Feeding horses with or prone to laminitis requires you to reconsider their whole diet, whether they’re retired or at the peak of their competitive career.

Laminitis is a common, painful condition which manifests itself in one or more of the horse’s hooves. It is a multifactorial condition, which means it can be caused by a number of factors, but it frequently arises as the result of a metabolic upset.

While laminitis is often seen in native ponies during periods of peek grass growth, overweight horses of any type can be at risk – and suffer from the condition – at any time of year. Horses with underlying issues, such as Cushing’s disease or Equine Metabolic Syndrome, are also at greater risk.

“The modern equine lifestyle of cosy stables, rugs and over-full haynets is often where the problem of laminitis stems from,” says Kate Hore, head nutritionist at NAF.

“The largest part of any diet should be forage and grazing. When that is rich spring grass, it can be a real risk for the laminitis-prone.

“We should be feeding as naturally as possible, which means feeding a high-fibre, high-forage diet with little to no starchy cereals, such as may be found in concentrates.”

So, how to approach feeding horses with laminitis, or those at risk? Read on for advice from nutrition experts. It’s important to note, however, that laminitis is a veterinary emergency – if you suspect your horse has it, please call your vet before doing anything else.

Feeding horses with laminitis – in the bucket

If a horse has been diagnosed with laminitis, then take individual advice from your vet, but generally speaking, they should be fed little and often in line with good equine feeding practice.

Fibre should form the bulk of their diet alongside essential vitamins and minerals, while sugar and starch levels should be kept low. Because hay, haylage and grass are naturally deficient in some nutrients, forage alone is not sufficient to deliver a fully balanced diet, so a top-up of essential vitamins, minerals and trace elements is required.

Pelleted forage balancers are an ideal bucket feed for laminitis-prone horses. Balancers work to ensure horses receive their recommended daily intakes (RDA) across the full spectrum of their diet. Some of these feeds are formulated specifically for horses prone to laminitis.

While they provide key vitamins, minerals and quality protein to suit the horse’s lifestyle and workload, they also keep calorie, starch and sugar intakes low. However, they must be fed according to the manufacturer’s recommendations to be effective.

“Ensure you maintain a good vitamin, mineral and quality protein intake. This supports muscle, hoof health, coat condition and internal nutrient reserves and healthy fibre levels to support gut function,” says Emma Short, equine nutritionist at Baileys Horse Feeds.

“For horses that need additional calories for weight gain, high-calorie fibre sources can be added along with the balancer. These might include unmolassed alfalfa chaffs with added oil, or soaked beet products. High oil supplements are also available,” she adds.

If a balancer is not the right option for your horse, you can also feed a supplement specifically for horses on restricted grazing, which will ensure they get the nutrients they need.

Feeding forage to a laminitic

Forage should make up the bulk of any horse’s diet, because it’s essential for healthy gut function. What’s more, it’s a horse’s chief source of energy (calories).

With this in mind, it’s important to consider how much hay to feed a horse. Most nutritionists say horses should ideally eat forage on an ad-lib basis.

However, this method delivers too many calories to some horses. Therefore, most nutritionists agree horses should eat between 2–2.5% of their bodyweight in dry matter forage (i.e. weight of hay less its moisture content) to maintain condition, or 1.5–1.8% for weight loss.

Another approach to feeding hay is to ensure your horse never has to fast for more than four hours. Consequently, you may need to look at ways to increase his chew time by making his ration last longer. You can do this using forage blocks, small-holed haynets and slow feeders.

Soaking hay will help to reduce the sugar content and calorie intake, while clean mature (stalky) hay is preferable to fresh green hay.

Feeding good quality oat or barley straw as part of a horse’s forage consumption is also an option. Because it’s low in calories yet high in fibre, it helps extend chew time without oversupplying energy.

Always ensure the straw is a nice yellow colour and free from mould. As with hay, there should be no airborne spore clouds emerging when you pull it apart.

Is hay or haylage better for laminitics?

The right type of forage for feeding horses with laminitis is low in WSCs (water-soluble carbohydrates, which include sugar and fructans), starch and calories.

Forages vary widely, and these factors could be true of either hay or haylage. It’s also true that some hay types deliver more calories than haylage.

Therefore, it’s best to consider what to put in a laminitic horse’s haynet in terms of its content. You can ask the manufacturer for advice, or send samples of your forage off for analysis. Bear in mind, you would need to do this regularly and comprehensively, which is an additional cost.

If you feed hay, a late-cut crop is the most suitable. Late-cut hay is typically a stalkier, more mature plant that is less nutritious than early-cut hay, which is soft and leafy.

However, you can further reduce your hay’s WSC and calorie content by soaking it. The degree of nutrient reduction required determines how long to soak hay.

Soaking hay also reduces its fibre and dry matter content. This means you can safely feed a greater quantity to a laminitic horse, so they can chew for longer.

Grazing horses prone to laminitis

Feeding horses with laminitis can mean avoiding grass entirely, depending on their health or weight status. Always adhere to veterinary advice when considering turnout for a laminitis-prone horse. Vets recommend active laminitis cases be kept indoors in a deep, soft bed to minimise the risk, or degree, of pedal bone rotation.

Generally speaking, the grass is at its most dangerous for laminitis-prone (i.e. producing the most sugar) when it is…

• experiencing flush, fresh growth
• under stress from over-grazing
• covered with frost on a bright morning where temperatures are below 4ºC (as sugar is produced but cannot be used for growth)

“For an overweight pony in light work, ideally we want to limit access to fresh grazing,” explains Kate. “If he needs additional fibre, ensure it is a low WSC hay or haylage, and consider soaking to reduce sugars.”

Many laminitics are notoriously good-doers, and love their food. Research shows that ponies on restricted turnout can adapt both bite rate and the amount taken in each bite, so that they can essentially eat as much in three hours as they would naturally do in 12 hours.

“Think of ways that you can maximise the time turned out, but still control access to grazing. It’s best to avoid a small cornered off area as that encourages them to stand and eat; natural movement is what we want. Track systems can be really useful, if practical, alternatively look at using a grazing muzzle or strip grazing to limit intake whilst encouraging mobility,” continues Kate.

But what about the horse in a higher level of work? The basic feeding principle with a laminitis-prone animal is really the same as with any horse, and that is “feed to work done”.

“For a fit but insulin-resistant eventer, we might be looking at alfalfa chaffs and controlled grazing, with additional oil, to provide all the energy they need,” explains Kate. “Supplement these with concentrated vitamins and trace elements to balance the diet.”

Prevention is better than a cure

If your horse is prone to laminitis, it’s important to regularly body condition score them to monitor their weight.

Ask for advice from your vet or nutritionist if you’re unsure how to do it. Plus, keep a record so you can track the results. Taking photos can also be useful.

“One of the key messages is working towards stopping laminitis happening rather than dealing with it,” Lizzie Drury, senior nutritionist at Saracen Horse Feeds.

“Be on high alert with your horse, particularly if he’s prone to laminitis, and don’t allow him to become overweight. Be constantly aware of what and how much you’re feeding him and his exercise level. Ask whether he needs to be rugged. Be aware 365 days a year,” she concludes.

Feeding competition horses prone to laminitis

The effect of the diet on laminitic horses is complex, and requires expert tailored advice from a nutritionist. Spillers nutritional content manager Vanessa Allen emphasises “prioritising health over performance”.

“We would recommend feeds based on body condition first and ridden energy levels second,” she explains. “For good-doers, balancers would be the first choice. Ensure all essential nutrients are provided, then choose a balancer specifically aimed at harder-working horses. Protein quality is just as important as quantity – for example, deficiency in lysine can limit protein synthesis, affecting muscle health and overall performance.”

Even if you feel your competition horse needs more oomph, if he’s prone to laminitis, most traditional competition course mixes are off the menu.

“This can make balancing energy levels difficult,” says Vanessa. “Some low-starch, high-energy performance feeds could be sensible options, ideally providing energy from oil and fibre rather than cereal.”

Meal sizes are another factor when considering starch and sugar intake, don’t just look at percentages.

“A balancer with a combined starch and sugar content of 15% provides just 75g of starch and sugar when fed at 500g per day; a feed with just 5% provides 150g when fed at 3kg per day,” Vanessa points out.

“As a guide, restrict non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) or ‘starch or sugar’ to less than 0.5g per kilogram of body weight per meal – less than 250g for a 500kg horse – for those who are not severely insulin-dysregulated. For the latter, seek advice from a nutritionist or vet; testing the horse’s insulin response to their normal feed and/or forage may be helpful.”

For laminitics in particular, Vanessa warns: “It’s important to tackle the whole diet, with potentially stricter forage and grass management – don’t just concentrate on the bucket feed. Consider all strategies to reduce sugar intake: soaking hay and reducing access to grazing.”

Vanessa would also recommend having your forage analysed for water soluble carbohydrate (via the “wet chemistry” method) to discover if it is suitable for your horse to eat.

• For unlimited access to advice on how best to care for your horse, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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Horse feed manufacturer Blue Chip has launched the UK’s first dedicated feed balancer for hormonal mares as part of its established range of super-concentrated balancers. While there are many supplements targeted specifically at “moody mares”, this is the first feed balancer of its kind.

The Happy Mare balancer is formulated specifically to support the nutritional needs of mares, helping them maintain a normal oestrus cycle as undesirable behaviour is often attributed to hormonal fluctuations that affect the mare’s physical comfort and way of going.

The balancer combines targeted botanical ingredients, including chaste tree berry, raspberry leaf and dandelion, with complete daily nutrition to support hormonal balance, digestive health, and overall wellbeing. The ingredients have been chosen to help mares maintain an even temperament and steady energy levels, while supporting muscle tone and topline for good-doers.

The new balancer provides mare owners a practical and easy feeding solution that offers an alternative to adding a supplement to their existing daily feed ration. As a small daily serving, the balancer can also be fed by hand, which makes it ideal for fussy eaters.

Blue Chip describes the formulation as being underpinned by a strong focus on digestive health, recognising its critical role in hormone function, adding that when the gut is out of balance, hormones can be, too. By combining targeted ingredients with the right balance of essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and advanced digestive support, Happy Mare balancer is formulated to help mares feel more consistent, settled and comfortable.

This balancer is not recommended for pregnant mares or broodmares because of its chaste tree berry content.

Blue Chip Happy Mare balancer

The Blue Chip Happy Mare balancer is available in a 3kg recyclable pouch with an RRP of £31.75. This bag will last a 500kg horse one month.

• For unlimited access to the latest product news, buying guides and reviews, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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Little and often, fibre-focused and balance in the bucket – feeding equines appropriately takes know-how

In the wild, horses self-administer fibre-rich grass and browse hedges for up to 18 hours per day. But when it comes to domestic equines, who live very different lives from their wild and feral cousins, you might be wondering how much to feed a horse.

Spend five minutes in the horse world, and you’ll find a plethora of opinions on the subject – professional and otherwise. It’s true that how much to feed a horse hinges in part on the individual: breed and type, level of work, bodyweight, age and underlying conditions. To address such nuances, consult with a professional veterinary expert or equine nutritionist.

That said, there are golden rules of feeding horses that apply more or less across the board. These help meet nutritional needs and ensure healthy gut function in every horse.

In this guide, I’ll cover not only how much to put in your horse’s bucket, but also his forage ration. Plus, we’ll explore the composition of his diet, and what you can feed as a treat.

Jump to:

• Your horse’s forage ration
• How much forage to feed a horse
• What goes in a horse’s bucket?
• How much to feed a horse in their bucket
• What can horses eat

Your horse’s forage ration

Forage is the term given to fibre-rich, stalky fodder such as grass, hay, haylage and chopped fibres such as chaff. There are many types of forage, including hay replacers, all with different nutrient, calorie (energy) and moisture levels. Whichever forage type – or types – match your horse, the important thing to know is that forage forms the vast majority of a healthy horse’s diet.

Why is forage so important?

Simply put, forage is fibre, and fibre is essential to equine gut health. Horses are trickle feeders, which means they are biologically designed to eat for the majority of their waking hours – and horses don’t sleep much. Grazing on forage is how they achieve this.

Chewing on forage encourages saliva production, which helps buffer a horse’s highly acidic stomach. It aids digestion and guards against gastric ulcers.

Importantly, your horse’s forage intake supplies most of his daily calories, so it’s a true cornerstone of his diet.

How much forage to feed a horse

Typically, the textbook advice is that horses should eat 2-2.5% of their bodyweight in forage per day on a dry matter basis, or no less than 1.5-1.8% to encourage weight loss. A dry matter basis means the weight of the forage minus its moisture content.

This means that if your hay has a 12% moisture content and you need to feed 10kg of dry matter forage to your 500kg horse, you would need to feed 11.36kg of hay.

You calculate this by dividing the weight of dry matter forage to be fed (10kg, or 2% of 500kg) by the dry matter percentage of your forage (in this case, 0.88).

The ad-lib rule

That said, there’s another rule for how much hay to feed a horse. The best way to feed forage is on an ad-lib basis. This means giving your horse as much as he can eat throughout the day and night.

Constant chewing and movement of the gut is optimal for horses, and a plentiful stream of forage is the best way to achieve this.

The ad-lib method is not suitable for overweight or obese horses, because it delivers too many calories and too much sugar. In these instances, owners must be clever about how they feed hay to extend their horses’ eating time.

For instance, they might soak hay to reduce its calorie content, meaning they can feed a greater quantity safely. Or, they might use one of the best small-holed haynets to slow their horse down.

A horse’s bucket feed – what goes in?

Although a vital source of calories and nutrients, grass, hay and haylage are naturally deficient in essential micronutrients, including vitamins and minerals.

This means a forage-only diet doesn’t deliver the full spectrum of micronutrients horses need each day, and must be “topped up” by a bucket feed.

Additionally, some horses require extra nutrients such as protein, calories (energy) or supplements to support them through work, age or a health concern.

Traditionally, horses were fed straights. This means feed rooms contained a variety of components such as grains, cereals, legumes and fibres and owners would mix them to form the bucket ration. Feeding straights correctly requires years of expertise and advanced equine nutritional knowledge.

These days, most owners feed from bags that are formulated by expert nutritionists and mixed for you by horse feed companies. These offer a correctly balanced diet when fed alongside appropriate forage.

In general terms, bucket rations often contain a selection of the following:

• Dried chopped forage or chaff to add fibre, aid digestive health and comfort, and to help encourage chewing to help avoid choke
• Pelleted or powdered feed balancers that, when fed at the recommended rate (usually around 100g for a 500kg horse) deliver the full spectrum of nutrients horses and a balanced diet alongside forage. They might also be formulated to address particular nutritional needs, such as for a veteran or breeding stock.
• Coarse mixes that look like museli. Like balancers, these are formulated for different purposes and are often workload or performance-specific. They must be fed at the recommended rate to ensure the horse’s recommended daily nutrient intakes are met. Otherwise, they can be “topped up” with a balancer or vitamin and mineral supplement
• Feed cubes (also called nuts) that serve the same purpose as mixes but can help discourage fussy feeding. They must also be fed at the manufacturer’s recommended rate or be “topped up”
• Supplements that balance the diet for horses who don’t need any more calories or protein – there are joint supplements, respiratory supplements, gut balancers and so on
• Mashes or soaked sugarbeet for hydration, conditioning, added fibre and additional calories and/or nutrients. Horses with poor dentition can benefit from these
• Oils to add calories or promote a healthy coat
• Straights for top dressing, such as oats to fuel performance or linseed for condition. These must be added with regard to total diet balance. If not, they can cause harmful imbalances, so it’s best to seek advice of a nutritionist before adding these.

Generally, bucket feed is wetted to encourage thorough chewing (to help avoid choke) and to lay any dust. For most feeds, the water added wouldn’t be enough to make a difference to hydration.

How much to feed a horse in their bucket

Another common saying in the horse feeding world? Feed little and often.

Despite their stature, horses have a relatively small stomach and a complex gut. Because of this, there is clear guidance on how much to feed a horse in their bucket at a time.

According to independent nutritionist Clare MacLeod MSc RNutr, a 500kg horse’s individual bucket feed (before adding chaff) should weigh no more than 1.5kg.

“The reason for this is the relatively small size of a horse’s stomach,” she explains, adding that it has a roughly 8-15 litre capacity.

“Also, horses evolved as a trickle-feeding forage eater, not as a large meal-eater.

“Another reason to keep concentrate meal size small is that it avoids overwhelming the capacity of the small intestine (the next part of the gut). It especially helps avoid large volumes of starch, which in turn helps to keep the hindgut healthy.”

Clare adds that calculating the total weight of bucket feed a horse needs per day depends how much concentrate they need to balance the nutrient shortages in grass, hay and haylage.

Sometimes, a horse must eat several kilos of bucket feed to attain the required nutrient and/or calorie intake. Because of the little and often rule, this volume would need to be spread across two or more feeds a day.

What do horses eat?

As well as their majority fibre diet of grass and hay/haylage and the contents of their bucket (see above), horses can eat a variety of foods as treats.

The best horse treats are high-fibre and low in sugar and starch. These are ideal for digestive health. Many horse feed companies manufacture treats for horses, and these should be fed according to their guidelines.

You can also feed handfuls of chaff as a low-value food reward.

Horses can eat many other fruits and vegetables as an occasional treat, but moderation is key. Safe treats for horses include:

• carrots, cut into batons
• parsnips, cut into batons
• apples, halved or quartered
• bananas, including the skin
• celery, cut into batons
• watermelon chunks
• Turnips, cubed
• Herbs, such as fenugreek and chamomile
• Hedgerow plants, such as hawthorn, hazel, cleaver, rosehips

Highly processed foods, such as bread and biscuits, are not good for horses.

Many owners feed mints, such as Polos, to their horses as a reward but these should only be fed occasionally.

Horses should not eat foods that produce intestinal gases, such as onions, potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage and Brussels sprouts.

• For unlimited access to advice on how best to care for your horse, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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Every owner should learn the rules of feeding horses because a good understanding of equine nutrition is key to ensuring your horse remains healthy and in good condition all year round.

These rules cover the basics when it comes to feeding horses. There’s so much more to learn, but this is an excellent place to start.

Golden rules of feeding horses

These rules can be applied to every horse and will help maintain good health and avoid preventable digestive problems.

1. Provide access to fresh clean water at all times

Water is the most important part of your horse’s diet and is often overlooked. Horses should have access to fresh water at all times, whether stabled or in the field, to prevent dehydration.

An average horse at rest will drink around 25 litres a day and this can increase to more than double this amount if the horse is working hard or a hot environment.

Troughs, buckets and other water containers should also be kept clean.

2. Maintain good hygiene

Store your feed in a secure rodent-proof container within a clean, dry area to prevent damage from pests and moisture. Always use clean buckets, scoops and stirrers, and clean feed bins regularly.

3. Use high quality feeds

Never be tempted to feed dusty, mouldy or old feed. Doing so could cause respiratory problems, allergic responses or digestive upset.

4. Feed little and often

Horses have small stomachs and have evolved to trickle feed rather than eat large meals. If your horse’s bucket feed weighs more than 1.5kg, it must be split into two or more feeds over the course of the day. Splitting rations that weigh less it into multiple feeds is also beneficial.

5. Feed by weight, not volume

A scoop of one feed will not weigh the same as another as they have different densities. To ensure you’re feeding the correct quantities and know that your horse is getting everything he needs, weigh each type of feed you use.

Some bagged feed balancers will come with a cup or cardboard scoop to help you measure.

6. Feed your horse as an individual

When feeding your horse, consider bodyweight, temperament, age and workload. You may need a horse to lose weight or be trying to help a horse gain weight, while some horses need low-sugar and starch options to prevent excitability.

Horses working harder will need more energy and feeding performance horses is a particular art and science. Older horses will have different requirements, too.

When something changes, such as workload due to injury, you’ll need to reassess your horse’s nutritional needs. If you’re unsure what to feed your horse, seek advice from your vet, an independent nutritionist or free nutritional helpline.

7. Make any changes to the diet gradually

Making dietary changes over at least a week will help reduce the risk of digestive upsets, such as colic. This rules applies to making changes to your horse’s bucket feed as well as the type of forage, including grass.

Introduce small amounts of the new foodstuff gradually, while withdrawing the original feed component at the same rate if necessary. This helps your horse’s digestive system adapt to the changes and produce the correct microbes to break down the new food.

8. Avoid exercise for one hour after cereal-based meals

Horses are unable to digest cereal-based meals quickly, so you should not exercise them after giving a hard feed to allow them time to digest it. It is, however, beneficial to feed horses something fibre-based before exercise to reduce the risk of acid splash in the stomach, which could lead to gastric ulcers.

