askHELTIE HELTIEhorse® Horse feeding: Is it really that complicated these days?

Horse feeding: Is it really that complicated these days?

Inorganic or organic minerals. Sugar-free, GMO-free, soy-based or not. Basic pellets, sport feed, muesli, mash, supplements, natural, organic, back to nature, for sensitive stomachs or itchy horses. Just reading the labels on feed bags can feel overwhelming. And if you try to dive deeper into nutrition, you quickly get the impression that you’re doing it wrong – according to forums, social media, and feed brand marketing. That’s why this article goes back to basics: what horses truly need, with a healthy dose of common sense.

Feeding

1 October '25 • 2 min reading time

Forage: the foundation of the ration

Horses should eat forage for most of the day. Forage is a broad concept, but most owners think of hay. Yet forage includes more: herbs, twigs, straw, bark – basically everything a horse would find in nature. This makes forage the true foundation! The quality of your hay is crucial for your horse’s health. Poor quality affects the stomach, gut flora, immune system, digestion, energy, and performance. The nutrition of your horse stands or falls with forage quality.

Silage, haylage, or hay

This is actually simple, though often confusing. Hay is the only type truly suitable for horses – the unpackaged bales with strings or nets. This is designed for horses and, if good quality and mold-free, does not disturb their health. Silage is meant for cattle and is unhealthy for horses. The moist, sour-smelling feed disrupts their system. Haylage falls between silage and hay but is still wrapped in plastic. Wrapping always triggers fermentation, creating acids that lead to acidosis and health problems such as watery manure. The best option: always feed your horse unpackaged hay.

Balancer or concentrates?

Balancer

A balancer is a small amount of pellets containing the recommended vitamins and minerals. It provides no extra energy, only the nutrients needed for essential body functions. Balancers are perfect for horses that get enough energy from forage or that have a light workload. They are the basic addition to forage.

Concentrates

Concentrates come in many types, which makes choosing difficult. They are needed when forage alone does not cover the horse’s nutritional or energy needs, depending on workload and daily use. Hard-working horses need more or richer concentrates, lightly worked horses less or just a balancer. It sounds simple, but in practice raises many questions.

Concentrates: read the back, not the front!

Feed companies want to sell – with pretty bags and marketing claims. What matters is the ingredients and analysis on the back. Many feeds, especially basic and sport pellets, are over 40% sugar/starch. The horse’s gut treats sugar and starch as the same. Horses sensitive to sugar often develop skin or gut issues. Performance horses, lactating mares, or hard keepers may need more protein and energy, and can tolerate more sugar/starch. Still, grain by-products are often fillers with little nutritional value.

So, is feeding really that difficult?

Yes and no. If forage is right, feeding isn’t complicated: ensure sufficient vitamins and minerals and add concentrates if needed. It becomes difficult when health issues or special requirements arise – the market is overwhelming.

  • Read the ingredients list and check if it suits your horse.
  • Look at the analysis: can your horse handle the sugar/starch content?
  • If in doubt, consult a nutrition specialist.

Also interesting:

Weight

Feeding

Wild horses in nature follow a yearly cycle of gaining and losing weight. In spring and summer, they eat more than they need and build up reserves. In winter, high-energy food is less available, and they must rely on more fibrous, low-sugar plants. They burn more energy to stay warm and naturally lose some weight.

Feeding tips for winter: Keep your horse at a healthy weight

Wild horses in nature follow a yearly cycle of gaining and losing weight. In spring and summer, they eat more than they need and build up reserves. In winter, high-energy food is less available, and they must rely on more fibrous, low-sugar plants. They burn more energy to stay warm and naturally lose some weight.. Our domesticated horses are far less influenced by these natural rhythms. While some ponies and draft breeds are still closer to the “wild” situation, warmblood sport horses rarely show the same seasonal weight fluctuation – even if kept outside year-round with unlimited grass and hay. Maintaining weight Owners generally prefer their horses to stay at a steady, healthy weight – not too fat in summer, not too thin in winter. This means adjusting care and feeding with the seasons. Avoiding overwei...

Feeding

Every horse needs protein in its diet, alongside carbohydrates and fats. Proteins are made up of amino acids, some of which horses can produce themselves. However, it’s especially important to ensure that the essential amino acids—which horses cannot produce—are present in the diet.

The Importance of Protein in Horse Nutrition

Every horse needs protein in its diet, alongside carbohydrates and fats. Proteins are made up of amino acids, some of which horses can produce themselves. However, it’s especially important to ensure that the essential amino acids—which horses cannot produce—are present in the diet.. Proteins are the building blocks of all tissues in the horse’s body and are involved in nearly all vital bodily processes. A protein consists of different amino acids. After being broken down by gut flora, these amino acids can be absorbed through the intestines into the bloodstream. From there, they are transported to the parts of the horse’s body where they are needed—for example, for muscle development or cell repair. Essential Amino Acids The proteins in a horse’s body are made up of twenty...

Feeding

These days, many people feed their horses grain-free. But do you really need to avoid all grains? We’ll explain the differences and tell you which grains can sometimes be fed. Because not all grains are always bad.

Are all grains unhealthy for horses?

These days, many people feed their horses grain-free. But do you really need to avoid all grains? We’ll explain the differences and tell you which grains can sometimes be fed. Because not all grains are always bad.. Most grains contain a lot of starch. A horse’s digestive system can only process limited amounts of starch at a time. Other mammals, such as humans or pigs, can get part of their energy from grains. The enzyme amylase in their saliva helps digest the starch, and absorption mainly takes place in the small intestine. The starch granules from grains are broken down into glucose (an energy source) in the small intestine and absorbed through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream. Horses digest the...

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