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Feeding a horse: the basics

A horse is a trickle-feeding grazer whose gut is built for a near-constant flow of fibre; sound feeding starts from forage, not hard feed.

Forage first

The foundation of any horse's diet is forage: grass, hay or haylage. The digestive system is designed to process fibre slowly and continuously, and long gaps without food raise the risk of ulcers and colic.

Most horses in light work meet their needs from good forage plus a balancer for vitamins and minerals, with hard feed added only when the workload or condition genuinely calls for it.

Little and often

Because the stomach is small and always producing acid, horses do best fed little and often rather than in large meals. Sudden changes of feed are introduced gradually over days to let the gut bacteria adapt.

Constant access to clean water is essential; a horse drinks many litres a day and dehydration quickly affects digestion and performance.

Diet, condition and the hoof

Feeding also shows in the hoof. Sudden gorging on rich spring grass is a known trigger for laminitis, a painful and serious hoof condition, so at-risk horses have their grazing carefully managed.

Steady condition and a balanced diet support strong horn growth, which in turn makes for a hoof that trims cleanly and holds a boot or shoe well.

Judging condition

Owners judge whether a horse is the right weight by feel as much as by eye, using a body condition score that runs a hand over the ribs, back and quarters rather than trusting the scales alone. A shaggy winter coat or a big belly of forage can hide the true state of the horse underneath.

Both ends of the range carry risk. An underweight horse lacks the reserves for work, while an overweight one is far more prone to laminitis, which brings the problem back down to the hoof.

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Sources: British Horse Society · The Blue Cross horse advice