9. Feed your horse at the same time each day

Horses are creatures of habit and thrive on a regular routine. Doing this helps reduce stress and is good for gut motility.

10. Ensure forage is the cornerstone of your horse’s diet

Horses have evolved to live on high fibre diets and good fibre levels will help to stimulate a healthy gut function and reduce the risk of digestive upsets.

Forage should be fed ad lib where possible – here’s more information on how much hay to feed a horse. If your horse struggles with traditional forage options due to poor dentition, check out the best forage replacers.

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Horse feed manufacturer Allen & Page has published full details of its Fast Fibre product recall announced this week, stressing that this was a “precautionary measure”, and there is “no evidence of a harmful substance being present”.

Allen & Page announced on Tuesday (3 February) that two specific batches of Fast Fibre had been recalled; batch number 14/01/26 with a best before date of 04/05/26 and batch number 15/01/26 with a best before date of 05/05/26.

The horse feed manufacturer explained that this was because linseed levels in some bags from these two batches were higher than intended.

“While not every bag within these batches is affected, the decision was taken to recall the entirety of the two identified batches as a precautionary measure,” a spokesperson said.

The batch number is on the right-hand side of the label sewn in to the bottom of each bag of the feed, and no other batches nor Allen & Page products are included in the recall.

“The affected batches are not toxic, are not contaminated, and are not a clean sport or NOPS [naturally occurring prohibited substance] issue,” the spokesperson said. “There is no evidence of a harmful substance being present.”

Fast Fibre recall

Allen & Page has advised anyone who has been feeding horses from an affected bag to stop doing so and dispose of the feed.

“Monitor your equine, as usual, for appetite and water intake, manure and urination, attitude and behaviour etc, if you notice any changes please contact us,” the spokesperson said.

“Increased linseed can affect equines differently. If you would like to discuss your horse’s health, please contact us directly so we can support you.”

The spokesperson added that feed stockists have been told of the affected batches so will be able to confirm whether bags they supplied were affected. Some of the feed concerned may appear darker, and feel stickier or more “gloopy” than is normal.

“If you purchased Fast Fibre after 16 January and notice unusual colour or a stickier mash once soaked, please do not feed it and contact us directly,” the spokesperson said. “If you purchased Fast Fibre before 16 January, your feed is unaffected and safe to feed.

“Although the ingredient is linseed, please do not feed Fast Fibre from the affected batches. Dispose of the feed and retain the label or receipt as proof of purchase, if you have it. A full refund is available through your stockist.”

For any more advice, call Allen & Page on 01362 822902.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking equestrian news throughout 2026, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

I don’t have to tell you that keeping horses is an expensive hobby; you already know! From farriery and veterinary needs to physio and feed, the bills are frequent and many-figured – and we all want to save money on these costs. On the subject of feed, 2025’s low hay yield squeezed many owners’ fodder budgets, but is it possible to save money on horse feed? “Yes”, is the short answer, but you should ensure you save with care and without compromising on quality.

Keen to discover more? We asked equine nutrition experts and industry specialists for their top tips on how to save money on horse feed. Find out how it’s possible below.

How to spend less on horse feed

As Jade Bensted, customer experience and advocacy manager at NAF, says, smart feeding is about meeting needs, not filling buckets.

“When every ingredient has a purpose, every scoop truly counts,” she says.

With this in mind, here are five ways to help you save money on feed…

1. Feed by weight, not by scoop

Scoops are convenient, but rarely accurate.

“Feeds vary widely in density,” continues Jade. “So, a scoop can weigh far more or less than expected.

“Over time, small overfeeds soon add up in both condition and cost.”

Jade says that weighing feeds not only ensures consistency and avoids wasted nutrition, but it can also highlight when a horse is being fed below recommended levels of a compound feed.

“In these cases, supplements play a valuable role, helping to fill nutritional gaps. As supplements are designed to deliver precise levels of key nutrients, feeding the correct amount ensures your horse gets the intended benefits and keeps the ration balanced.”

She adds that feed should be kept in sealed containers and out of direct sunlight so your horse can keep feeling the full nutritional benefits.

2. Feed your forage effectively

According to Vanessa Allen, nutritional content manager at Spillers, around 30% of forage can end up on the muck heap.

“If your horse is one to trash his bedding, haynets and slow feeders can help stop your forage mixing in,” she says.

She also recommends weighing out forage before feeding – you can do this easily with a luggage weigher (like this one on Amazon).

“It may seem like an extra chore, but it could really help you reduce waste and be more consistent with how much your horse really needs. This is especially true of good-doers.”

3. Keep the feed size manageable

Remember to keep the weight of your horse’s meals under the equivalent of 0.5kg per 100kg of bodyweight, which would equate to 2.5kg for a 500kg horse. You’ll need to weigh your horse first.

“Overfeeding results in your horse not being able to digest everything that is in the bucket, leading to an expensive muck heap, or worse, digestive upset,” says Baileys senior nutritionist, Emma Short.

Additionally, consider the amount of chaff or chop that is added to your horse’s compound feed. “A small amount is ideal for encouraging efficient chewing, but if your horse is a good fibre eater and gets ad lib forage, they may not need the extra fibre provided by additional chaff,” continues Emma.

“Conversely, poor fibre eaters may benefit from additional alternative fibre sources such as a chaff or a partial or full hay replacer fed alongside their forage as ‘haynets in buckets’. This encourages natural foraging behaviour and an overall increase in fibre intake.

“A healthy fibre intake not only supplies calories but also ensures healthy gut function and improved digestive efficiency so that the horse can make the most of the rest of the diet.”

4. Streamline your feed bucket

Vanessa says that now is an ideal time to re-evaluate your horse’s bucket ration and seek advice.

“We often come across owners who add a bit of this and a splash of that to their horse’s bucket,” she comments. “All these added extras can add up to a very expensive meal.

“Nutrition specialists like ours can help you simplify your horse’s ration to ensure you make savings while still achieving a balanced diet. You might achieve this with all-in-one feed balancers, for example, or by feeding a chaff that includes vitamins and minerals alongside a smaller hard feed ration.

“You’ll still meet your horse’s needs, just in a more budget-friendly way.”

5. Don’t compromise on excellence in nutrition

Dr Marga Mas-Fiol MRCVS, D&H’s head of veterinary equine health and performance, advises that working out your feed bag’s cost per day will help you track your bill accurately.

She says it can be tempting to consider feeding cheaper alternatives in order to spend less on horse feed.

“However, it is important to remember that these feeds may not fulfil your horse’s nutritional requirements,” she continues. “This can result in you needing to feed more, or needing to spend more on additional supplements to compensate.

She adds that understanding your horse’s nutritional needs against the ingredients in the feed will help you to make more informed choices.

“Most feed brands have free nutritional helplines with experts at the end of the phone to help you come to the right decision for your horse.

“In addition to ensuring that your horse is being fed on quality ingredients, it is also worth looking deeper than just the price of your bag. Feed tends to come in sizes anywhere between 15–25kg with the smaller sizes appearing to offer better value for money.

“However, this isn’t always the case. With the higher-cost feeds, you often feed less and deliver the same, if not better, nutritional benefits.”

• For unlimited access to advice on how best to care for your horse, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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Best feed balancers for all horses: what’s on the market?

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Feed balancers for horses have risen in popularity over the years – and for good reason. The best feed balancers are more than a vitamin and mineral supplement, and when fed at the correct amount a balancer will provide your horse with all the nutrients he needs.

The best feed balancers allow you to get all the essential nutrients into your horse, in a low-volume and low-energy way, which is particularly helpful if you’re watching your horse’s waistline or you’re actively trying to help your horse lose weight.

Of course, nutritional requirements change with age and workload, so like other feed products not all feed balancers are created with the same goal in mind. Balancers can usually be divided into one of the following groups…

• light balancers – formulated to provide all the nutrients they are likely to be missing from the restricted diets of good-doers and horses in light work
• performance balancers – designed to support competition horses and those working hard
• senior balancers – formulated to support digestion, comfort and movement in older horses
• stud balancers – aimed at stallions, pregnant or lactating mares and youngstock with higher protein requirements

We’ve rounded up a selection of some of the best feed balancers for horses to help you find the right feed for your horse…

• light balancers
• performance balancers
• senior balancers
• stud balancers

NB: Cost per day has been calculated using the maintenance measure for a 500kg horse in light work (where there was variation) and the RRP of the smallest available bag/tub. Some products require you to feed more in certain situations, which will increase the cost per daily measure, while buying a larger bag/tub will likely decrease it – these costs per day are a guide only.

Light balancers: what’s on the market?

Performance balancers: what’s on the market?

Aimed at good-doers in work, this low-calorie balancer provides all the nutrients you’d find in a competition mix or cube, but without the associated calories, making it ideal for horses who are stressy or excitable but require nutrients for health and performance.

Low levels of starch and sugar also make it suitable for horses prone to gastric ulcers. It can be fed as the sole concentrate, alongside any type of forage, or added to reduced quantities of other hard feeds, to ensure a fully balanced diet.

This balancer contains turmeric, black pepper, oils and glucosamine to promote healthy joint function and movement. It contains carefully formulated levels of essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients alongside complete hoof, respiratory and digestive supplements. Can be fed dry, damp or soaked.

This balancer is a low-calorie source of vitamins and minerals with additional digestive, hoof, recovery, immune, and protein support. It is ideal for topping-up natural vitamin levels in forage and is described as suitable for all horses.

This concentrated formula is described as suitable for all – from the family pony to performance horse. It contains key ingredients to optimise gut function, combined with optimum nutritional supplement specification that balances a high-fibre, low-concentrate, or performance diet.

This highly nutritious, low-intake balancer comes in the form of a mix. This allows it to provide a higher level of fibre and oil, which support stamina, and the inclusion of micronised maize helps to provide a higher energy level when compared to traditional pellet balancers.

This balancer provides digestive and immunity support in addition to everyday vitamins and minerals. It is rich in amino acids to support muscle development and topline, high in antioxidants and contains pre- and probiotics.

Designed for good-doers in medium to hard work that do not need extra topline or muscle development, this balancer provides everything your horse needs in a small amount of non-heating low-calorie feed.

It contains a multi-supplement that is described as including the levels of micronutrients normally only found in high quality specialised supplements.

Senior balancers: what’s on the market?

Formulated for horses over the age of 14, this balancer contains the correct levels of vitamins, minerals and nutrients in the diet, along with additional supplements to ease the ageing process. It includes digestive, hoof, coat, skin, respiratory and joint supplements. Can be fed dry, damp or soaked.

Providing comprehensive nutritional care for older horses, this balancer comes in the form of a cereal-free mash, which allows it to be ingested easily, even when dentition is poor.

It is low in sugar and starch and contains omega-3 to support joint mobility and muscle suppleness.

This balancer supports digestion, comfort and movement in older horses. It is high in antioxidants to support immune health and has probiotics and prebiotics to support digestive health. It also contains high levels of glucosamine, MSM and omega-3 to support joint health.

Designed for elderly horses that are prone to weight gain, this balancer combines the benefits of a low-calorie feed balancer and a joint supplement

in a cost-effective way.

It’s formulated without cereal grains and provides only low levels of sugar and starch, which helps to maintain healthy hindgut function and avoid loose droppings.

Stud balancers: what’s on the market?

NB: We have not calculated a cost per day for the stud balancers below as feeding rates vary greatly with stage of pregnancy for mares as well as age for youngstock.

This balancer provides optimum nutrition for all breeding stock. It can be introduced from 3 months of age and, being low calorie, it is ideal for good-doers, supporting even growth rates without encouraging weight gain.

Its quality protein and elevated levels of vitamins and minerals, including chelated minerals for improved bioavailability, support foetal development as well as helping ensure the mare is receiving the nutrients she needs to produce good quality milk.

Formulated for performance horses and growing young stock, this balancer supports consistent, steady growth rates for youngstock.

It contains elevated levels of vitamins and minerals, and includes nucleotides for quality cell replication, pre- and probiotics, plus essential omega-3 and -6 oils.

This nutrient-rich balancer, specifically formulated for broodmares, stallions, and youngstock, contains a long-lasting gastric acid buffer and prebiotics to support gastric and hindgut function.

It has been formulated to help promote bone strength and correct limb development by providing quality protein, vitamins A, D and K, plus essential micronutrients such as elements calcium and phosphorus.

This balancer is a concentrated source of vitamins and minerals, packed with additional support supplements for stallions, mares, foals and youngstock. It is low in starch and includes key amino acids, hoof support and vitamin E, which helps support fertility and milk quality.

It also contains MOS and FOS prebiotics and ActiSaf yeast – a probiotic which supports a healthy hindgut environment of fibre fermentation and nutrient uptake.

This scientifically formulated, pre-digested feed balancer supports and balances a pasture-based diet for equine stud animals. The highly palatable nuggets, which are large enough to be eaten off the floor, contain amino acids that support quality lean muscle and skeletal growth and development.

DHA, a long-chain omega-3 fatty acid, is included to support semen motility, mare postpartum recovery, foal feeding behaviours and development.

This balancer, designed to support breeding and youngstock, is whole cereal free, low in starch and sugar, which makes it suitable for fast-growing foals and horses with more excitable temperaments. It can be fed alongside a forage only diet or alongside the existing ration to support nutrient intake.

All types of breeding stock will benefit from the elevated inclusion of antioxidants, including vitamin E, which supports immune function, colostrum quality and can help to support optimal muscle function.

Designed for youngsters who hold their condition well and to complement a forage-based diet, this balancer is a low-calorie nutrient-rich growth formula for safe and even development. It’s suitable for foals, youngstock and pregnant or lactating mares.

TopSpec Stud Lite Feed Balancer provides most of the benefits of TopSpec Stud Feed Balancer, including a multi-supplement combined with a feed, but on a low-calorie, low-protein base, making it ideal for youngstock and broodmares that are good-doers.

What is the best balancer for horses?

The best balancer for your horse depends on why you’re feeding it and your horse’s individual needs – different balancers serve different purposes.

Balancers often provide a wide range of nutrients, if your horse has a particular issue or demand on his lifestyle, a specific supplement – such as one of the best joint supplements for horses – may provide him a greater benefit. It’s also important to note that, in most cases, you need to feed an electrolyte in addition to the balancer if your horse requires one.

When choosing a balancer, check whether it suits your horse’s workload and dietary needs. Always introduce feeds gradually and follow recommended feeding rates. Most feed companies offer free nutritional advice, so if you’re unsure which is the best feed balancer or other product is right for your horse give them a call to discuss. You can also read through some advice they gave H&H on how to choose a feed balancer for your horse.

Can you feed a balancer on its own?

Balancers often come in a pellet form, making them suitable to be fed on their own – and this is one way balancers differ from supplements. Adding chaff to the bucket feed, however, is a great way of extending your horse’s eating time.

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How to choose the right feed balancer for your horse

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Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Equine vet Edward Busuttil MRCVS helps explain how to feed the resting horse to aid recovery and maintain welfare

Understanding how to feed a horse on box rest is a challenge for horse owners that requires the horse’s nutritional requirements to be balanced with their welfare needs. An effective feeding strategy must reduced the horse’s calories while continuing to support their digestive, immune and psychological health. Accurate weight estimation, careful energy management and thoughtful forage preparation are key to avoiding complications.

As box rest for horses is normally linked to an injury or illness, feeding for recovery involves more than simply reducing the food ration – it means using nutrition as a tool to preserve wellbeing, reduce stress and promote healing. Careful planning and regular monitoring can help horses on box rest to recover safely and comfortably and return to health with fewer setbacks.

How to feed a horse on box rest

Stabled horses are denied natural behaviours such as grazing, walking and socialising. This can lead to stereotypies like crib-biting, weaving or box walking, alongside signs of anxiety and boredom. Physically, reduced movement can result in weight gain, muscle loss, a slowing of the digestive tract and gastric ulcers.

Nutrition plays a critical role in mitigating these effects – an appropriate feeding plan must address both reduced energy demands and support mental and digestive health.

Accurate body weight estimation is essential for planning a suitable diet. It guides forage allocation, nutrient intake and tracking of weight changes. The gold standard is a weighbridge, but most owners use weigh tapes (like this one) or body measurements. Consider clipping a couple of patches to ensure that your weigh tape consistently passes through the same areas, to avoid artificially “changing” your horse’s weight.

An often used formula is: Weight (kg) = (heart girth² × body length) / 11,880

Although not exact, it provides a useful estimate for monitoring trends over time. Fluctuations in weight, particularly when a horse is on box rest for an extensive period of time, should not be too concerning as muscle mass decreases and posture changes also result in slight changes with your measurements.

Assessing their body condition score could be equally beneficial – ideally, you should be able to feel your horse’s ribs when running your hands along their side, but not be able to see them.

Keep a weekly diary so you’re able to make regular, small tweaks, decreasing the risks of stress and colic associated with sudden alterations to the diet.

With reduced physical activity, energy requirements drop. According to NRC (National Research Council) guidelines, horses need 12.5–15.2MJ of digestible energy (DE) per 100kg body weight daily. Therefore, a 500kg horse typically needs 62.5–76MJ/day under maintenance conditions, but those on box rest often require less. Good-doers may need further reductions to avoid weight gain.

Feeding even slightly more than needed can cause unwanted weight increases, especially with calorie-dense forage types or unnecessary concentrates.

How to support normal gut function on box rest

Fibre plays an essential role when feeding a horse on box rest. It maintains healthy gut function, limits digestive issues like impaction colic and ulcers and, as a long-lasting food source, supports mental wellbeing. A horse’s digestive system slows with reduced movement, so continuous fibre intake – as forage, like hay or haylage – is crucial to keep the gut moving.

Fibre also helps satisfy the horse’s natural urge to chew, reducing boredom and stress while confined. Providing adequate, good-quality fibre is key to keeping a box-rested horse healthy physically and mentally. Forage analysis is available to check quality, and this may be particularly useful in cases of long-term box rest when a consistent hay source will be provided. Poor-quality hay can contain dust and mould, which may trigger or worsen equine asthma.

Soaking hay reduces dust and water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC), helping manage laminitis or weight gain risk, but also leaches minerals like calcium, and palatability and hygienic quality are reduced if hay is soaked for too long. Long soaking (six to eight hours) can encourage microbial growth, especially in warm weather. Soaking and repeatedly lifting and submerging hay for 20 minutes can effectively reduce WSC.

Steaming hay at over 90°C using a commercial hay steamer effectively kills mould spores, bacteria and dust mites, improving respiratory safety. Steaming preserves more nutrients than soaking but does alter protein structure, reducing digestibility. Total crude protein remains stable, but digestible protein may drop by more than 40%, which may require dietary adjustments.

A constant supply of clean fresh water should always be available, alongside a high-forage diet. When temperatures drop, adding some hot water to water buckets may increase the amount the horse drinks. Providing water in buckets for horses on box res, rather than using automatic drinkers, will allow their intake can be monitored.

Avoiding gastric ulcers during box rest

Box rest greatly raises the risk of equine gastric ulcer syndrome, driven by stress and amplified by improper feeding practices. Horses are continuous grazers with stomachs that secrete acid constantly. Without regular forage, stomach acid can damage the unprotected, non-glandular part of the stomach.

To mitigate this, horses should have constant access to low-calorie forage to promote chewing and saliva production, which helps buffer stomach acid. Concentrates, especially high-starch feeds, should be avoided when feeding a horse on box rest.

Alfalfa, with its high calcium content, can help buffer stomach acid. Different companies provide alfalfa chaffs of various flavours to provide food-based enrichment. Alternatively, straw-based chaffs are also available, rich in fibre and low in energy. Unmolassed sugar beet provides digestible fibre and natural pectin and lecithin, which soothe the stomach lining and support gut health in ulcer-prone horses.

Read more about feeding horses to avoid gastric ulcers.

How to feed a good-doer on box rest

With horses that tend to maintain or gain weight easily, the lack of exercise associated with box rest can lead to significant increase in their body condition. It is important to reduce their calorie intact while continuing to provide the essential nutrition to maintain health. This is a necessity with cases where horses are confined owing to laminitis or where horses have an diagnosed with metabolic issues, such as PPID and EMS.

In addition to feeding soaked hay, having hay tested will help owners chose a forage that is low in WSC and therefore less likely to result in weight gain. Feeding forage using small-holed haynets and slow feeders to make the hay ration last as long as possible is also recommended.

