We've all heard the old adage, “You are what you eat”. But does that apply to our horses? In fact, equine nutrition plays a crucial role if you want a happy, healthy horse. Unfortunately, it’s still lacking for far too many. Many horses have had their fundamental eating habits changed either because of lack of knowledge or human convenience.

By getting back to a more natural feeding program, you can give your horse a new lease on life and allow her to reach her full potential.

Infrequent feeding is unhealthy

A horse’s digestive system needs small quantities of food numerous times daily. This is because his relatively small stomach can hold only one to four gallons of food at a time. This food moves into the gut track very quickly so the horse feels hungry again about an hour after eating. Infrequent feeding can unbalance his intestinal bacteria, resulting in stomach disturbances, diarrhea, and colic. It can also contribute to gastic ulcer disease, estimated to afflict 60% to 90% of mature horses.

Ulcers occur when stomach tissue is damaged by digestive acids. Because a horse is meant to graze on an almost continual basis, his stomach constantly produces digestive acid for the breakdown of food. When there is food in the stomach, the acid is properly absorbed and neutralized. Allowing your horse free access to pasture or grass hay, while cutting down on grain and concentrated processed feeds, lowers his risk of developing ulcer disease. It also re-establishes a more natural feeding pattern and wakes up his foraging instinct.

What is a natural diet for horses?

There’s more to feeding a horse than offering free-choice hay, as not all hay is created equal when it comes to equine health. Different types of grass hay, such as Bermuda, Timothy, Orchard, Brome and Rye, along with small amounts of alfalfa or grain hay, give your horse a variety of textures, tastes and nutrients.

When feeding your horse on a freechoice basis, grass hays should comprise the main course, with legume hays like alfalfa serving as a condiment only. One reason for this is that alfalfa can contain 50% more calories and protein per pound than grass hay. People often make the mistake of feeding alfalfa hay in the same quantities as grass hay, or worse yet, as the only feed. No horse needs this much protein or calories. In addition, alfalfa has a high calcium to phosphorus ratio -- often 4:1 and higher. The ratio for a healthy horse is 2:1.

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Published in the Spring 2006 issue of Equine Wellness Magazine