Four reasons to review your horse’s diet
February 19, 2025 ⎯ Christine Barakat with Melinda Freckleton, DVM – equusmagazine.com
Consistency is a good thing when it comes to equine diets. If your horse is doing well on his current feed, there’s no need to go messing with it. But there are times in a horse’s life when his diet needs to be reexamined and a change in feed may be warranted. Here are four such times:
1. Change of life stage
There are feeds formulated and marketed for every life stage a horse may go through, from growing weanling to mature senior. As a horse ages, his nutritional needs can change significantly. And he may benefit from switching to a feed made specifically for life stage. As your horse reaches different age-related milestones, keep an eye on his overall condition, and be prepared to make an adjustment in his feed if necessary.
2. Change in activity level
A busy athlete may need a high-calorie, nutrient-rich feed. That same horse on an extended break between seasons has much different dietary needs. Likewise, the energy requirements will grow for a pleasure horse who is stepping up his activity level before a busy trail season. Anytime a horse’s activity level changes, it’s wise to consider whether his diet is still appropriate. Sometimes, simply feeding more or less of the same product is fine, but you may need to switch to a different formulation altogether to best support his new lifestyle.
Click here to learn more about ration balancers.
3. Change in geographic location
Pastures and hays in different parts of the country supply different levels of nutrients. Those a horse doesn’t get from forage, he needs to get from feed. A move to a colder climate will increase caloric needs in winter, which may also require a change in feed. A move across town isn’t likely to require any changes. But any significant relocation is reason to consider whether his current feed will still be appropriate.
4. Change in health status
If your horse is diagnosed with a new condition or illness, a dietary change may be an important part of his treatment and ongoing management. The obvious example is metabolic disorders: An insulin-resistant horse may need a feed that is lower in sugars or carbohydrates than what he had been receiving. But other conditions, such as heaves, may require feed changes as well.
Remember that if you are going to change a horse’s ration, you need to do so slowly, over the course of a week or more. And your veterinarian, or a trusted feed professional with an academic degree in the field, is your best source of information.
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