Feed balancers can be really useful when feeding a good-doer. Including a feed balancer when feeding a horse on box rest – or vitamin and mineral supplement – alongside a straw-based chaff will ensure the horse receives all the micro nutrients needed during their period of recovery without any extra calories.

How to maintain body condition during box rest

If your horse is a more highly strung type, who struggles with confinement and is likely to worry their weight off during a period of box rest, forage should still be the primary feed source. Good quality hay fed ad-lib, ideally in multiple feed stations located at different heights around the stable, will encourage the horse’s natural foraging instinct and serve to provide enrichment.

If additional calories are required to maintain condition, a fibre- and oil-based concentrate feed will provide extra calories without the risk of disrupting the horse’s gut by feeding starch. High fibre and oil conditioning feeds are also less likely to encourage undesired excitable behaviour when the horse needs to rest. Adding a digestive feed supplement will also help the horse to get the most out of the nutrition provided.

How to promote healing on box rest

Horses recovering from trauma may need more protein in their diet, but most on box rest benefit from moderate-protein hay (under 10%) and diets tailored to actual needs. Alfalfa is a high-protein forage (over 15%) and may increase urination if fed in excess.

Excess protein in a low-exercise diet can lead to increased urea production and higher urinary output. This results in wetter bedding, stronger ammonia odour and possible irritation to the respiratory tract and hooves. If your horse experiences increased urination, wood shavings can provide a far more absorbent bed than straw – but this does not negate the need for frequent mucking out and hoof care.

How to reduce boredom

Box rest restricts natural foraging behaviour, which can increase stress and boredom. Gustatory enrichment – food-based mental stimulation – can reduce frustration and support digestive health.

Offering forage in multiple small nets around the stable, changing hay types or using slow feeders can promote engagement. Low-sugar treats like swede or celery, or hay-based, low-sugar licks, provide sensory stimulation without excess calories. These strategies mimic natural feeding patterns and improve mental wellbeing, keeping horses happier and healthier when stabled.

You can also consider purchasing hay blocks with chamomile (like this one) or making ice blocks with shredded carrot and apple during the warmer months of the year.

There are a range of stable toys and other boredom busters for horses available to help entertain your horse during a period of enforced rest.

How to avoid respiratory problems

Stabled horses are at increased risk of developing respiratory issues, particularly if ventilation is poor or the environment is dusty. Conditions such as recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), commonly known as heaves, can be exacerbated during prolonged periods indoors.

The choice of bedding type and forage is particularly important. Traditional straw can be dusty and should be replaced with low-dust alternatives such as cardboard, paper or high-quality shavings, including lavender-scented brands.

Hay should be soaked or steamed to reduce airborne particles and haylage may be a suitable alternative for some horses. Stable ventilation must be optimised without creating drafts. Open doors, high windows and the use of fans (when safe) can help improve airflow, as well as cleaning away cobwebs and bird nests.

Ammonia build-up from urine is another concern, as it can irritate the airways. Frequent mucking out, and the use of absorbent bedding, can help reduce exposure.

Supplements for a horse on box rest

Targeted feed supplements for horses can support recovery in certain cases:

● digestive supplements with prebiotics and yeast support hindgut health, particularly if antibiotics have been used or if diet changes occur

● ulcer-prone horses may benefit from gastric supplements that contain gastroprotective agents such as lecithin, pectin and buffering compounds, although veterinary treatment may also be required

● omega-3 fatty acids from linseed oil or marine sources support joint and immune function

● vitamin E supplementation is often necessary during periods of box rest, as horses have reduced access to fresh forage. Vitamin E (as d-alpha-tocopherol) is a key antioxidant supporting muscle function, immunity and recovery. Deficiency can lead to stiffness or even neurological signs

● respiratory supplements can also help maintain respiratory health if your horse is at risk of respiratory disease. This can come in the form of omega-3s, MSM (methylsulfonylmethane; which decreases upper airway inflammation) and marshmallow root (which may help to reduce mucus build-up in the lungs)

Knowing how to feed a horse on box rest can be a challenge, but by making the right decisions you can help keep your horse happy and healthy during this period of enforced rest.

If you’re still unsure about feeding a horse on box rest, then we recommend speaking to an independent equine nutritionist. To find a nutrition specialist, visit the British Equestrian Trade Association’s equine nutritionist and feed advisor register.

• For more expert advice on caring for your horse in the best possible way, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Saving money on horse costs is something we’re all thinking about at the moment – and it can be really stressful. Horses are expensive and you don’t need me to tell you that. The cost of keeping a horse is more than ever, and making sure we can provide for our horses’ needs is at the top of every owner’s priority list.

I’ve pulled together a range of money-saving ideas for horse owners – some are small, whereas others are big changes to daily life – however, not all will be applicable or possible for every owner as each horse and situation is different. Instead, I hope they might be food for thought and maybe spark an idea that will help you.

How to save money on horse costs and bills

1. Track your spending

Record what you’re spending. This might feel daunting or overwhelming, but it will help you understand where the majority of your horse’s expenses are. You can then focus on cutting costs in manageable areas.

I find it really helpful to allocate my horse an “allowance” each month. When I get paid, he gets this allowance in a separate account or saving pot, which means that no matter how poorly I budget in other areas of my life, he never goes without. But it also helps me track and manage his costs.

His personal monthly budget covers all his essential costs throughout the year, from livery and hay costs to dentist visits and insurance, so I never have that panicky feeling when vaccinations are due, for example – the money is already there. Some months he’ll have surplus – for example, if there’s no farrier visit – but I know that will roll over and be used when he’s due for something else. It all evens out in the end and I never feel like I’m spending extra because his allowance costs me the same each month.

2. Review your feeding

The majority of horses manage well on a forage-based diet and, if necessary, one broad-spectrum vitamin and mineral supplement, feed balancer or fibre-based complete feed. Your vet or an equine nutritionist can advise whether or not your horse needs additional feed or supplements and how you might be able to save money on feed.

If your horse has extra needs, a nutritional helpline (which is free) will be able to advise you where you might be able to cut costs. A few years ago, I sought this advice and went from using a feed balancer and a joint supplement, to a senior balancer that already contained the joint support – and although the senior balancer is more expensive per bag, it works out less over time.

There are, of course, lots of things to consider when changing your horse’s feed and for another horse the answer might have been to forgo the balancer and feed a chopped fibre with an added supplement. Every horse has their own requirements, and different products will provide varying levels of active ingredients, which is why it’s best to seek nutritional advice specific to your horse.

3. Reduce wastage

If your horse tends to waste its forage, then make sure you are only feeding as much as they are likely to eat, while not leaving them without any forage at all for long periods as this carries a risk of causing gastric ulcers. Also consider whether feeding the forage in a small-holed haynet or slow feeder would save you more money in the long run. Check out more tips for saving money on hay.

4. Save money on livery and daily horse care

Consider whether you really need everything you’re paying for at your livery yard. If you are paying for someone else to provide all or part of your horse’s day-to-day care, you may be able to reduce costs if you were able to do more yourself, even on a temporary basis. However, if this means you visiting the stables more frequently than you do now, make sure you consider the cost and time involved with this extra journey.

If your yard allows, share daily jobs, such as turning out, with your fellow liveries.

Ask about flexible livery packages – for example, would your yard allow your horse to live out full time during the summer at a cheaper rate, then be stabled during the winter? If you think your horse would do well on permanent turnout, it could be worth looking around for a suitable grass livery or renting a field, but consider how you would ensure your horse’s needs were met if you were taken ill.

Also consider whether you need all the facilities offered by your yard (horsewalker, arena, etc), or would a yard with fewer facilities be sufficient? Either way, keep an eye out for added extras. Understandably, most yards charge extra for using the horsewalker, solarium or lights in the arena, for example, to cover the costs of the electricity. As these charges can add up, make sure you keep track of what you’re spending so you don’t get an unpleasant surprise when your livery bill arrives.

5. Shop smart and buy in bulk

Shopping around for hay and bedding, and buying directly from a local farmer rather than through an equestrian retailer, can be a good penny saver. In particular, buying hay directly off the field after it has been baled (you will have to be able to collect it) can result in major savings.

Wormers are another item where you can save by buying in bulk, although it’s vital that you worm count first – which could save you even more money if the test shows your horse doesn’t need de-worming after all.

Research the different types of horse bedding on the market and shop around as it may be cheaper to buy in bulk direct from the supplier if you have room to store it, rather than as and when you need it via your local feed merchant.

And while fitting rubber matting requires a significant initial financial investment, it can pay for itself in reduced bedding costs over time.

6. Save money on professional care

While we absolutely do not want to promote scrimping on your horse’s care – these professionals are essential to your horse’s wellbeing – there are some ways you can do this for less to save money on horse costs.

Organise communal visits and ask for discounts. Some veterinary practices offer free yard visits to a particular area on specific days for routine tasks, such as vaccinations. Even if you can’t benefit from a free call-out, teaming up with other owners for routine appointments, including the vet, farrier, physio and equine dental technician, can typically save you a fair amount of cash.

7. Check in with professionals about your options

For example, investigate shoeing options with your farrier; you may find your horse doesn’t need to have a full set of shoes all year round. And if there is not much wear on the shoes, your farrier may be able to refit them rather than replace them. You may also be able to go an extra week between appointments at certain times of year.

But remember that money saved in the short term by switching to use a cheaper farrier, or regularly extending the periods between shoeing visits, may be short-sighted, so a little extra spent each time could save you a lot in the long run if you avoid vet bills resulting from poor hoof balance.

8. Save money on lessons

Whether you travel to your trainer’s yard for lessons or have your trainer come to you, by having a shared or group lesson you can keep the cost down, which may allow you to train more frequently. Having a riding ‘buddy’ also means you can be ‘eyes-on-the-ground’ for each other, helping you both to progress in between training sessions.

If you currently see your trainer routinely but need to save money on training, ask if you could replace every other in-person training session with either a remote training session if you have the necessary kit or a virtual session. This usually involves supplying a video of you doing a pre-agreed exercise or movement and then the trainer gives feedback via a phone or video call that you can use to improve the performance before your next in-person session. During the pandemic many trainers diversified to offer these types of training and they may be a cheaper way to keep your riding on track.

9. Competition expenses

If you want to continue to pursue your competition ambitions, but need to cut costs, discuss with your trainer which are the most important competitions to target and spend the time in between training to increase your chance of success when you do compete.

10. Transport costs

Transport can be a major cost for competitive horse owners. If you have a friend who is competing in the same discipline or at a similar level, you might consider sharing the running costs of a lorry between you.

Another alternative is to choose a livery yard that holds regular competitions. Although the livery rate is likely to be higher at these types of yards, you will save yourself time, running costs and fuel, which all adds up.

If you don’t compete frequently, but own your own lorry or trailer, sit down and work out whether hiring transport would save you money in the long-run.

11. Spend less on kit

For those of us who love to shop and ensure our horses have the best of everything, working out ways to save money on kit will make a big difference.

Share equipment where possible. There is little point in investing in items that you might use only occasionally, such as a portable hot horse shower, have a chat with your friends to see if you can club together and have shared use of the equipment. Make sure you agree who is responsible for the cost of repairs and maintenance beforehand to avoid problems later on.

If you have room to store it, stock up on hay and bedding in the summer. Not only will you be prepared, but you’re very likely to save money. Just make sure you check the quality of the forage, especially if you are buying hay from the previous year’s crop.

Keep an eye out for sales, both online and in your local tack shop, as buying winter rugs during the summer and fly rugs in the autumn will also give you the chance to save – but only buy what you are confident you are going to need, rather than simply expanding you horse’s wardrobe because an item appears to be an unmissable bargain. We cover the big sales and shout out which deals are actually worth it – you can find these at Horse & Hound deals or by following us on social media.

12. Sell surplus kit

If you have tack and equipment you no longer need, there are a number of ways of finding it a new home and earning a bit of extra cash. You can sell your unwanted horse kit online on eBay or Vinted, via social media, through ads in your local tack shop, by attending a horsey car boot/table top sale or by listing things on a board at your livery yard.

Whichever route you choose, we recommend you either do transactions face-to-face for cash or using a protected payment system like Paypal for extra protection.

13. Make what you’ve got last longer

Spending time caring for your existing tack and cleaning your riding boots will help them to last longer, reducing the likelihood of anything needing to be replaced.

We’ve put together some guides on washing rugs at home, reproofing turnout rugs and repairing rugs yourself to help you save money here, too.

It’s also worth mentioning that old quote “buy cheap, buy twice”, but more expensive does not always mean better. To help you make the best buying decisions, check out our buying guides.

Tips for managing your money

1. Know what you’re dealing with. Sit down and perform a monthly budgeting exercise each month. Be honest and realistic with yourself and include all expenditure that will occur. Visit moneyadviceservice.org.uk and moneysavingexpert.com for advice on how to pull together a monthly budget.

2. Face your debts. List all your debts and create an action plan of how/when you are going to repay these. Find good advice on dealing with debt at direct.gov.uk, nationaldebtline.co.uk and citizensadvice.co.uk

3. Consolidate accumulated debts where possible. Look for good rates of interest, especially on credit cards – there are always 0% balance transfer deals around, although check if there is a one-off charge. A number of sites can help you compare credit cards, including gocompare.com, moneysupermarket.com and comparethemarket.com

4. Struggle to limit your spending on credit cards? Lower your credit limit at the first possible chance.

5. It sounds obvious, but strive to save as much as you can where possible. As a guide, try to have a minimum of at least one month’s salary in reserve. This will help plan for the future and ensure you have a cash reserve in an emergency – for example with an unexpected vet’s bill or lorry breakdown.

6. Review your insurance policies. Are you really prepared/able to make that one-off payment should an accident occur? Consider whether it would be wiser to have a reduced excess and pay slightly more each month.

If you find that you are still struggling, we’ve collated some advice on what to do if you can no longer afford to keep your horse.

• For unlimited access to advice on how best to care for your horse, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

Advice for horse owners who are really struggling financially – where to find helpful information if you can’t make ends meet

8 ways to reduce your hay bill this winter

How ‘eyes on the ground’ can help with your training and save you money

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

It’s stressful having an underweight horse, and you’ll be looking for the best horse feeds for weight gain as we head into winter. Many horse owners are also finding their horses haven’t gained their usual summer weight this year, so you’re not alone. Whether your horse is a poor doer, fussy eater or has been affected by the lack of grazing, now is the time to review your horse’s feed.

I’ve spoken to feed companies who have recommended products from their range that would be suitable for a horse who needs to gain weight and condition. If you’re struggling sourcing forage, and this is causing weight loss, consider one of the best hay replacers first to increase the fibre in your horse’s diet.

Best horse feeds for weight gain

NB: Cost per day has been calculated using the feeding rate for a 500kg horse in light work (where there was variation) and the RRP of the smallest available bag/tub. Some products require you to feed more in certain situations, which will increase the cost per daily measure – these costs per day and feeding rates are a guide only.

How to feed a horse for weight gain

Owning an underweight horse will have you researching how to help a horse gain weight. Once you’ve identified that your horse is underweight – body condition scoring can be a useful tool to help with this – it’s important to identify the root cause. It could be a range of problems, such as inefficient digestion or dental issues – or you could simply be feeding the wrong feed or the wrong ration.

Horse feeds for weight gain will contain a range of components – some will be high fat, while others will contain extra proteins. To work out what your horse needs and what will suit him best, it’s worth contacting a range of feed manufacturers to see what they would suggest. Most offer a free nutritional helpline service and will take a full history of your horse in order to offer the best advice.

It’s also important to know that not all feeds – even horse feeds for weight gain – will provide your horse with everything he needs in his diet. Ones that do (assuming you feed them at the recommended rate) are called complete feeds. To be absolutely sure he’s receiving a complete and balanced diet, an additional feed balancer or vitamin supplement could be your answer, but it’s best to consult a nutritional helpline if you’re unsure.

Is haylage better than hay for weight gain?

To encourage weight gain in horses, forage (hay, haylage, and grass) should be provided ad-lib. Haylage is cut at an earlier, less mature stage, and undergoes a wilting process that preserves more nutrients, leading to a higher digestible energy content compared to hay. This elevated energy content makes haylage an effective way to help horses put on weight. When feeding haylage, it’s generally necessary to offer a greater quantity by weight than hay, due to its higher water content.

You might also like:

If your horse is underweight this expert advice for feeding poor-doers will set you safely on the right path

21 full and partial hay replacers to help add more fibre to the diet

How quickly will a horse gain weight? We ask the experts…

While ideally all horses would sustain a healthy bodyweight year-round, this is often not the case. Here we discover how

How to weigh a horse – and why it’s so important

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

You might be considering different types of forage for horses due to the current shortage of hay. Being aware of the benefits and shortfalls of different forages and knowing about the best forage replacers will help you make an informed decision when it comes to selecting the right products for your horse.

Forage is a really important part of the diet as it contains fibre, which is needed for energy. It also plays an important role as a filler, helping to prevent gastric ulcers and aid digestion. We’ve covered all the types of forage – and explained some of the benefits and problems associated with feeding each.

Types of forage for horses

1. Hay

Hay is the most commonly fed type of forage for horses. harvested either from permanent pasture meadow grasses or specially sown seed leys. Once cut, it’s left to air-dry in the field. It tends to be harvested between the end of May and end of July.

Benefits of feeding hay

• Various types of hay available
• Long stems encourage chewing, which stimulates saliva, helping to control stomach acid
• Can buy in various sizes
• Can be soaked

Problems associated with hay

• Can be dusty
• Shortage this year has affected availability and driven up prices
• Can’t know specific nutrient quantities unless professionally analysed

2. Haylage

Haylage is conserved cut grass, baled with a higher water content than hay, and then wrapped. Haylage tends to be cut earlier in the season compared to hay (generally before mid-June).

Benefits of feeding haylage

• Tends to be higher in overall energy if it’s cut earlier
• Less dusty
• Can buy in bulk or smaller bags

Problems associated with haylage

• Due to the higher water content, more haylage needs to be fed than hay (by weight) as the nutrient and fibre levels will effectively have been ‘diluted’
• Not usually so good for good-doers
• Starts to go off once wrapping is opened
• Can’t know specific nutrient quantities unless professionally analysed (or purchased in bags with nutritional info)

3. Straw

More commonly used as a cheap bedding option, straw can also be fed to horses. Oat and barley straw are most common, though oat straw has a slightly softer texture and is less prickly for the horse to eat compared to barley straw.

Benefits of feeding straw

• Cheaper and readily available
• Can be used as a partial replacement (up to a maximum of 30% of the daily fibre intake) for good-doers or overweight horses

Problems associated with straw

• Always make sure that you are providing a clean, fresh supply of drinking water alongside and monitor droppings to reduce the risk of impaction colic

4. Chopped dried grass

Chopped dried grass is harvested earlier than hay and dried artificially.

Benefits of chopped dried grass

• Often higher in protein and energy, making it a good option for poor-doers and veterans

Problems associated with chopped dried grass

• These types of chaffs retain much of the natural sugar content of fresh grass, but without the water content to ‘dilute’ it, so it’s usually best to avoid these for horses prone to laminitis or requiring a low sugar diet
• Not suitable for use as a complete hay replacement

5. Sugar beet

Sugar beet is the fibrous byproduct of the sugar beet root left after the sugar has been extracted for human consumption.

Benefits of sugar beet

• Palatable way to add fibre
• Quick-to-soak options
• Molasses free options

Problems associated with sugar beet

• Can’t be used as a complete replacement
• Dangerous if fed unsoaked

6. Short-chopped fibres

These may contain chopped straw, grass and alfalfa, or a combination of the three. They sometimes come as complete feed including vitamins and minerals to ensure a balanced diet, in which case they may be an economical alternative to a traditional hard feed of mix or nuts. Short chopped fibres can either partially or totally replace forage ration.

7. Soakable products

Soakable high fibre products or mashes are often high-fibre and low in sugar and starch, so can be used as a partial replacement and are ideal for horses with dental problems.

8. High-fibre pellets

Pellets are a versatile and palatable way of adding fibre as a complete compound feed, partial replacer or treats in a stable toy. Some contain added vitamins and minerals so should be fed in accordance with manufacturer recommendations.

