hay is the next best choice. Equine Feed Calculator Fortunately, horses do quite well on a forage based diet of hay along with minerals and good clean water. Keep in mind that a working (or exercising) horse needs more food than one that stays in a stall or pasture all day. Horses eat many different foods, like grass and fruit. Horses exposed to ≥4 hr of sunlight per day or that consume sun-cured hay do not have dietary requirements for vitamin D. For horses deprived of sunlight, suggested dietary vitamin D 3 concentrations are 800–1,000 IU/kg feed dry matter for early growth and 500 IU/kg feed dry matter for later growth and other life stages. Get a personalised equine diet plan prepared by our nutritionists for FREE. The most basic requirement in a horse’s diet is long-stem forage. Chart displaying balance between horse nutrition requirements and your dietary supply. Rapid changes in diet can result in illness. Whether there’s a specific issue, or you just want to know you’re doing the best for your horse, we can help.
Whether building a plan for feeding a new horse or troubleshooting a current horse’s diet to see what could be missing, ration evaluation is key to health and performance.