You might also be interested in:

21 full and partial hay replacers to help add more fibre to the diet

11 small-holed haynets and slow feeders to extend eating time and reduce wastage

Is it safe to feed straw? Everything you need to know, with expert advice from an equine nutritionist

8 ways to reduce your hay bill this winter

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Are you looking for a hay replacer as an alternative or additional forage option for your horse due to the hay shortage or poor grass quality? While hay and haylage is commonly fed alongside grazing to ensure your horse receives sufficient fibre throughout the year, you may need to feed different types of forage to ensure your horse’s needs are being met. They are ideal for boosting fibre intake and offering variety, especially during the winter months when access to grazing is limited.

The choice and availability of hay replacers for horses has grown significantly over the last few years with advancing technology. Not all feeds can be used as hay replacers for horses – they must be high fibre and low starch, as well as being nutritionally comparable to forage to be suitable. I’ve spoken to feed companies and they have recommended products from their range that would be suitable forage replacers.

Best hay replacers for horses

Here is a selection of the best hay replacers for horses that are currently available, including the manufacturers’ descriptions of their products.

NB: Feeding rates have been recommended based on a 500kg horse – these feeding rates per day are a guide only.

Jump to:

• Full hay replacers
• Partial hay replacers
• Forage blocks

Full hay replacers for horses

Spillers Speedy-Mash Fibre

Size: 20kg

RRP: £15.85

Soaking time in cold water: 1 minute

Feeding rate: 11.5kg (dry weight) divided into a minimum of four feeds as a full forage replacer

• Sugar: 2.5%
• Starch: 7.5%

Simple System HayCare

• Sugar: <7%
• Starch: <3%

Dengie Meadow Lite with Herbs

• Sugar: 3%
• Starch: 0.5%

TopSpec FibrePlus Cubes

• Sugar: 3%
• Starch: 9%

British Horse Feeds Fibre-Beet

• Sugar: 5%
• Starch: 3%

Rowen Barbary ReadyFibre Mash

• Sugar: 2.50%
• Starch: 5%

Baileys Natural Meadow Cobs

• Sugar: 7.8%
• Starch: 2.2%

Thunderbrook Hay Flakes

• Sugar: 9.7%
• Starch: 0.8%

Partial hay replacers for horses

Allen & Page Fast Fibre

Size: 20kg

SRP: From £13.74

Soaking time in cold water: 1 minute

Feeding rate: maximum daily amount 6.5kg. Split into multiple feeds not exceeding 2kg each meal

• Sugar: 2.5%
• Starch: 5.0%

A low calorie/energy feed, ideal for good-doers or those prone to laminitis, Fast Fibre is high in fibre and low in starch and sugar. It is particularly useful for horses with dental problems and can be fed as a partial hay replacer.

It contains unmolassed sugarbeet so it must be soaked before feeding and that only takes one minute, so you can be sure that your horse’s feed is always fresh.

Pure Feed Meadow Mash

Size: 15kg

SRP: £18

Soaking time in cold water: 5 minutes

Feeding rate: Up to 1kg per 100kg bodyweight per day

• Sugar: 2.5%
• Starch: 8.5%

A quick-soak, high-fibre hay replacer that’s ready in just five minutes. Free from molasses and wholegrain cereals, it’s gentle on digestion. Perfect for older horses, fussy feeders or those needing extra hydration, this soft, easy-to-chew mash mimics the goodness of hay while supporting gut function.

Spillers Happy Hoof Molasses Free

Size: 20kg

SRP: £18.15

Feeding rate: 3kg per day divided into at least two feeds for a 500kg horse

• Sugar: 1.25%
• Starch: 1.5%

This product is the same as the original Happy Hoof, providing all the same nutrients, but without the molasses coating, which lowers the sugar content from 4% to just 1.25%. It contains garlic, biotin and a full range of added vitamins and minerals to provide a balanced diet and can be used as a total hay replacer.

Mollichaff DailyFibre

Size: 12.5kg

SRP: £10.50

Feeding rate: Up to 3kg per day

• Sugar: 5.2%
• Starch: 3.7%

A high fibre, low sugar and starch chaff ideal for those in light to medium work. Mollichaff DailyFibre provides controlled slow-release energy and supports healthy digestion, joint and nerve function, and a shiny coat. Free from molasses, alfalfa, cereal grains, and preservatives, this chaff can be used as part of a bucket feed or as a partial forage replacer.

Dengie Meadow Grass with Herbs & Oil

Size: 15kg

SRP: £18.19

Feeding rate: Up to 1kg per 100kg bodyweight

• Sugar: 12%
• Starch: 2%

A natural blend of chopped and pelleted British-grown meadow grasses (fescue, rye and timothy( with a rapeseed oil coating and a blend of tasty herbs (liquorice roots, fennel, mint, chamomile and aniseed).

Rich in highly digestible fibre, naturally sweet, soft and easy to chew the high level of oil promotes condition and coat shine. Free from molasses and preservatives.

TopSpec TopChop Lite

Size: 15kg

RRP: £14.99

Feeding rate: 1kg can replace up to 2kg of hay

• Sugar: 2%
• Starch: 1%

A natural product made from chopped British alfalfa and oat straw; with real mint, and a very light dressing of linseed oil. TopChop Lite contains no added molasses or any other sugar coating. It is of similar nutritional value to average quality hay but contains significantly less sugar.

Suitable for all horses, including those prone to laminitis, and good-doers, it can be used as a partial or complete hay replacer if needed.

Saracen Super Fibre Cubes

Size: 15kg

SRP: £15.49

Feeding rate: 2–3.5kg per day

• Sugar: 4.5%
• Starch: 10.5%

Easily digestible, high fibre cubes, which are suitable to be fed in a variety of situations. They are cereal free and provide a source of readily digestible fibre. They are ideal for supplementing the forage ration of horses when forage is in short supply or of poor quality. They are also suitable to be fed to those that are sensitive to dust and moulds to help maintain optimum respiratory health.

Can be soaked to produce a mash that can be easily chewed for horses and ponies with compromised dental health or even to tempt the fussy feeder or to help maintain optimum hydration in performance horses.

British Horse Feeds Speedi-Beet

Size: 20kg

SRP: £20

Soaking time: 10 minutes

Feeding rate: 1kg dry weight to replace 1.5kg of hay

• Sugar: 5%
• Starch: trace

Speedi-Beet is unmolassed sugar beet pulp cooked to produce flakes that need a fraction of the soaking time of traditional sugar beet shreds or pellets. It is high in fibre – particularly soluble fibre, which is readily digested and yields slow release energy – as well as being low in sugar and containing no starch.

Baileys Light Chaff

Size: 18kg

SRP: Around £17.50

Feeding rate: Weight for weight for the amount of forage (hay) being replaced

• Sugar: 2.25%
• Starch: 2.5%

Baileys Light Chaff is a blend of high-temperature dried alfalfa and oat straw with a sprinkling of mint and a very light dressing of soya oil, which encourages a shiny coat. It is high fibre and low calorie, as well as having a low starch and sugar content, so is ideal for good-doers, those prone to laminitis and those on a calorie-controlled diet.

Simple System Organic Lucie Stalks

Size: 12.5kg

SRP: £18.85

Feeding rate: Feed according to requirements and condition to a maximum of 1% of ideal bodyweight per day

• Sugar: <5%
• Starch: <3%

An ideal feed for extending eating time, this lucerne chop offers superior high fibre and quality protein, yet is very low in calories. To prolong the hay ration, mix into hay nets or feeders, or dampen in larger buckets in the stable alongside their hay or haylage.

Forage blocks for horses

These are a great way to keep your horse occupied for longer and support their digestive health. They can be used to encourage natural foraging, to slow down food intake or even a smaller alternative to hay when travelling.

Useful as a hay alternative. Made from nothing but timothy grass, they are suitable for all horse types so long as they have good dentition for chewing. Each individual forage block replaces the approximate equivalent of 1kg of hay.

High fibre, low sugar 1kg fibre block, full of tasty herbs and nutritious vitamins and minerals. Can be soaked with warm water to soften to make suitable for horses with poor dentition.

These forage blocks can be fed dry or soaked in water to create a delicious mash. These yummy blocks have been compressed for easy feeding, storage and handling.

Benefits of feeding a hay replacer

• Increase fibre in the diet
• Lots of forms, so something for all horses
• You can ensure that your horse is receiving a set level of nutrients
• Quality doesn’t alter with the seasons
• Soaked options are great for horses with poor dentition
• Soaked options help maintain hydration.

Is it safe to feed a forage replacer in large amounts?

While it’s recommended to keep bucket feeds small, it is safe to feed forage replacers for horses in large amounts as you would hay or haylage in a haynet. As with any change in feeding regime, it is important to gradually introduce a forage replacer and slowly increase the amount used.

Once a hay replacer has been introduced, divide the daily ration up as much as you can to ensure your horse is trickle feeding. These meals can be split between two or three large buckets and left with the horse to graze on either in the field or stable

Can I feed an older horse a hay replacer?

Yes, some hay replacers can totally replace hay in the diet. Soaked hay replacers or mashes come in a pellet form and need to be soaked before feeding. They will be easier to chew than short chop fibres for horses with poor dentation.

When to weigh a hay replacer that needs soaking

You need to measure and weigh out all soakable feeds before you add water to soak them.

You might also be interested in:

Know your forage: which type is right for your horse?

Importance of feeding fibre for healthy horses all-year round

20 feeds suitable for horses prone to gastric ulcers

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

If you’ve got a horse prone to gastric ulcers, choosing the best feed for them is really important as feeding a horse with gastric ulcers in the right way is key for their health and comfort. A horse with diagnosed or suspected gastric ulcers should receive a high-fibre, high-forage diet that contains little or no whole cereal grains.

We’ve rounded up a selection of feeds that have the BETA EGUS approval mark, but have also included a selection of feeds that are low in sugar and starch, and include other ingredients that support the digestive system. These feeds are all deemed suitable for horses prone to gastric ulcers or horses requiring low-starch diets. If your horse doesn’t need additional feed for energy or condition, you may want to consider a supplement for gastric ulcers, which is formulated to help balance the pH, instead.

Best feeds for horses and ponies prone to gastric ulcers

• Balancers
• Fibres
• Mixes, cubes and mashes

Balancers suitable for horses with or prone to ulcers

NB: Cost per day has been calculated using the maintenance measure for a 500kg horse in light work (where there was variation, unless stated) and the RRP. These costs per day are a guide only.

Chopped fibre feeds suitable for horses with or prone to ulcers

This high-calorie, fibre feed is ideal for promoting condition, coat shine and fuelling work. It’s a natural blend of pure alfalfa, which buffers acidity in the digestive tract, and rapeseed oil, which provides a comparable amount of energy to a conditioning mix/cube, with really low levels of starch (2%) and naturally occurring sugar at (4.5%). It is free from straw, molasses and preservatives.

This combination of precision-dried alfalfa and grass has a high oil coating, which promotes coat shine, and a light addition of molasses and spearmint oil to encourage fussy feeders. It helps to increase chew time and support gastric health, while being naturally low in starch (1.5%) and sugar (12%), which is comparable to grass hay.

This low-starch, high-oil fibre feed that is designed to support horses prone to gastric ulcers following veterinary treatment. The short-chopped alfalfa extends eating time and provides a natural buffer to stomach acid, while the high oil content provides energy for condition and performance. It contains a full range of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin E for immune support and muscle health, plus high-quality protein to support muscle development.

This nutritionally-balanced, high fibre feed is made from pure, chopped and pelleted alfalfa. The energy provided is comparable to a medium-energy mix/cube, but with significantly lower levels of starch (2%) and naturally occurring sugar (4.5%). It contains a prebiotic formula, a high-specification of vitamins and minerals, and a blend of herbs to tempt fussy eaters. It is free from molasses, straw and preservatives.

This high-fibre, low-calorie feed is made of a blend of straw, grass, alfalfa pellets and herbs, which increases chew time without adding too many additional calories. It is naturally low in starch (2%) and naturally occurring sugar (6%). It contains prebiotics and calcium for optimal digestive health, and has a light oil coating that provides slow-release energy and promotes coat shine. It is free from molasses, artificial flavours and preservatives.

This soft, conditioning alfalfa blend with oil contains added vitamin E to balance the high oil content.

This all-in-one, fully balanced conditioning fibre feed is suitable for horses who need to build condition at any level of work, but is particularly ideal for poor-doers, those prone to ulcers, horses coming into (or back into) work, and those who need to gain condition while keeping a cool head.

Blends, cubes, mixes and mashes suitable for horses with or prone to ulcers

Ideal for promoting weight gain, maintaining condition and supporting performance in horses requiring a low starch, high specification diet. Ease & Excel is a low-starch feed that includes no micronised cereal flakes, which means the slow-release calories are provided by fibre and oil. It has a full balance of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, and contains a bespoke blend of antacids, pre- and probiotics.

The blackcurrant-flavoured Re-Leve cubes are a highly versatile, low-starch (9%), low-sugar (4.5%) cube is formulated specifically to help support a healthy digestive tract and maintain normal muscle function. Highly digestible super-fibres and oil are the main energy sources, which is ideal for horses prone to ulcers. The cubes are fully fortified with a full spectrum of vitamins, chelated minerals, and antioxidants, including natural vitamin E, along with a live yeast to support optimum digestive health.

These cubes supply elevated levels of slow-release energy – for condition or performance – from a low-starch (8%), high-fibre (18%) formula. They are ideal for sensitive horses that require a low-starch diet, and are designed to support healthy gastric and digestive environments and muscle function. Ease & Excel is fully balanced with performance levels of vitamins and chelated minerals, plus grapeseed extract, an innovative concentrated source of natural antioxidants to support immunity and recovery. Compared to Baileys No.21, the cubes are slightly lower in oil and calories.

TopSpec UlsaKind cubes are low in starch (7%) and formulated to provide calories for condition while being highly sympathetic to the digestive system. They contain very high levels of β-glucans, which form a gel and coat the stomach lining with a soothing film. This helps to prevent stomach acid splashing the less protected portion of the stomach.

The gel also slows the rate of passage of feed through the stomach and intestines, reducing the time period that the stomach is empty. The absorption of sugar is also slowed and the glycaemic index of the feed is lowered, reducing the effect on blood sugar levels. UlsaKind is designed to be added to feed balancer or supplement and therefore, contain no added vitamins or trace-elements.

This is the lowest starch (12.5%) muesli in Dodson & Horrell’s range. It provides performance level nutrition suitable for those that may be prone to gastric ulceration, as well as prebiotics and probiotics to support a healthy hindgut and nutrient uptake.

This high fibre, non-heating, fully balanced mash is formulated to maintain condition, while helping encourage a calm temperament. It contains highly digestible super-fibres and is fortified with quality protein, vitamins and minerals, and a prebiotic, while also being low in starch (7%) and sugar (4.5%). It soaks into a mash in 10 minutes and is barley-free, with linseed for a shiny coat. It supplies slow-release energy and is suited to horses in up to medium work.

This cereal-free, low-starch (8%), blackcurrant-flavoured mix has been specifically formulated to replace all cereal-based hard feed for working horses that react adversely to high-starch feeds or are prone to ulcers. It provides controlled energy from highly digestible super-fibres and oils.

It fully fortified with vitamins and minerals along with elevated levels of antioxidants, such a vitamin E, to support normal muscle function and recovery. It also contains the recommended level of yeast to support the maintenance of the hindgut and stabilise the stomach pH level.

This herbal mash, which soaks in less than 10 minutes, is formulated to support immune and digestive function. It’s molasses free, low in starch and sugar, and non-heating, which makes it really versatile. It contains prebiotics, probiotics, yeast and psyllium for digestive support, antioxidants and echinacea for immune support, and mint, fennel and cinnamon.

What is the BETA EGUS Approval Mark?

In 2016, the British Equestrian Trade Association launched a new feed approval mark that offers feed companies the opportunity to highlight products suitable for horses and ponies prone to, or at risk from, EGUS. It aims to make it easier for horse owners to identify feeds most suitable for horses prone to ulcers.

There are many legal restrictions around how feed and supplement products can be described in relation to different ailments – in short, they can’t be linked in a way that suggests they are nutritionally beneficial. But the launch of this scheme has allowed feed manufacturers with approved products to highlight feeds (not supplements) best suited for horses and ponies prone to EGUS without breaking the rules and regulations involved in marketing equine feeds.

Companies can submit products for approval, which includes the examination of ingredients, labelling, marketing claims and independent laboratory analysis. They must have, among other things, lower levels of sugar and starch than comparable products on the market. If accepted, the companies pay an annual fee to cover the cost of running the scheme and can display the logo on their packaging and marketing materials.

Products can be developed that are suitable feeds for horses with gastric ulcers, but the manufacturers may choose not to enter the scheme for various reasons.

What to feed a horse with ulcers

In addition to consuming at least 1.5% of their bodyweight a day in forage (hay, haylage or a suitable forage replacer), a feed balancer that provides a concentrated source of vitamins, minerals and quality protein is a valuable addition to the diet. If your horse requires more energy, this is best to be delivered by fats and oils rather than starch and sugars. It’s important to look for high-fibre, low-starch and low-sugar options when selecting feeds for horses with ulcers.

Adding short chopped fibre, ideally containing alfalfa, to every meal is beneficial as the high protein and calcium content in alfalfa is thought to help buffer stomach acid.

It is important that horses chew regularly, which produces saliva that helps to neutralise this acid – without frequent intakes of forage, the acidity increases and the horse is at a greater risk of developing ulcers. This increase in acidity is what gastric supplements aim to buffer. Lengthy periods without access to forage can leave the stomach walls vulnerable to acid attack, so calorie control should not come at the expense of fibre or other essential nutrients.

Which horses are prone to gastric ulcers?

Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome isn’t just a problem for performance horses – it can affect any breed or any age – and there are increasing numbers of leisure horses and ponies being identified as, or suspected of, suffering from the condition. This is especially true for horses or ponies whose forage intake is restricted, perhaps due to poor grazing or in efforts to reduce calorie intake.

You might also be interested in:

Balance the stomach pH – a guide to gastric supplements on the market

15 feeds to help your horse gain weight and condition

Owners failing to act to help horses with ulcers

Although awareness is high, fewer people than expected are using recommended methods of managing the condition

Gastric ulcers in horses: the important facts every owner needs to know

Expert advice for feeding a horse to avoid gastric ulcers

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Keeping horses properly hydrated to help prevent digestive upset can be a real challenge. The challenge increases when your horse is subjected to anything out of the norm, which could be travel, intense exercise, cold winter weather or hot summer temperatures. The best rehydration mashes for horses offer an effective solution, combining a tempting feed with electrolytes already mixed in to help replace vital salts lost through sweat or decreased water intake.

Like the best electrolytes for horses, high-quality rehydration mashes support fluid balance and encourage horses to drink more. They’re also quick to prepare, often highly palatable and can be a valuable part of any horse’s routine – whether for competition, travel recovery, or everyday training.

From fast-soaking options for busy yards to tasty recipes designed to tempt even the fussiest eaters, these are the best rehydration mashes worth adding to your feed room shelves.

NB: The Feeding rates are offered as a guideline and have been calculated per day for a 500kg horse.

Best rehydration mashes for horses: H&H’s quick guide

Best for fussy eaters: Saracen Re-Covery Mash

Best for sensitive horses: Pure Feed Company Re-fuel

Best value for money: Spillers Perform & Restore

Best for versatile feeding: Simple System Horse Feeds Simply Complete

Best rehydration mashes for horses

Saracen Re-Covery Mash

Sizes: 1.5kg, 20kg

RRP: £8.99 (1.5kg), £21.99 (2okg)

Soaking time in cold water: 5 minutes

Feeding rate: 500g–1kg per day (adjust as needed)

This mash is designed to boost hydration without upsetting your horse’s usual diet. It’s made with familiar ingredients and high in super fibres, while staying low in sugar and starch – ideal for horses needing a low-starch feed.

It also includes salt to encourage drinking and vitamin E to support muscle recovery. Plus, the distinctive banana flavour tempts even fussy eaters. Also, with both travel-sized pouches and larger bags available, it’s easy to keep on hand for any situation.

H&H’s products editor Franchesca Slack uses this mash regularly during the summer months and says: “My horses struggle to drink when we’re away from home and this mash has really helped. I have the smaller bag on the lorry ready to hand and I love the smell! Also great for those extra hot days to keep the horses hydrated.”

Pure Feed Company Re-fuel

Sizes: 15kg

RRP: £26.55

Soaking time in cold water: 5 minutes

Feeding rate: 500g dry weight per day

Pure Refuel sets itself apart by including three crucial amino acids – lysine, methionine and threonine – that are essential for proper muscle repair after exercise. It’s also rich in antioxidants, such as selenium, vitamin E and vitamin C, to help combat oxidative stress.

Low in sugar and starch and completely free from molasses, cereals, alfalfa, and soya, it’s a safe option for sensitive horses or those with metabolic conditions. It’s packed with electrolytes and soaks down into an appetising cherry mash, making it a thoughtful, comprehensive choice for horses needing careful dietary management.

Spillers Perform & Restore Mash

Sizes: 20kg

RRP: £17.95

Soaking time in cold water: under 2 minutes

Feeding rate: 3.5kg dry weight per day (split into at least two meals)

This cost-effective mash is designed for performance horses needing fast recovery and condition support without excess starch. It’s cereal-free and low in sugar and starch, making it a smart option for horses prone to muscle issues or excitability.

It has added amino acids to promote muscle health and recovery. It also has electrolytes and antioxidants to help replace what’s lost through sweat. The mash soaks in less than two minutes and has an enticing apple aroma, making it easy to feed after hard work or travel.

Simple System Simply Complete

Sizes: 20kg

RRP: £27.25

Soaking time in cold water: 5 minutes

Feeding rate: Up to 0.5% of bodyweight per day (up to five feeds of 500g)

Simply Complete is a handy, quick-soaking mash that brings together top-quality forages and essential extras in one feed. It’s especially useful for performance, endurance and competition horses needing a boost in stamina, hydration and sodium levels.

Because it’s purely forage-based and free from starchy cereals, it can be fed right before exercise – or even immediately after, while your horse is still hot – to help with recovery. It’s a versatile option whether you’re looking to “target feed” small portions around work or feed larger amounts to support overall condition.

Rowen Barbary Sports Mash

Sizes: 1kg, 10kg tub, 20kg

RRP: £6.90 for 1kg, £22.50 for 10kg, £29.95 for 20kg

Soaking time in cold water: 10 minutes

Feeding rate: 500g dry weight per day

Rowen Barbary Sports Mash packs a lot into each serving, blending highly digestible fibres like soya hulls, sugar beet and grass nuts with electrolytes to help replace minerals lost through sweat. It also includes vitamins E and C for antioxidant and immune support, making it a solid choice for horses needing a bit more after intense work or travel.

Unique touches include calcareous marine algae and probiotics to promote gut health. Beetroot powder not only boosts recovery but also helps make the mash more appealing. Supplied in resealable pouches, it’s practical for both yard and travel use.

Premier Performance Fibre Hydration Mash

Sizes: 1kg, 2.5kg, 5kg, 20kg

RRP: £6.50 for 1kg, £12.50 for 2.5kg, £19.99 for 5kg, £32.99 for 20kg

Soaking time in cold water: 4 minutes

Feeding rate: Up to 3kg per day, or 500g with 1 litre water for rehydration

Premier Performance Fibre Hydration Mash is a versatile, grain-free mash. It’s low in sugar and starch (both just 4%), making it a smart choice for horses needing a controlled diet.

Packed with high-quality fibre sources, it includes a full spectrum of electrolytes to help maintain fluid balance, along with Acid Buff for digestive comfort. Alltech Nupro Technology adds further support for muscle recovery and performance. The highly palatable apple flavour encourages fussy eaters, and the mash soaks in just four minutes in cold water.

Whether used for rehydration after work, as a top-up feed, or even as a forage replacer, this mash is a practical option for horses needing extra care in training or competition.

Cavalor Sportmash Recup

Sizes: 1.5kg, 15kg

RRP: £7.50 for 1.5kg, £23.08 for 15kg

Soaking time in cold water: 5 minutes

Feeding rate: 500g dry weight per day

This mash features a blend of puffed grains and high-quality proteins with a carefully balanced amino acid profile, tailored to support muscle repair after intense work. It’s designed to be easily digestible while offering quick energy replenishment for horses in heavy training or competition.

Electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and chloride help restore mineral balance after sweating. It’s a practical choice for maintaining condition and aiding recovery without excessive starch or sugars.

What is the best mash for horses?

The best mash for your horse depends on why you’re feeding it and your horse’s individual needs. Different mashes serve different purposes. For hydration and recovery, rehydration mashes are a great choice. These quick-soaking feeds encourage water intake, help replace electrolytes lost through sweat, and support muscle recovery after exercise or travel. If your horse is prone to metabolic issues like equine metabolic syndrome, look for mashes that are low in sugar and starch.

If your horse needs extra fibre or conditioning, fibre-based mashes made from ingredients like beet pulp, grass nuts, or soya hulls can help boost calorie intake and support digestive health. Some mashes also work as forage replacements, which is helpful for horses with dental problems or reduced appetite.

When choosing a mash, check factors including soaking time, ingredient list – especially for horses with allergies or sensitivities – electrolyte content for hydration, and whether it suits your horse’s workload and dietary needs. Always introduce new feeds gradually and follow recommended feeding rates.

Does recovery mash have electrolytes?

Most recovery mashes do contain electrolytes. They’re designed to be fed as a soaked product to help increase your horse’s water intake and replenish the minerals lost through sweat after exercise, travel, or hot weather. Electrolytes like sodium, potassium and chloride are essential for maintaining hydration, muscle function, and overall recovery.

However, not all recovery mash recipes automatically include electrolytes. Some are purely fibre-based or designed for digestive support rather than post-work recovery. Always check the product label or description to see if electrolytes are included, and ensure the mash you choose matches your horse’s specific needs and workload.

What is the fastest way to hydrate a horse?

Dehydration not only seriously impacts a horse’s performance, it can also become life-threatening. Horse sweat is hypertonic, meaning it holds more salts than body fluids, so a sweating horse loses electrolytes faster than it loses water. Therefore, giving plain water to a dehydrated horse isn’t enough to fully rehydrate it.

Water alone can dilute the fluids around the body’s tissues and reduce the horse’s natural urge to drink more. That’s why the most effective way to rehydrate a horse is to include electrolytes in its feed or water. This helps replace lost salts and encourages further drinking.

For more tips, read our full guide on how to prevent, recognise and treat dehydration in horses.

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Due to the fact that laminitis is effected by diet, finding feeds suitable for horses prone to lamintis is a real challenge. Horses prone to laminitis require a low starch and sugar diet – a combined level below 10% is considered low, but really the lower the better. Even if overweight, they still need a balanced feed ration to avoid deficiencies, especially when grazing is restricted.

It’s important to understand that these feeds don’t treat laminitis, but are formulated for horses prone to the condition. This guide explores the options available to help you make the right choice for your horse. If you’re still unsure, consult a feed manufacturer’s nutritional helpline.

Feeds suitable for horses prone to laminitis

Jump to:

• Fibre-based chaffs
• Soaked feeds
• Low-calorie balancers

Fibre-based chaffs

Dengie Meadow Lite with Herbs

Bag weight: 15kg

RRP: £14.99

• Energy: 5MJ/kg
• Sugar: 3%
• Starch: 0.5%

A soft, tasty blend of British grown, chopped, precision-dried grass and high-quality oat straw for maximum fibre content whilst being low in calories. Suitable for good-doers and those prone to laminitis, naturally low in sugar and starch with tasty herbs – cinnamon and thyme – plus postbiotics to promote digestive health, can be fed as a total or partial forage replacer. Free from molasses, cereals, alfalfa & preservatives.

Mollichaff Light Molasses Free

Bag weight: 12.5kg

RRP: £8.79

• Energy: 7.5MJ/kg
• Sugar: 1.8%
• Starch: 3.9%

High in fibre, while being low in starch and sugar. This highly palatable chaff contains straw, fibre pellets, and grass that is dressed with soya oil. This chaff can be fed as a partial forage replacer or to complement your hard feed or balancer. It is suitable for good doers and those that have endocrine and metabolic issues that could lead to laminitis.

Spillers Happy Hoof Molasses Free

Bag weight: 20kg

RRP: £18.15

Laminitis Trust Approved: Yes

• Energy: 8.8MJ/kg
• Sugar: 1.25%
• Starch: 1.5%

This product is the same as the original Happy Hoof, providing all the same nutrients, but without the molasses coating, which lowers the sugar content from 4% to just 1.25%. For those concerned about molasses this is a low calorie fibre blend with garlic and no added sugar. It contains biotin and a full range of added vitamins and minerals to provide a balanced diet and can be used as a total hay replacer.

Dengie Healthy Hooves Molasses Free

Bag weight: 20kg

RRP: £17.45

• Energy: 8.5MJ/kg
• Sugar: 2.5%
• Starch: 1.5%

This nutritionally-balanced, high fibre feed has been formulated with B vitamins, biotin and MSM to promote stronger hooves and healthy joints. It’s made from a blend of soft cereal straw with chopped and pelleted nutrient rich alfalfa. It’s low in calories, which makes it ideal for good-doers and laminitis prone. It has a light rapeseed oil coating that provides slow-release energy and coat shine, plus garlic to help tempt fussy feeders.

Dodson & Horrell Safe & Sound

Bag weight: 18kg

RRP: £19.29

• Energy: 8.7MJ/kg
• Sugar: 5%
• Starch: 5.8%

This fibre-based feed is formulated specifically for horses prone to laminitis. It contains blended herbs, added biotin for hoof support and antioxidants to support the body’s ability to fight against free radical damage.

Honeychop Lite & Healthy

Bag weight: 15kg

RRP: £16

• Energy: 8MJ/kg
• Sugar: 3.5%
• Starch: 0.5%

Is a non-heating, molasses-free, low sugar fibre feed suitable for those prone to laminitis. It is a soft, palatable blend of oat straw, timothy grass, herbs, marigolds and cinnamon with a light coating of oil.

Spillers Happy Hoof

Bag weight: 20kg

RRP: £17.45

• Energy: 8.8MJ/kg
• Sugar: 4%
• Starch: 1.5%

This high fibre feed is suitable for horses prone to laminitis as it will produce a low insulin response – and being low calorie it is also ideal for good-doers, natives and those in light work. It can be fed on its own, alongside a balancer or as a hay replacer. The blend includes short chopped fibre to extend eating time, contains biotin to support hoof health, and a full range of added vitamins and minerals to provide a balanced diet.

Pure Feeds Pure Fibre Balance

Bag weight: 15kg

RRP: £23.93

• Energy: 9MJ/kg
• Sugar: 3%
• Starch: 7%

Specially formulated for good doers – horses that maintain condition easily and don’t need extra calories. With a high fibre content and a concentrated dose of balancer, it provides all the essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients without the risk of unwanted weight gain. This low-calorie, all-in-one feed supports digestive health including prebiotics and probiotics for gut function, essential amino acids for muscle maintenance, biotin for healthy hooves and coat, and added salt for electrolyte balance.

Thunderbrook Organic Herbalite

Bag weight: 12.5kg

RRP: £17.75

• Energy: 7.2MJ/kg
• Sugar: 4.6%
• Starch: 1%

A tasty mix of diverse, organically grown UK meadow hay, combined with organic oat straw, plus organic mint and fennel seed.

Allen & Page L Mix

Bag weight: 15kg

RRP: From £16.40

• Energy: 7MJ/kg
• Sugar: 1.5%
• Starch: 3.75%

L Mix is a chaff based feed that is suitable for those prone to laminitis. The alfalfa and chaff ensures increased chewing time, which is beneficial for horses on a restricted diet and can help to maintain a healthy digestive system. It contains no added sugars, molasses or cereal grains and has an extremely low digestible energy. It contains herbs for palatability, pre- and probiotics, and linseed, which is a good source of omega-3. Suitable for horses with intolerances to cereal grains or molasses.

Soaked feeds

Also known as a mash, these products are soaked before feeding. While frequently composed of fibre-based elements, they can also include cereals and other components, such as herbs.

British Horse Feeds Speedi-Beet

Bag weight: 20kg

RRP: £20.50

Soaking time: 10 minutes

Laminitis Trust Approved: Yes

• Energy: 2MJ/kg
• Sugar: 5%

A highly nutritious, quick soaking (10 minute) beet pulp feed, with no added molasses, 95% sugar free. Made using only best quality British Beet Pulp, Speedi-Beet is subjected to a patented cooking process to produce a unique feed.There’s a high proportion of soluble fibre, mostly pectins, which means its fibre is more easily digested than that found in forage e.g. hay. This makes it a great source of non-heating slow-release energy. It’s starch free and low in sugar, so safe for horses prone to laminitis.

Spillers Speedy-Mash Fibre

Bag weight: 20kg

RRP: £18.15

Soaking time: 1 minute

• Energy: 8MJ/kg
• Sugar: 2.5%
• Starch: 7.5%

This molasses and cereal-free, low-starch and sugar formula is suitable for laminitic, senior, and weight-prone horses, even those with poor teeth or in light work. Its quality protein supports topline and muscle tone without excess calories. Prebiotics and probiotics support hindgut health. Highly digestible and palatable with an apple aroma, to temp fussy feeders.

Baileys Natural Meadow Cobs

Bag weight: 20kg

RRP: From £22

Soaking time: up to 1 hour

• Energy: 6MJ/kg
• Sugar: 7.8%
• Starch: 2.2%

Made from late-cut perennial meadows, these are high in fibre, yet low in starch, sugars and calories, and soak to a tasty fibrous mash for extended chew time alongside any existing balanced diet. Ideal as an alternative to a low calorie chaff or unmolassed beet pulp.

British Horse Feeds Fibre-Beet

Bag weight: 20kg

RRP: £22

Soaking time: 45 minutes

Laminitis Trust Approved: Yes

• Sugar: 5%
• Starch 3%

This is a combination of Speedi-Beet and alfalfa supplemented with biotin, sodium and calcium. It has all the benefits of Speedi-Beet with its high level of easily digested soluble fibre for slow energy release, along with low starch and sugar but can be fed in larger quantities. This makes it a good conditioning feed and is ideal for those needing to control starch intake.

Allen & Page Care & Gain

Bag weight: 20kg

RRP: From £16.40

Soaking time: 3 minutes

• Energy: 10.75MJ/kg
• Sugar: 4.5%
• Starch: 4.5%

This high-calorie feed designed for laminitis-prone horses and ponies, ideal for weight gain and higher energy needs with low starch and sugar. Contains quality protein for muscle maintenance in older horses, plus vitamins C and E for immunity, antioxidants, and muscle function. Calories from digestible fibre and oil support controlled weight gain and normal metabolism.

Keyflow Pink Mash

Bag weight: 15kg

RRP: From £24.50

Soaking time: 5 minutes

• Energy: 9MJ/kg
• Sugar: <2%
• Starch <2%

This mash is enriched with super fibres and beetroot to support the daily diet with high levels of prebiotics, aiding in the restoration of beneficial microflora for improved fibre digestion. Its low sugar and starch content makes it ideal for barefoot horses and thoseprone to laminitis. It can serve as a partial substitute for hay or forage and is particularly suitable for horses prone to digestive issues, with a very low feeding rate.

Balancers

Balancers, typically pelleted, are concentrated feeds formulated to offer horses a well-rounded diet without excessive calorie intake. Their low feeding rate makes them a great option for good-doers.

TopSpec AntiLam Forage Balancer

Bag weight: 15kg

RRP: £34.75

• Energy: 9MJ/kg
• Starch: 6.5%

This balancer is designed to provide nutritional support for those prone to laminitis. The formula combines several supplements with a high fibre, very low-calorie carrier to make it palatable. It can also be used as part of a calorie-controlled diet when weight loss is required.

Baileys No.14 Lo-Cal Balancer

Bag weight: 20kg

RRP: £34

• Sugar: 5.5%
• Starch: 6%

This balancer provides essential nutrients without the calories associated with a mix or cube. It contains quality protein to provide the building blocks for muscle, skin and hoof and help maintain topline and tissue integrity, as well as a full spectrum of vitamins and minerals, including biotin and antioxidants. It also has Digest Plus prebiotic and a probiotic yeast to support gut health.

Blue Chip Lami Lite Balancer

Sizes: 15kg

RRP: £40.35

• Energy: 9.1MJ/kg
• Sugar: 4.5%
• Starch: 11%

A palatable formulation for those prone to laminitis, on restricted grazing, and a wide range of good-doers. Lami Light is a low starch, molasses free, no added sugar balancer that supports digestive health, fat metabolism and hoof quality.

Simple System Horse Feeds MetaSlim

Sizes: 10kg or 20kg

RRP: £39.95 for 10kg, £71.95 for 20kg

• Energy: 11.75MJ/kg
• Sugar: <4%
• Starch: <4%

A balancing feed specifically designed for those challenged by weight, and prone to laminitis. Made from functional, plant-based ingredients, MetaSlim offers natural support, for horses with fat pads, crests and metabolic issues.

Baileys No.19 Performance Balancer

Bag weight: 20kg

RRP: £36

• Sugar: 6.5%
• Starch: 6%

This balancer supplies the additional nutrients that are required by an increased workload without the unwanted calories. It helps build and maintain muscle and topline, while a full balance of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants support healthy hoof growth, metabolism and recovery. The low starch and sugar levels also make it suitable for those with elevated nutrient requirements (not calories) and prone to laminitis.

Spillers Lite & Lean Balancer

Sizes: 20kg

RRP: £34.89

• Energy: 9.5MJ/kg
• Sugar: 3%
• Starch: 7%

A multi-vitamin and mineral balancer that supports the health of horses on a weight loss diet. These feed pellets are high in the essential amino acid, lysine, which is typically deficient in weight loss diets and supports muscle and topline.

Dodson & Horrell Go Lite Balancer

Sizes: 15kg

RRP: £26.13

• Energy: 8.5MJ/kg
• Sugar: 4%
• Starch: 8.5%

This low-calorie balancer is suitable for horses in need of a calorie-controlled diet and those prone to laminitis. It contains an effective level of biotin, zinc and methionine for hoof strength and growth, as well as natural antioxidants to support overall health, and protected yeast to support a healthy hindgut and nutrient uptake.

How to choose a suitable feed for a laminitis prone horse

If a horse is overweight and laminitis prone, it can be tempting to think they don’t require a bucket feed at all. While they don’t need to be supplied with energy or calories, consuming only grass or forage won’t provide everything they need. Deficiencies are even greater if grazing or forage have to be restricted to facilitate weight loss and manage the risk of laminitis. Therefore, feed rations for horses prone to laminitis need to be balanced and tailored to their individual needs.

It’s important to be aware that these feeds do not treat laminitis in any way, but are carefully formulated so that they are suitable to feed to a horse that is prone to the condition. If you’re at all unsure, it’s advisable to call a free nutritional helpline for additional advice – these are provided by most feed manufacturers.

For a good-doer or overweight horse, the bucket feed tops up the nutrients that are naturally lacking in grass and forage. This top up can be achieved by using a fortified feed, which is designed to provide a balanced ration when fed at the recommended quantity, or by feeding one of the best vitamin and mineral supplements (you can also find supplements for horses on restricted grazing) or feed balancers added to a low-calorie fibre feed.

Feeding a poor-doer that is prone to laminitis can be more challenging, as you’ll need to find feeds that contain more energy/calories but are still low in sugar and starch – look out for unmolassed alfalfa chaffs with added oil, or soaked beet products.

What is The Laminitis Trust approval mark?

The Laminitis Trust established an approval mark for horse feeds that reach certain standards as outlined by their scientific committee. The idea is that it will help owners identify feeds that are considered suitable for horses that either are considered prone to laminitis or are suffering from laminitis.

Feed manufacturers can apply to The Laminitis Trust for approval, but many choose not to do so despite developing feeds that are specifically formulated for horses prone to laminitis.

We’ve rounded up a selection of feeds that manufacturers describe as suitable for feeding to horses prone to laminitis, some of which are also approved by The Laminitis Trust. It includes some fibres, fully balanced feeds and balancers, so that you can find something that works for you and your horse. Before deciding what to feed a horse who is prone to laminitis, it’s advisable to call a free nutritional helpline for additional advice.

You might also be interested in:

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Expert advice for feeding horses with or prone to laminitis – what owners need to know

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Feeding horses “straights” is not necessarily better, a hay-only diet could cause harm – and riders must be aware of buying supplements and feeds from trusted sources.

These were key messages from a World Horse Welfare webinar on 11 December, featuring independent equine nutritionist Clare MacLeod, who aimed to bust feeding myths, or “nutribaloney”.

“I love this subject because it’s slightly amusing and entertaining, but it’s also really serious, because it’s about welfare,” Ms MacLeod said. “I’ve got four common nutrition myths to go through, and I’m going to remind everybody about how you can discern because that’s the big thing, isn’t it? When you read something or learn about something, it’s knowing whether it is the truth or not.”

Ms MacLeod said it is important people used trusted sources for nutrition advice.

“There are companies and individuals selling products, feeds or supplements, and they are trying to deceive,” she said. “We’ve got wonderful companies to buy our horse products from, but undoubtedly there are some that maybe aren’t so ethical, and they could be deceiving us in terms of the claims they make and what’s actually in their products.”

Ms MacLeod wanted to make this point before she went on to myth-busting; she said there are good profits to be made in equine supplements, and companies who make “outrageous, unfair and sometimes additional claims”.

“And these can compromise horse welfare,” she said. “We have to be very careful about which products we buy. We have to be careful we don’t feed a product that’s going to be harmful, but also, we don’t want to waste money on something that actually doesn’t do anything. This relates not just to products, but to generally how you feed your horse.”

Ms MacLeod said one myth gaining traction is that a hay-only diet is best for horses.

“I find it on social media in groups trying to keep horses more naturally,” she said. “There are many good factors associated with that, making sure horses have enough movement and social contact. It’s wonderful we’re more aware of that. But what about just feeding hay only?”

Ms MacLeod said such a diet “is actually really going to be very harmful to your horse or pony, long-term”, adding: “I do tend to bang my head on the desk a bit when I hear this one. It’s nonsense, it’s nutribaloney. It really is about basic nutrition fundamentals.”

She explained that hay’s nutritional value varies much less than some might think, and it will never give horses enough copper, selenium or zinc. This means, long-term, harmful deficiencies.

The second myth Ms MacLeod said has become fashionable is that “straight” feeds are better than compound mixes or balancers, for example. She pointed out that reputable feed companies specifically create their products to provide balanced diets, which straights may not do, and which is essential for optimal health.

And although knowledgeable people can provide a balanced diet using straights, many owners do not understand enough to realise the diet they think is superior is lacking in essential elements, such as giving a feed high in phosphorus without extra calcium.

“Straights are not better than compound feed,” she said. “They’re not balanced, and they need to be supplemented. Straights can be harmful if not balanced correctly. Yes, you can use them, but why not use the specialists who have come up with their products, which are balanced, and they’ve used straights in them.”

The ‘Marmite’ of horse feeds

Ms MacLeod also mentioned that alfalfa has become the “Marmite” of horse feeds in that many owners shun it, but that it is “very nutritious and it’s safe for most horses and ponies”.

The last myth she mentioned is that many owners think carrots are too high in sugar to feed, when they are 80% water and just 5% sugar.

“I have seen owners dump bags or buckets of carrots into their field or stable and obviously, that quantity of carrots might not be very good, but a controlled portion isn’t going to tip over the edge your [equine metabolic syndrome (EMS)] horse or pony, if it’s in good health, and their EMS is controlled,” she said.

In a question and answer session, Baileys Horse Feeds’ nutritionist Liz Bulbrook endorsed Clare’s opinion, and busted some myths herself.

Asked about horses who seem to become more excitable if fed a balancer, she said: “We know it is a myth that balancers directly cause excitability. And I think that it’s really important that we look at a horse’s natural temperament.”

Ms Bulbrook explained that the most likely reason is that a horse with an unbalanced diet could be feeling lethargic, as people do, but with the correct nutrients, will feel better and so be more likely to go forward.

“It’s not that you’re aggravating the natural temperament,” she said. “You’re actually seeing, ‘I feel better. I can do my work now.’ I think that’s where confusion comes when people say a balancer has given the horse more energy. It’s just made it a healthy, balanced diet, which means you’ve got good health.”

Ms Bulbrook added: “My final thoughts would be, talk to people who have got relevant qualifications, experience. That might be the feed companies that have a team of nutritionists. Go to their websites, look for their articles that will have scientific support, but also independents like Clare. My biggest take-home is, don’t be frightened to ask questions.”

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British owners have “loyalty and passion” for senior horses, providing top-class care for our special veterans.

A survey of more than 5,000 people, conducted by feed manufacturer Spillers, found similar results to a 2022 study, “reiterating just how much the nation loves their precious equine oldies”.

Over a third (37%) of respondents had horses aged 25 or older, and 65% considered equids old at 20.

“According to the survey, participants are extremely loyal to their seniors; 62% had owned their seniors for 11+ years,” a Spillers spokesman said. “A staggering 99.5% of participants expressed their intention to keep their senior horse for the remainder of its life, highlighting a deep commitment to their wellbeing.”

The spokesman said most of the veteran horses were “largely healthy and active”; 80% were considered in good condition, 8% overweight and 12% needing more condition. Common age-related issues including stiffness, arthritis and PPID (Cushing’s) were also reported.

The spokesman said 62% of the senior horses were still in ridden work, three quarters of these in light work. Retirement was common for horses aged between 21 and 25; the most frequently cited reason was that it “just felt like the right time”.

“It is heart-warming to see that we are such a compassionate nation, giving so much care and devotion to our special oldies,” said Claire Dyett, marketing manager for Spillers.

“It is also reassuring to see that our latest survey accurately reflects the findings from our previous work, which provides some very robust data for this important sector of the equine industry.

“Bravo to all the owners out there who are giving their seniors their best lives. Improved veterinary care and nutrition mean that we are better placed to manage conditions such as arthritis, PPID, and dental issues. An 8% increase in feeding a mash suggests that owners may be recognising the suitability of soaked feed presentations to support senior health, particularly when dentition becomes compromised. It’s by working together that we can continue to enhance health, welfare and quality of life and turn age into just a number.”

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Feeding bran mash to horses is long associated with traditional horsemanship practices. A straight feed composed of the outer coating of kernels of grain, bran is a by-product of milling grain for flour. Historically, it was mixed with warm water to make a tempting mash for working horses. It was believed to assist with recovery after hard work, replenishing lost fluids and promoting gut mobility. Some Horse & Hound readers still report feeding it today.

Moving with the times

There’s something very nostalgic – romantic, even – about watching your horse eagerly tuck in to a warming bowl of “equine porridge” after a hard day’s work. But as horsemanship practices have moved on, with many owners opting for nutritionally balanced compound feeds or feed balancers rather than straights, is the occasional mash still an appropriate feed for the working horse of 2024?

For Karen Coumbe MRCVS, H&H’s veterinary consultant, bran is not a frequent find in modern feed rooms. “Anecdotally it is said to help by providing fibre and, with the added fluid, reduces the risk of colic,” she tells H&H. “However, it is counterproductive to suddenly change feed by giving a bran mash to your horse.”

Karen adds that bran mash is of somewhat questionable nutritional value.

“Bran has a poor calcium to phosphorus ratio and it’s deficient in key nutrients such a lysine. Furthermore, if you feed huge amounts of bran long-term, horses can develop a condition known as ‘big head’, which is actually secondary hyperparathyroidism. This condition is extremely rare with modern, balanced diets.

“Feeding bran has become increasingly unpopular as although it is perceived as a laxative, it may also irritate the intestinal tract. Ultimately, bran mashes are traditional feeds that are now considered old-fashioned. Most yards no longer seem to feed them and, in fact, rarely have bran in their feed room. When it comes to appropriate nutrition, there are other modern, more sophisticated diets to be tried.”

What is “big head” disease?

“Big head” disease or “bran disease”, is properly known as secondary hyperparathyroidism. It occurs in horses who become calcium deficient alongside consumption of excess phosphorus. This causes the horse to leach calcium from the bones to balance supplies elsewhere in the body. The bones form fibrous growths in place of the lost minerals, causing the head to take on an enlarged, deformed appearance. If caught early and the diet is changed, the damage can be reversed. If not, horses can be left with permanent skeletal damage.

Finding a balance

Independent equine nutritionist Clare MacLeod MSc RNutr tells us that while bran mashes should be fed with caution, wheat products similar to bran are still widely-used ingredients in compound feeds.

“The biggest problem with feeding bran mash to horses is that they are traditionally fed once a week,” she tells H&H. “In doing this, you disturb the horse’s healthy gut microbes. Traditionally, we change feeds gradually – it’s something we all know to do. As long as you feed it every day, and phase it in and out of the diet over the season, you avoid upsetting the microbiome. It’s lovely to treat our horses, but we need to respect their physiology, too.”

Clare, who pioneered her own Confident Horse Feeding Programme, also warned of the dangers of low-calcium-high-phosphorus intake. She adds: “Because bran is so high in phosphorus, you would need to add calcium to balance it out. You can used limestone flour to do this, I recommend a ratio of 42g per kilo of bran.

“Bran can be a useful feed. It’s moderately high in fibre and protein and low in sugar. It’s got a moderately high starch content, so it’s not suitable for low-starch diets, but it’s not a bad feed when fed appropriately and balanced correctly.”

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Adding one of the best oils for horses to your horse’s diet has a wide range of benefits, from providing slow-release non-heating energy to improving coat condition, while they can also be added to the best feeds to aid weight gain. There are a great range of oils that you can feed your horse – while they will all deliver the same amount of energy, each will contain differing amounts of omega fatty acids.

Omega-3 is naturally anti-inflammatory, while omega-6 is pro-inflammatory. A pro-inflammatory isn’t always a bad thing as it can trigger immune responses to help speed up wound healing, for example. However, you definitely want an oil with more omega-3 than -6.

Here’s a round up of the best oils for horses, which includes the cost of each product per day as recommended for a 500kg horse in light work. Cost has been calculated using the RRP of the smallest volume – if you opt for a larger volume, the daily cost will likely decrease.

Best oils for horses

NAF Linseed Oil

Sizes: 1l, 2.5l, 5l, 25l

Feeding rate: 15–45ml

RRP: £12.50 for 1l

Cost per day: From 19p (when buying 1l)

This pure, cold-pressed linseed oil supports general health and helps to maintain a rich, natural shine to the coat. It’s also an ideal form of slow-release energy.

In the UK? View now at amazon.co.uk, viovet.co.uk, gsequestrian.co.uk or naylors.com

In the US? View now at amazon.com

Horse First Omega D Oil

Sizes: 2l, 4l

Feeding rate: 30ml

RRP: £23.75 for 2l

Cost per day: 36p

Described as “liquid sunshine for horses”, this oil contains cold-pressed flaxseed with the correct balance of omegas 3, 6 and 9, which cannot be naturally produced by your horse. It also contains added vitamin D, and supports your horse’s immune system, bone development and strength.

In the UK? View now at amazon.co.uk or viovet.co.uk

Keyflow Key-3 Oil

Sizes: 1l, 5l, 20l

Feeding rate: 30ml

RRP: £16.50 for 1l

Cost per day: 50p

This oil is a blend of cold-pressed British linseed, rapeseed and Scottish salmon oil with garlic. It is scientifically balanced for horses, providing a rich natural source of the long chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA in addition to a balanced ratio of omegas 6, 7 and 9.

In the UK? View now at amazon.co.uk or viovet.co.uk

Science Supplements Pure Linseed Oil

Sizes: 5l

Feeding rate: 180ml

RRP: £34.99

Cost per day: £1.25

This oil is high in omega 3 and has added vitamin E. It can help your horse gain weight, while improving coat and skin condition.

In the UK? View now at amazon.co.uk or viovet.co.uk 

Global Herbs Flax Oil

Sizes: 1l, 5l

Feeding rate: 30–50ml

RRP: £15 for 1l

Cost per day: From 45p

Flax oil helps horses maintain strong hooves, glossy coats and good condition. This cold-pressed oil is also a slow-release non-heating energy source, easy to digest and a rich source of omega-3 and -6. It can also help to aid absorption of other supplements.

In the UK? View now at amazon.co.uk, globalherbs.co.uk, viovet.co.uk, gsequestrian.co.uk or naylors.com 

Dodson & Horrell Soya Oil

Sizes: 5l

Feeding rate: 75ml

RRP: £28.52 for 5l

Cost per day: 43p

This calorie-dense conditioning oil will promote coat shine and weight gain. It can be added to existing feed without adding extra carbohydrate or protein. Feeding 75ml per day will improve coat condition, while you can feed 300ml per day for weight gain.

In the UK? View now at amazon.co.uk, viovet.co.uk or gsequestrian.co.uk

Lincoln Omega Gold Rapeseed Oil

Sizes: 1l, 4l

Feeding rate: 50ml

RRP: £10.50 for 1l

Cost per day: 53p

This 100% pure cold-pressed rapeseed oil, provides a balanced source of omega 3 and 6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E. It maintains and improves body condition and is a good source of non-heating energy.

In the UK? View now at amazon.co.uk, viovet.co.uk or gsequestrian.co.uk

Synovium Pure Linseed Oil

Sizes: 5l

Feeding rate: 60ml

RRP: £51

Cost per day: 61p

This cold-pressed linseed oil is 100% pure and taken from the first pressing. It contains omega 3 and 6 fatty acids to support healthy skin, coat and digestive, respiratory and joint health.

In the UK? View now at amazon.co.uk

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A horse feed has returned to the shelves, eight weeks after it was recalled as a “precautionary measure” over toxin concerns.

Simple System Horse Feeds announced in March it had recalled two batches of its Red Bag Grass Pellets. At the time the company said it had not had any concerns raised by customers, but had chosen to implement a “cautious approach” while it investigated further after a routine toxin screen had exceeded the company’s action limit.

In a statement today (19 May) Simple System confirmed the Red Bag Grass Pellets are “safe to feed” and adhere to the company’s “strict quality criteria”.

“Red Bag Grass Pellets are tested for mycotoxins throughout harvest by our grower, long before the product reaches our bags. Our routine testing, out of harvest season, allows us to check other potential risks, as well as a confirmation of our grower’s testing routines. After further extensive testing across every batch of Red Bag Grass Pellets, and rigorous re-testing of the original two batches, we simply could not repeat the anomaly result,” read the statement.

“Our investigation included more detailed and time-consuming testing, as well as an examination of the original testing methods. We also conducted an in-depth review with our grower of the harvesting, drying and storage methods used. Their extensive records were as thorough as we have come to expect and reinforce the confidence we have in their product quality.”

Simple System Horse Feeds marketing manager Stacey Lascelles said the Red Bag Grass Pellets are available to order again.

“We thank our customers for their patience and understanding during our investigation. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience this has caused and for the disruption to horses’ feeding routines,” she said.

“Simple System is dedicated to bringing you the very best feed for your horses. We pride ourselves on our ethics and quality and will always be honest with our customers.”

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An equestrian feed manufacturer has recalled two batches of pellets as a “precautionary measure” following routine toxin testing.

Simple System Horse Feeds announced today (20 March) it had recalled two batches of its Red Bag Grass Pellets. A spokesman said all other products and batches are unaffected.

“While we have had no related concerns raised by customers, we are committed to offering the highest quality feeds. As such we have chosen to implement a cautious approach whilst we investigate further,” said the spokesman.

“Additional testing is required to fully assess the issue. As these tests will take time to conclude, we are asking customers to stop feeding Red Bag Grass Pellets from two potentially affected batches.”

The batches are: SSB-20221006-001 and SSB-202221007-001. The batch number can be found printed at the top of the rear of the bag.

“We have so much more we would like to learn around this issue. What we know at this early stage is a routine toxins screen has exceeded our action limit,” said the spokesman.

“The initial indication is that the cause is natural, happening in the field pre-harvest and drying. A result of the extreme drought in the UK last summer, and potentially the specific species of grass, used only in our Red Bag Grass Pellets.”

The spokesman added that any potential negative effect to a horse would lie with feeding “well in excess” of Simple Systems Horse Feeds’ recommendations and “over a long period of time”.

Anyone who has either of the batches is asked to email redbag@simplesystem.co.uk with their name, postcode, telephone number, and the date and location of purchase. A suitable alternative feed will be offered as a replacement.

“We pride ourselves in our ethics and quality. We will always be honest with our customers. We value your trust and support. Your horses come first and foremost in everything that we do,” said the spokesman.

“If you have any concerns with your feeding, please don’t hesitate to contact our feed line on 01284 810 043.”

Update 19 May: Simple System Horse Feeds has announced that following rigorous testing, the Red Bag Grass Pellets are “safe to feed” and adhere to the company’s “strict quality criteria”. Read the full update. 

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Feeding is a complicated science — never more so than with a competition horse aiming for peak performance. Emily Bevan sorts the facts from the fiction

Myth: adding oats to my horse’s feed ahead of a competition will give him an energy boost.

One of the golden rules of feeding is to be consistent, so making any sudden changes to your horse’s diet, particularly ahead of a competition when you are wanting him to perform at his best, is never a good idea.

“An abrupt dietary change can increase the risk of colic, plus during exercise horses, like humans, use stored energy sources not energy directly from their previous meal,” says Yvonne Judith, an equine nutritionist with a focus on competition horses. “This ‘instant’ energy may also cause behavioural issues in some horses — the last thing you want before a competition.”

For a horse to safely receive the full energy benefits that oats provide, he would need to be consuming them daily, rather than just on or before competition day.

“Oats are a great way of adding quick-release energy into the diet for horses who can be lethargic or lacking in energy, but this should not be seen as a substitute for ensuring adequate fitness,” says Katie Grimwood, a nutrition advisor from Baileys Horse Feeds.

Myth: my horse shouldn’t drink after competing as he will get colic.

While all riders and owners are aware of the importance of hydration, many withhold water after exercise as they believe it’s not safe for a horse to drink if he’s hot and sweaty.

However, this isn’t true and a horse’s thirst instinct is at its highest after exercise so it’s important to make the most of this opportunity to rehydrate your horse as soon as he wants to drink.

“Exercise has a direct effect on thermoregulation and fluid balance,” explains Emma Nissler, Dodson & Horrell’s nutritional manager. “The water requirements of competitive horses are affected by several variables that can influence sweat and respiratory fluid losses. Water has a direct and indirect involvement in nearly every physiologic process within the body, and so it is really important to ensure they are rehydrated, especially post-exercise when their natural instinct is at its peak.”

Myth: I should avoid including molasses in my horse’s diet as it will make him excitable on competition day

Molasses is a byproduct of sugar cane or beet so naturally has a high sugar content. While sugar is fine in moderation, many riders and owners believe the high sugar levels in molasses will give their horse too much energy on competition day. However, what they don’t realise is that molasses is already included in most competition mixes in a diluted state to bind the ingredients and dampen the mixture to reduce dust.

“Molasses gets blamed for a myriad of problems, including hyperactivity,” says Saracen Horse Feeds’ senior nutritionist Lizzie Drury. “Molasses supplies the horse with digestible energy because it is composed entirely of sucrose, glucose and fructose. The amount of molasses in a typical helping of a concentrate feed cannot, however, induce hyperactivity.”

It’s important to look at the sugar content in your horse’s diet as a whole rather than singling out specific ingredients.

TopSpec’s nutrition director Nicola Tyler adds: “Molasses contains approximately 50% sugar and its contribution to the total level of sugar in the diet should be calculated before ruling it out.”

Myth: I don’t need to give my competition horse much forage as he gets all the calories and energy he needs from his hard feed

Horses are trickle feeders and need to have regular access to forage to keep their gut mobile. Forage also contains all the essential nutrients a horse requires and should form the basis of every horse’s diet. One of the main components of forage is fibre.

“Fibre supports the way that the horse has evolved to graze and provides a bulk to the feed to maintain and support digestive health,” says Katie Grimwood. “It can also allow the horse to better utilise the nutrients received through the concentrate feed.”

There is a common belief that forage shouldn’t be fed to a horse while travelling or before competition as it gives them colic or slows them down.

“The opposite is actually true,” says Yvonne Judith. “A lack of fibre can increase the risk of gastric ulcers and colic. Fibre does bind water in the gut but the slight increase in weight will not impact performance.”

Myth: if I feed a specific product it will help my horse’s physical development

It’s important to take advice from a nutritionist to ensure you are feeding a balanced diet and are not wasting money on fad products or supplements.

“There is a belief among lower level competitors that feeding a certain product or supplement can help your horse to gain topline without supporting the diet with a structured exercise plan. As a result, owners can be tempted to load the horse up on excess ingredients that he doesn’t actually need,” says Blue Chip Feed’s Emma Nicholls.

Protein is one of the key supplements owners often include, believing it helps condition muscle.

“While protein is required to build muscle tone and topline and is needed for the growth and repair of body tissues, feeding protein alone is not sufficient to promote topline and should be used in combination with correct training,” explains Katie Grimwood.

If your horse is consuming a balanced diet he should be receiving the nutritional support he needs for all areas of development.

“Topline develops from the correct working of the horses’ muscles along the spine to build a ‘top line’. Quality amino acids are required to help build muscle and feeding the correct diet according to the horses’ requirements should provide these amino acids, without the need for additional supplements,” says Anne Priestman.

Myth: we are moving up a level in competition so I’ll increase my horse’s food intake to ensure he has enough energy to cope

“Grassroots competitors are often naïve in what they are feeding their horses and think that when they step up a level they need to increase their horse’s feed intake,” says Emma Nicholls. “The overriding message is ‘my horse needs more energy so I will up his feed’ rather than looking at the type of feed he requires.”

Understanding your horse’s dietary requirements is essential if he is to perform to his best and maintain a healthy weight. Advice from a nutritionist can not only help to ensure your horse consumes the correct feed, but also that he receives the appropriate quantities.

“Another common misconception is that feeding ‘high energy’ feeds can help to improve energy levels without causing weight gain,” explains Katie Grimwood.

“Calories are just units of energy, so high energy feeds are also high in calories. Although feeds such as competition mixes or straight oats can work to an extent, if used they should be incorporated as part of a fully balanced diet and in combination with a suitable fitness regime.”

Myth: my horse performed well today in tough conditions. I’ll give him a bran mash when we get home as it’ll be good for him

While a bran mash may be considered a warm, comforting treat and it can help increase your horse’s water intake, if it is not a regular component of his diet it has no place in his feed bucket.

“Recovery is such an important part of any horse’s routine, especially competition horses that are in harder work,” explains Emma Nissler, Dodson & Horrell’s nutritional manager. “While ‘recovery’ feeds are tempting to add into their meals on a competition day, it is more likely to be effective as part of their regular concentrate ration.

“For horses in hard work, that sweat heavily during exercise and travel, the addition of electrolyte salts (sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium and calcium) will ensure the nutrients lost through sweat are replenished efficiently and will positively influence recovery time. Performance feeds will sometimes contain added electrolytes already, but if not, electrolytes can be added to their meals a day before, the day of, and up to two days post-competition.”

“Abrupt dietary changes are never a good idea and bran is no exception. Bran is not balanced, especially in terms of calcium and phosphorus, and can actually be quite abrasive on the digestive system,” says Yvonne Judith. “Also be warned: some products marketed as mashes, especially within Europe, can be very high in starch which could contribute to colic, tying up or behavioural problems.”

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

US officials have confirmed that the toxin linked to the deaths of more than 40 horses was found in horse feed.

H&H reported in December that feed had been blamed for the death of 45 horses in the US, and certain lots of Top of the Rockies Alfalfa Cubes had been recalled.

The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF), working with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the California Animal Health & Food Safety Laboratory, has confirmed that clostridium botulinum type C was found in alfalfa hay cubes linked to the deaths of “at least 20 horses” in Louisiana.

“This incident, which has evolved into a multi-state epizootic of equine botulism linked to the same alfalfa hay cubes, has also been connected to at least 28 similar horse deaths in New Mexico, Texas, and Colorado, with many other horses becoming clinically ill,” said an LDAF statement on 5 January.

“Equine botulism is a condition caused from a bacterial toxin produced by clostridium botulinum. In this incident, the condition was likely caused from direct ingestion of the toxin produced by the vegetative bacteria through contamination of the alfalfa hay cubes.”

Botulism is a rapidly fatal disease, most commonly caused by eating food contaminated with the toxin produced by clostridium botulinum bacteria.

The FDA started its investigation, in conjunction with state departments, after reports of horses in Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico and Texas showing neurological symptoms consistent with the disease.

LDAF investigators received information during its own investigation, of alfalfa cubes that had possibly been contaminated with animal remains. They then confirmed the presence of animal remains in an unopened 50lb bag of Top of the Rockies Alfalfa Horse Cubes (lot number 111422), produced by Manzanola Feeds.

“This finding indicated that material from an animal or animals may have been incorporated into the cubes during alfalfa harvesting,” added the statement. “Clostridium botulinum, the bacterium that causes botulism, is commonly present in decaying animal carcasses.”

Owners whose horses have eaten the cubes and shown signs of neurological illness are urged to contact a vet immediately. They are also asked to report the illness to the FDA and if possible, share the brand name and lot numbers of the feed ingested.

LDAF is also asking those who gave their horses this feed, and whose horses then became ill or died unexpectedly with neurological signs, to contact its emergency 24-hotline on 1-855-452-5323.

Manzanola Feeds has recalled Top of the Rockies alfalfa cubes with the date codes 111222, 111322, 111422, 111522, and 111622. Anyone who has these batches, or has bags where they can’t be sure of the date code, is urged to throw them away in a secure container and follow FDA handling and cleaning instructions (link).

The latest statement from Manzanola Feeds, issued on 16 December before test results had been received, recalled lots of Top of the Rockies Alfalfa Cubes with codes 111222, 111322, 111422, 111522 or 111622. The company also shared advice on how to dispose of these nad clean containers.

A Manzanola Feeds spokesman told H&H at the time that it was working with the FDA and that anyone with any questions can contact the company on manzyfeeds@hotmail.com. H&H has since contacted the Manzanola Feeds for comment, following the publication of the test results.

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Tapir, camels and zebra are among the exotic animals who have been tucking into horse feed at Paradise Wildlife Park.

The Hertfordshire park has been feeding Dengie’s Alfa-A Original to a number of species for years, alongside specialist feed, forage, fruit and vegetables.

Residents who enjoy the chaff include the lowland tapir, the plains zebra, the bactrian camels and the red deer.

Paradise head keeper James Cork said Dengie has been on the menu at the park for over 15 years.

“We mix it with their concentrate feeds and have found this to be a great product for increasing the animals’ roughage,” he said.

“It’s clear to see that all the animals enjoy their Alfa-A, particularly our bactrian camels, who love grabbing mouthfuls out of their feed buckets before we have even placed the food in their troughs!”

The Paradise animals are also fed hay and straw, and a specialised pellet feed. The tapirs enjoy fruit and vegetables, their favourites being peppers and pumpkin, with their 400g chaff per day. The camels have a taste for carrots as treats, and get through 1.6kg Alfa-A every day, split into two feeds.

“The animals at Paradise Wildlife Park also have various forms of enrichment including treat balls, branches and forage at varying levels including hay racks and feed troughs,” a Dengie spokesman said.

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

The new owners of horse feed company Pure Feed say they are “incredibly excited” about the opportunities to develop the brand, which has been bought out of administration.

Parakore Limited bought the “goodwill and assets” of the company from administrators on 2 December, and have got production back up and running.

The business had survived the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic but then faced “unprecedented” increases in the cost of raw materials, as well as a shortage in supplies caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the huge rise in energy costs.

Having worked through these issues, a major supplier “imposed a significant change in trading terms, causing critical cash flow issues”, and the company went into administration in November.

A spokesman for the new owners told H&H production was up and running within 10 days of the sale, and that they are “100% focused on allowing this amazing brand to continue to unlock its true potential by bringing their considerable industry experience, increased levels of capital investment and enhanced marketing capabilities to bear”.

Managing director Chris Spratling told H&H he and his fellow directors are “incredibly excited about the opportunities to develop this amazing brand”.

“The outcry from loyal customers, retail and trade alike, was all the evidence we needed to realise just how cherished the brand is and what a great opportunity exists to develop it further,” he said.

“We appreciate just how difficult the production delays caused by the administration were for customers but rest assured, we’ll be working tirelessly to rebuild the brand’s reputation for quality and service and ensure that customers across the UK have access to this fantastic feed range. Wholesalers and retailers across the UK have already been able to order stock to meet pre-Christmas demand and we expect our website to begin taking orders again on 23 December ready for delivery in early January.”

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Feed potentially contaminated with botulism has been blamed for the death of 45 horses in the United States, as an alfalfa product is recalled.

Manzanola Feeds issued a statement via the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on 16 December recalling “certain lots” of Top of the Rockies Alfalfa Cubes.

“Out of an abundance of caution, Manzanola Feeds is voluntarily recalling certain lots of Top of the Rockies Alfalfa Cubes because it has the potential to be contaminated with clostridium botulinum, an organism that can cause severe and potentially fatal toxicity in animals eating the contaminated food or coming into contact with contact areas that have been exposed to the product,” read the statement.

“Common symptoms can include dizziness, blurred or double vision, trouble with vocalising or swallowing, difficulty breathing, muscle weakness, abdominal distension, and constipation. Animals experiencing these symptoms should receive immediate medical attention.”

The statement said the recalled product was distributed directly to the following states: Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin. But it added that further distribution “may be possible”, and it is important for owners to check whether they have the product.

The feed is approximately one-inch cubes, packaged in a 50lb bag, labelled with one of the following codes: 111222, 111322, 111422, 111522 or 111622.

“The code can be found on the front of the bag, towards the top of the bag. It is usually in the white portion of the bag, but can sometimes be found in the brown portion . The code represents the month, day and year the cubes were manufactured. These codes have been updated from our original post after our review of records,” the statement continued.

“If you have these date lots of alfalfa cubes, or you can’t be sure of the date lot code of the products you have, do not feed them to your horses or any other animals. Throw them away in a secure container and place them in a covered trash can or dumpster so that no other animals can access them.”

The company advised owners to avoid handling the cubes directly, and to wear disposable gloves and a face mask when throwing the cubes away or cleaning feed bins.

“Additionally, you should clean out all the empty bins or containers where the alfalfa cubes were kept by soaking them with a 1:10 dilution of household bleach for 15 to 20 minutes, followed by soap and water, then leave them to air-dry,” said a Manzanola Feeds spokesman.

“If you think your horse has become ill after eating this food, call your veterinarian.”

The company confirmed that as of 16 December there had been 45 horse deaths “associated with this issue”. A spokesman told H&H today (20 December) no test results had yet been received, and the company is working with the FDA.

Manzanola Feeds said anyone with any questions can contact the company on manzyfeeds@hotmail.com.

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Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

The best feeds for older horses are designed specifically to meet the nutritional needs of an ageing horse and deliver it in an easily digestible form. A good veteran feed will ensure your horse is receiving enough fibre, provide increased levels of protein to help maintain muscle mass, and deliver the nutrition required to support their vital organs and promote mobility.

Feeds designed for older horses are available in a variety of forms, and many are softer or soakable, which makes them easier to chew. This is important as chewing is the first stage of digestion, but a horse’s teeth wear down throughout his life and poor dentition is common in older horses. This is why many of the best hay replacers, which are often beneficial to veterans, are shorter stem or soakable.

No matter a horse’s age, he should be fed as an individual according to his condition. While weight loss is common in older horses, many horses that have been good-doers throughout their lives will remain so and, therefore, should receive an age appropriate low-calorie feed to prevent unwanted weight gain.

At what age does a horse need a veteran feed?

A horse is generally consider a veteran at the age of 15 – this is not to say they’re old, as many are still living active lives at this age, and with good management and veterinary care many go one to live into their thirties.

Like people, horses age at different rates – some require a veteran feed sooner than others, while many continue to thrive on their usual feed much longer. For example, if your horse is under the age of 15 but requires a joint supplement, it would be worth discussing with a nutritionist as to whether a veteran feed designed for older horses would cover the requirements.

What veteran feed is best for my horse?

Feeds come in different types, each with its own set of benefits. We’ve included all types within this guide and you can use the links to jump to the section you think most suits your horse below.

• Mixes are fairly traditional compound feeds and you can see the elements within them
• Cubes or pellets typically give the same nutrition as their equivalent mix, but can be soaked, which makes them easier to chew
• Mashes and soaked feeds are really easy to chew – some are optionally soakable, while others must be soaked to be safe to eat
• Chopped fibres are frequently used to bulk out feeds and deliver additional fibre, but they are also useful for carrying supplements for older horses and powder-form balancers
• Balancers provide everything your horse needs in a low-volume, low-energy way, which makes them particularly suited to good-doers

Best mixes for older horses

Spillers Senior Complete Care Mix

Bag weight: 20kg | RRP: £18.25 | Daily feeding rate: 3kg | Cost per day: £2.74 |

This mix is designed to provide complete nutritional care. It includes glucosamine and MSM to support joint health, as well as pre- and probiotics to help support gut health, together with an appetising herbal blend to encourage fussy eaters to tuck in.

View now at amazon.co.uk

Baileys No15 Senior Mix

Bag weight: 20kg | RRP: £17 | Daily feeding rate: 2½kg | Cost per day: £2.13 |

This mix is formulated to provide easy-to-digest, non-heating calories that will provide a little more condition than a high-fibre, low-energy feed, while also delivering the extra nutrients he needs to stay looking and feeling good.

With protein from alfalfa and soya, Baileys Senior Mix helps promote good muscle tone, while yeast culture and Digest Plus prebiotic support gut efficiency. It contains a full profile of vitamins and minerals that are important for maintaining health and wellbeing in the older horse.

View now at amazon.co.uk

Equerry Veteran Mix

Bag weight: 20kg | RRP: £18.25 | Daily feeding rate: 2½–3kg | Cost per day: £2.28 |

This mix is designed for elderly horses that need to gain weight and condition. It is formulated with high levels of protein to promote muscle tone and topline, oil and linseed to improve condition and ensure a shiny coat, and yeast for a healthy digestive system. The cereals are highly digestible so your horse gets maximum benefit and it includes raised levels of vitamin E, which is an important antioxidant.

View now at amazon.co.uk

Rowen Barbary Senior Support

Bag weight: 20kg | RRP: £18.60 | Daily Daily feeding rate: 2kg | Cost per day: £1.86 |

Senior Support is ideal for the older horse who would benefit from the added glucosamine, MSM and turmeric, which are added to help maintain healthy joints. It has high levels of oils, as well as digestive enhancers, vitamins and minerals, which all help to ensure excellent condition is maintained all year round.

View now at amazon.co.uk

Spillers Senior Conditioning Mix

Bag weight: 20kg | RRP: £19.25 | Daily feeding rate: 3kg | Cost per day: £2.89 |

This mix is designed for active older horses who have trouble keeping weight on. It contains a blend of steam flaked cereals and oil for condition, while the small-sized particles make for easier chewing. It includes glucosamine to help support joint health, live yeast to support digestive health, minerals to aid absorption and antioxidants to support the immune system.

View now at amazon.co.uk

Pure Veteran Mix

Bag weight: 15kg | RRP: £19.25 | Daily feeding rate: 2kg | Cost per day: £2.57 |

Pure Veteran Mix contains elevated levels of vitamins and minerals, with a soft chop for easy chewing. It also includes quality protein and extra slow-release calories to help senior horses who are still in regular work or require extra assistance maintaining condition.

View now at amazon.co.uk

Saracen Veteran Mix

Bag weight: 20kg | RRP: £20 | Daily feeding rate: 2kg | Cost per day: £2 |

This highly digestible mix is designed specifically to meet the nutritional needs of the older horse. Formulated with “super-fibre” sources and oil, the daily ration provides slow-release energy, which helps to avoid the fizz that can be associated with cereal-based diets. Veteran Mix is fully balanced with essential vitamins and minerals, as well as quality protein sources to support and maintain muscle tone and development, plus has the added benefit of live yeast to support gut health and fibre utilisation.

View now at amazon.co.uk

Baileys No8 Meadow Sweet with Turmeric

Bag weight: 15kg | RRP: £16 | Daily feeding rate: 2½kg | Cost per day: £2.67 |

This low-starch, high-fibre mix is formulated to help maintain condition, while encouraging a calm temperament. It’s the first fully balanced feed to include TurmerAid complete turmeric supplement, which contains ingredients to support healthy joints and the immune system, making it particularly suited to the older horse. The mix is molasses-free and contains no whole cereals, so with a starch level of just 7.5% it is ideal for older horses who have moderate energy requirements but need to control their starch intake.

View now at amazon.co.uk

Best soakable pellets and mashes for older horses

Keyflow Golden Oldies

Bag weight: 15kg | RRP: £47.50 | Daily feeding rate: 500g | Cost per day: £1.58 |

Golden Oldies is a balancer that is formulated to be soaked into a soft palatable mash for older horses, offering an all-in-one solution. It’s designed with the specific needs of older horses in mind, and is molasses and cereal free. It has exceptionally low levels of sugar and starch and is considered suitable for horses with concerns of PPID (Cushing’s) or laminitis, as well as those with gastric ulcers. Prebiotics and probiotics are included to support gut health and efficiency, as well as omega-3, which supports joint health, skin, coat and hooves, and turmeric.

View now at amazon.co.uk

Spillers Senior Super-Mash

Bag weight: 20kg | RRP: £16.90 | Daily feeding rate: 3kg | Cost per day: £2.56 |

Targetting condition and gut health, this mash is ideal for older horses with dental issues – it soaks in less than two minutes. It’s high in fibre and molasses free, plus also contains live yeast alongside prebiotics to support digestive health. It can be added to existing feed or fed at 3kg/day if used as a replacement for compound feed.

View now at amazon.co.uk

Pure Veteran Pellets

Bag weight: 15kg | RRP: £19.25 | Daily feeding rate: 2kg | Cost per day: £2.57 |

Pure Veteran Pellets is a complete feed that is designed for older horses who require a mash due to poor dentition. It contains elevated levels of vitamins and minerals, slow-release calories and good quality proteins, which all help older horses who require extra assistance maintaining condition or are still in regular work.

View now at amazon.co.uk

Saracen Horse Feeds Veteran Cubes

Bag weight: 20kg | RRP: £20 | Daily feeding rate: 2kg | Cost per day: £2 |

These highly digestible mint-flavoured cubes are made to be softer than other traditional cubes, which ensures they can be easily soaked into a soft palatable mash for horses with poor dentition. The cubes are rich in essential antioxidants, such as vitamin E, to support and maintain muscle function, while the live yeast supports optimum digestion and fibre utilisation. They offer a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, which promote good coat condition, joint health, and mobility.

View now at amazon.co.uk

Dengie Alfa-Beet

Bag weight: 20kg | RRP: £15.95 | Daily feeding rate: 1½–2½kg | Cost per day: From £1.27 |

This soaked, high-fibre, low-sugar and -starch feed is ideal for older horses who struggle to chew. The combination of nutrient-rich alfalfa and unmolassed sugar beet pulp help to promote weight gain and condition in the form of highly digestible fibre. It is free from molasses and contains just 2% starch and 5% naturally occurring sugar, and soaks in 15 mins (hot water or two hours cold water) to help aid hydration.

View now at amazon.co.uk

Pure Meadow Mash

Bag weight: 15kg | RRP: £15.25 | Daily feeding rate: Up to 5kg | Cost per day: Up to £5.08 |

Pure Meadow Mash is a high-fibre, low-sugar and low-starch hay replacer. The quick-soaking pellets form an easy to chew mash, which is perfect for older horses and those with poor dentition. It contains seven different herbs for improved palatability to help tempt even the fussiest of eaters.

Best chopped fibres for older horses

Dengie Hi-Fi Senior

Bag weight: 20kg | RRP: £16.89 | Daily feeding rate: 1½–2½kg | Cost per day: From £1.27 |

This highly digestible fibre feed blends soft grass and nutrient-rich alfalfa with a light molasses and rapeseed oil coating. It is ideal for veterans and those with poor dentition because the soft, short chop makes it easier to chew, while the alfalfa supplies good quality protein to help maintain condition and topline. Hi-Fi Senior can be used as part of the bucket feed or as a total or partial hay replacer.

View now at amazon.co.uk

Dengie Meadow Grass With Herbs And Oil

Bag weight: 15kg | RRP: £15.95 | Daily feeding rate: 1½–2½kg | Cost per day: From £1.59 |

This 100% natural, British-grown blend of chopped and pelleted grasses is rich in highly digestible fibre, naturally sweet, soft and easy to chew making it ideal for veterans or those with poor teeth. It has a rapeseed oil coating that promotes condition and coat shine, while the blend of herbs – liquorice root, fennel, mint, chamomile and aniseed – help tempt fussy feeders. It is free from molasses, artificial flavours, preservatives and straw.

View now at amazon.co.uk

Dengie Pure Grass

Bag weight: 15kg | RRP: £17.95 |

This is a natural blend of British-grown grasses that are soft and easy to chew, making it ideal for veterans. Naturally sweet and rich in highly digestible fibre, Pure Grass can supply additional calories for poor doers; it can be included in the bucket feed, used as a forage replacer or supplementing limited grazing. It is free from molasses, artificial flavours, preservatives and straw. We’ve not calculated a cost per day for this feed as it can be fed in any quantity from a handful to hold a supplement to ad-lib as a complete hay replacement.

View now at amazon.co.uk

Best balancers for older horses

TopSpec Senior Feed Balancer

Bag weight: 15kg | RRP: £44.95 | Daily feeding rate: 500g | Cost per day: £1.50 |

TopSpec Senior Feed Balancer is designed to help maintain muscle development, topline and condition, which often starts to decline with age. It combines the benefits of a feed balancer and a joint supplement, in a highly cost-effective way. It is made without cereal grains and is low in sugar and starch.

When this balancer is mixed with TopSpec FibrePlus Cubes it makes a complete feed, which can be used to replace all forage if necessary due to poor dentition. It includes the scientifically recommended rate of glucosamine to help maintain mobility (when fed at the recommended rate). It is a palatable “non-heating” feed that contains several supplements that provide the necessary levels of micronutrients and digestive aids, so there is no need to add further supplements.

View now at amazon.co.uk or viovet.co.uk

Blue Chip Senior Super Concentrated Feed Balancer

Sizes: 3kg | RRP: £26.45 | Daily feeding rate: 100g | Cost per day: 88p |

Formulated for horses over the age of 14, this balancer contains the correct levels of vitamins, minerals and nutrients in the diet, along with additional supplements to ease the ageing process. It includes a combination of chaste tree berry, antioxidants and omega oils, a complete joint supplement and is completely molasses free. Available in a rodent-proof and waterproof recyclable tub.

View now at amazon.co.uk, viovet.co.uk or gsequestrian.co.uk

Keyflow Golden Oldies

Bag weight: 15kg | RRP: £47.50 | Daily feeding rate: 500g | Cost per day: £1.58 |

Also featuring in the mash section of this guide, Golden Oldies is a balancer that is formulated to be soaked into a soft palatable mash for older horses, offering an all-in-one solution. It’s designed with the specific needs of older horses in mind, and is molasses and cereal free. It has exceptionally low levels of sugar and starch and is considered suitable for horses with concerns of PPID (Cushing’s) or laminitis, as well as those with gastric ulcers. Prebiotics and probiotics are included to support gut health and efficiency, as well as omega-3, which supports joint health, skin, coat and hooves, and turmeric.

View now at amazon.co.uk

Dodson & Horrell Senior Support balancer

Sizes: 15kg | RRP: £33.43 | Daily feeding rate: 500g | Cost per day: £1.11 |

Designed for older horses who are actively competing or in light work, this balancer provides quality protein and all the vitamins and minerals a veteran requires in a low-volume, low-calorie way, which is ideal for horses that hold their weight well and don’t need a lot of compound feed.

View now at amazon.co.uk

NAF In The Pink Senior

Sizes: 900g, 1.8kg, 3.6kg | RRP: £26.25 for 900g | Daily feeding rate: 30g | Cost per day: £0.87 |

Formulated to meet all the nutritional requirements of the older horse and give him all the support he needs to stay active and feeling young, this balancer supports the digestive system, which helps your horse maximise the value of his feed intake.

View now at viovet.co.uk, amazon.co.uk or gsequestrian.co.uk

Science Supplements WellHorse Veteran

Bag weight 1.6kg | RRP: £39.99 | Daily feeding rate: 54g | Cost per day: £1.35 |

Formulated to meet the demands of the older horse, this balancer contains every important nutrient your veteran requires and meets the NRC (National Research Council) and BASF (Animal Nutrition) recommendations for vitamins, microminerals and macrominerals. It also supports joint, hoof and gut health as well as the immune system.

View now at amazon.co.uk, viovet.co.uk or gsequestrian.co.uk

Spillers Supple & Senior Balancer

Bag weight: 15kg | RRP: £37.29 | Daily feeding rate: 500g | Cost per day: £1.24 |

This balancer is designed for older horses that maintain condition well on forage alone. It contains glucosamine, MSM and omega-3 for joint support, quality protein to support muscle and topline, and pre- and probiotics to support digestive health. It provides a broad spectrum of vitamins and minerals and is high in antioxidants to support immune health. With a low starch and sugar content, it is suitable for those prone to laminitis.

View now at amazon.co.uk

TopSpec Senior Lite feed balancer

Bag weight: 15kg | RRP: £44.95 | Daily feeding rate: 500g | Cost per day: £1.50 |

Designed for elderly horses that are prone to weight gain, this balancer combines the benefits of a low-calorie feed balancer and a joint supplement in a cost-effective way. It’s formulated without cereal grains and provides only low levels of sugar and starch, which helps to maintain healthy hindgut function and avoid loose droppings.

View at amazon.co.uk or viovet.co.uk

You might also be interested in:

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Veteran supplements: what’s on the market?

Best feed balancers for all horses: what’s on the market?

Supplements to help joints keep working at their best: what’s on the market?

15 feeds to help your horse gain weight and condition

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Can horses eat strawberries? The answer is yes, and they can actually be useful for hydrating your horse and boosting their immune system.

However, although strawberries are perfectly safe for most horses, that may not be the case for all of them. If you want to feed your horse a strawberry, introduce the food slowly into their diet and closely monitor how they react. If you suspect any medical concerns following your horse eating strawberries, contact your vet.

Can horses eat strawberries and how can they benefit them?

Strawberries are rich in vitamins, fibre, antioxidants, minerals, and water. The fruit contains a high level of vitamin C, E, and K. It also has magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, and potassium.

Horses can eat strawberries, but make sure you cut them up first to help prevent choking.

How many strawberries should a horse eat?

You should feed no more than six to 10 strawberries per week, and ideally, no more than one to two per day. It is important you wash the strawberries prior to feeding them to your horse as they might have residual chemicals or pesticides on them. You also shouldn’t feed your horse mouldy strawberries as this could make them ill.

Remember that strawberries contain a lot of sugar and colic may be a risk if horses are over-fed them.

Is your horse partial to an unusual form of treat? Let us know your stories by emailing hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your letter published and you might win a bottle of Champagne Taittinger

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Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits. 

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

The green shoots of spring have arrived in the UK, so if you’re trying to keep your overall cost of living down and are green-fingered, why not try growing your own horse treats? Rachel Fraser shares some easy-to-grow plants that are likely to go down well with your horse…

Cleavers

You may well already have cleavers growing in your garden or field hedgerows. Also known as ‘sticky weed’, cleavers grow well in hedgerows, overgrown or wild flower areas and around trees.

Believed to be a natural tonic, cleavers are a popular choice for owners growing their own horse treats — some pick enough to fill a haynet, while others let their horses forage for themselves when cleavers are planted in a field.

To grow them at home, sow seeds directly into the soil in shaded areas for best results.

Find cleavers seeds at etsy.com

Mint

No surprises here — shop-bought mints have long been a staple horse treat. Hailed for helping fussy-eaters enjoy bucket feeds, mint is readily sold in its dried form as a supplement. Why not have a go at growing mint and swap shop-bought for fresh?

Mint plants can be purchased from most garden centres and some supermarkets. Simply plant up into a large pot of compost for easy harvesting. A pot is recommended to avoid the plants from rowing uncontrollably and taking over your garden.

Pick mint leaves frequently to encourage new shoots to grow and you should have a plentiful supply from spring to late autumn.

Find mint plants at amazon.co.uk

Cow parsley

Cow parsley has delicate white flowers and often grows on roadsides and verges — your horse may well have grabbed a sneaky bite of it to eat while out on a hack.

According to the Wildflowers UK website, seeds should be sown either outside where they are intended to flower or into seed trays in the autumn.

They flower from April to June and prefer semi-shade, so areas near to hedges are ideal. A word of caution though — cow parsley tends to seed itself well, so you may end up growing more of it than you originally planned.

Find cow parsley seeds at amazon.co.uk

Nettles

Nettles might not seem like an obvious choice but once cut and allowed to wilt, they lose their sting and become a delicious treat.

You might have some growing in your fields already, in which case simply cut, harvest and feed once the sting has gone.

If you’re starting off a new crop, plant seeds into pots of compost and cover with a few centimetres of soil. Keep the pots well-watered until the seed has germinated, usually within about two weeks.

Find nettle seeds at amazon.co.uk

Hawthorn

Hawthorn makes a popular and tasty treat for horses. Where it is growing in paddocks, horses will often self-select the plant to supplement their grazing. Hawthorn berries are sometimes sold as a supplement, believed to support circulation.

Hawthorn grows into trees eventually, but can be purchased as a young plant. These are much smaller and may be more manageable for those looking to grow them in large pots or in the garden at home.

Gardening website lovethegarden.com suggests that hawthorns aren’t too fussy about their position, so you can grow them in most areas — sunshine or shade. The website advises that bare-root trees are best planted between November and March, but container-grown Hawthorns can be planted any time of year.

Growing your own horse treats is a great way to make use of hedgerows and add variety to your garden or yard — so why not get green-fingered and give it a go?

Find hawthorn plants at amazon.co.uk

NB: Horse & Hound recommends that all treats should be fed in moderation. If your horse has any existing health conditions, please seek expect advice from your vet or equine nutritionist before feeding them any of the above plants.

You may also be interested in…

Which treats are safe for horses? Horse & Hound explains…

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Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Few aspects of horse ownership are as worrying as an injured horse, stuck on box rest. Managing their diet and feeding a horse on box rest is one of the major problems owners need to address, because the horse cannot graze and forage naturally, potentially for months. Lacking exercise or any movement, some horses will put on weight. Others will stress the weight straight off. And box rest increases the risk of colic, as the horse’s digestive system functions best when the animal is moving. We asked some equine nutritionists if there is anything balancers can do for box-resting horses.

According to Katie Grimwood, BSc (Hons), the senior nutritionist at Bailey’s, feed balancers are actually quite helpful.

“Correct nutrition may actually aid soft tissue healing by providing the nutritional components for repair,” she says. “Amino acids, for example, are the building blocks of protein and are essential for soft tissue construction. Essential amino acids (those not synthesised within the horse’s body), such as lysine and methionine, are particularly good for supporting repair.”

Katie advises that forage won’t provide enough nutrients.

“It does not contain the quality protein required to supply plenty of essential amino acids, although alfalfa is a good source of the amino acid, lysine.”

Lizzie Drury, the senior nutritionist at Saracen Horse Feeds, agrees that a balancer could be a useful addition to the recuperating horse’s diet, explaining: “When you have a horse that is on box rest or convalescing, a feed balancer is a convenient way to provide essential amino acids, antioxidants, prebiotics and probiotics that will help to support the immune system and maintain a healthy digestive system. Sick horses may also have limited appetites and feed balancers can help to stimulate intake and deliver a high plane of nutrition in a small amount of feed.”

The box-resting horse should still be given ad lib forage, as it gives him something to do and helps prevent digestive complications. Kate Hore, RNutr (Animal), registered nutritionist with NAF, says: “A horse out of work should be on a high fibre, low energy diet with little or no hard feed.” She adds: “However, those micronutrients are still essential — after all, they are required for repair and regrowth, so are an essential part of your horse’s return to fitness.”

Unlike feed made out of whole cereal grains, balancers don’t provide the horse with as much buzzy energy. Getting into the science of it, Kate explains: “Starch and sugar are the primary sources of quick release energy within the diet, with high intakes of these being commonly associated with excitable or fizzy behaviour. Starch is found in higher amounts in whole cereal grains such as oats, maize, wheat and barley. Digestion breaks the starch molecule down into separate glucose molecules which are absorbed straight into the blood stream in the small intestine.

Cereals are therefore known for supplying quick release energy, as they are easily digested and can be used much quicker than energy from fats and fibre. Due to the small feeding rates of balancers (typically 100g per 100kg of bodyweight), the starch and sugar contributions will be minimal, making them ideal for horses that can be fizzy while their workload and energy expenditure is reduced.”

Clare Barfoot, RNutr, the marketing, research, and revelopment director at Spillers, also emphasises the importance of forage, which “will keep [the horse] occupied, fulfil his desire to chew and reduce his risk of developing gastric ulcers.” She continues: “In such circumstances, nutrition support in the form of balancer every day will help support the forage-based diet, providing essential daily vitamins and minerals but without the extra calories which are not often needed when a horse is out of work.”

It is critical that owners choose the right balancer for the box resting horse. Some have more protein than others. Kate stresses that owners need to provide “quality protein, without providing excess quantity of protein.” While protein such as lysine is essential for repairing tissues, a balancer, or any feed, that adds too much protein can result in unwanted weight gain. If your horse is the type to gain weight easily, that is something to be avoided. She also says: “Another important factor for both the horse and their carer, is that excess protein will mean excess nitrogen is excreted as urea — resulting in very wet beds, lots of mucking out, and the potentially damaging irritant effects of ammonia — definitely one to be avoided!”

However, if your horse is prone to being stressy and loses weight easily, a balancer alone won’t be sufficient for keeping condition on it. Katie says: “For these types, using low starch conditioning feeds, which are instead high in fibre and oils, may be more beneficial.”

How to feed a horse on box rest to maintain health and aid recovery

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The owners of hardworking competition horses might wonder what a balancer can do for their horses. Should they add one to the diet? The answer is, maybe. It depends on the horse, whether it’s a hard keeper or an easy keeper or sensitive to diet, and what else you’re feeding it. We speak to equine nutritionists, to find out more.

Lizzie Drury, senior nutritionist with Saracen, explains: “Feed balancers can be useful for competition horses, especially those that are training, travelling and competing on a frequent basis, as they can help to provide that extra layer of support to the immune system, digestive system and muscular system. If horses are already being fed the recommended levels of a competition feed, then a balancer can be top dressed on top of this feed at half of the recommended feeding rate e.g. 2.5kg of a competition feed and 250g of a balancer.

“They are also good for competition horses who have poor or fussy appetites when away from home to provide essential dietary elements to horses with limited appetites or reduced fibre intakes.”

Kate Hore, RNutr (Animal), registered nutritionist at NAF, further elaborates: “They allow you to feed the essential micronutrients in a very concentrated way, reducing or removing the need for starchy concentrate or ‘hard’ feed. Increasingly research recognises the negative effects of high cereal diets, whether that be on gastric ulcers, weight gain, laminitis, poor behaviour or other health issues. Feeding as nature intended — a high fibre, low cereal diet – allows your horse’s system to work naturally and efficiently, so your horse can work and compete in comfort, and concentrate on the job in hand.”

As with all feeds, owners have choices, and to get the most out of a balancer, they should work out which products suit their horse.

Clare Barfoot, RNutr, marketing, research, and development director at Spillers, says there are roughly two types of performance-orientated balancers: “A premium multi balancer should be rich in amino acids including lysine and methionine to support muscle development and topline. It will usually include antioxidants to support the immune system and probiotic live yeast and prebiotic MOS for digestive health.

“A performance balancer should be used to enhance a base performance diet while not oversupplying nutrients such as selenium and iron that will be already be present in the base diet. Ideally a performance balancer should include antioxidants and vitamins E and C to support muscle, immune and respiratory health and probiotic live yeast and prebiotic MOS and FOS to support digestive health.”

Which type you use depends on your feeding regime, and whether the horse is already getting enough selenium or iron, for example. And not all performance horses require a full ration of compound feed, which might reduce their intake of nutrients and amino acids. For those who do not, Clare says: “[Balancers] will ensure that their extra dietary needs are supported to best effect.”

For your horse to be at his best, he needs the correct amount of nutrients. Katie Grimwood, BSc (Hons), nutritional advisor at Bailey’s, stresses: “It is important that their vitamin and mineral requirements are being met through the provision of a fully balanced diet. It is a common misconception that feed manufacturers deliberately recommend feeding large quantities on the backs of bags of mixes or cubes, in order to sell more feed, but this is simply not the case. Manufacturers typically formulate mixes or cubes to be fed at certain levels, depending on the horse’s size and workload, and these levels will generally be the minimum amounts of feed required to provide a balanced diet alongside average quality forage.”

However, she continues: “Feeding the full recommended amounts according to the bag may provide the horse with too many calories (resulting in excess weight gain), but taking the mix or cube out completely would not be enough! If you are feeding less than recommended amounts, then a balancer can be really useful, to ‘top up’ the nutrients your horse may be lacking, but without too many calories.”

Similarly, if your horse gets too hot or fizzy on mixes or cubes, you might reduce those feeds. It might make him more rideable, but at the same, risks underperformance due to deficiencies in nutrients. The reason, Katie explains, is that: “Vitamins and minerals are important for all horses to support metabolism and the ability of the body to utilise the energy provided in the diet.”

Balancers can be useful for this sort of horse, because they “top up on those nutrients whilst supporting all round condition and well-being,” and they usually don’t make the horse hot.

It goes without saying that training is also important for achieving the correct musculature, but the horse’s body needs support from its diet. Kaite says: “It cannot achieve this without the right levels of the right building blocks in the diet. Performance feeds are formulated to meet the increased demands of working horses, whose requirements include the constant repair and rebuilding of body tissues needed as they get fitter and stronger.”

Before you rush out and buy the nearest balancer, you should look your overall feeding program and decide whether or not your horse actually requires it. Balancers cost approximately £16 for a basic daily balancer to just under £40 for a senior balancer or a high-performance balancer. Due to the small amounts required, it’s more cost-effective than mixes and cubes, but still, you don’t want to spend money on something which might be redundant.

As Katie points out: “A large proportion of horses in hard work will often need and benefit from the full recommended amounts of a competition or a conditioning mix or cube. In these instances, a balancer will not usually be required, as they should be getting all the nutrients they need from the fortified mix or cube, alongside their forage.”

Kate cautions: “A balancer will not provide as much energy as the hard feed you’re hoping to replace.” But she adds: “For horses that need more energy, this can easily be remedied by introducing additional oil to the diet. Horses metabolise oil extremely efficiently and weight, for weight, oil provides over twice as much energy as oats, making it a great choice for the working horse.

“Remember, if you do want to put your horse on a high oil diet, it needs to be increased gradually over several weeks, to allow the body’s metabolism to adjust, and the high oil diet should be balanced with additional vitamin E.”

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Feed balancers are something most horse owners have come across, but do you know what purpose balancers serve? Many owners have given what they consider to be the best feed balancers to their horses, trying to resolve a dietary issue – or because it just seemed like a good idea – but without really understanding what they are and what they do. In order to find out, we approached several equine nutritionists and asked them to explain the mystifying balancer.

Clare Barfoot (RNutr), the senior marketing, research and development director at Spillers, says: “A well-designed balancer provides ideal levels of vital vitamins, mineral and amino acids to balance the base diet with minimal calories and starch. Typically, balancers come in pellet form and are fed at lower levels than traditional compound feeds; 500g (a couple of mugfuls) per day for a 500kg horse. The low calorie content makes balancers an especially good choice for horses and ponies that maintain their weight on a forage-only diet or for those that require less than the recommended amount of compound feed.

“Every horse needs a balanced diet. While grass alone may provide up to three times the horse’s daily energy (calorie) requirements, certain nutrients such as lysine, copper, zinc and selenium are typically low in UK pasture. Vitamin E is the most important antioxidant and although grass alone may meet maintenance requirements, levels in in hay and haylage may be negligible.”

Lizzie Drury, the senior nutritionist at Saracen, explains: “Thousands of horses and ponies survive on just grazing alone; their coats may not shine, and their feet may not be in the best condition, but they are generally happy and healthy. How many of us feed mainly forage with just a handful of a coarse mix or cube ‘just for the vitamins and minerals?’ How many of us feed every supplement under the sun except one with vitamins and minerals? Feed balancers, as the name suggests are designed to balance a horse or pony’s ration nutritionally in terms of vitamins and minerals, protein and energy as a result of increased emphasis on forage utilisation in the diet.”

Katie Grimwood, BSc (Hons), nutrition advisor for Bailey’s, elaborates: “Balancers are a really useful way of giving your horse all the nutrients he needs without supplying any additional calories, so are perfect for good-doers or those who maintain condition well on forage alone. A balancer will provide all the essential nutrients you’d find in a mix or cube, without the associated energy or calorie element. Because they are so nutrient-dense, they can be fed in much smaller quantities. They can be fed as the sole concentrate, or mixed with a little chaff or beet for good doers, or they can be used to “top dress” a fortified mix or cube if less than recommended quantities are being fed.”

She further explains: “Balancers contain a wide range of vitamins and minerals in carefully calculated ratios to provide a balance of these nutrients to meet a horse’s daily needs. The basics should all be there, whichever balancer you choose; nutrients to support healthy hoof growth, metabolism, tissue repair – all the body processes which are involved in keeping a horse healthy.

“They also contain quality protein, supplying amino acids, the building blocks of all body tissues, including horn, hair, muscle and bone, so pretty important and often deficient in modern forages. Most balancers also contain one or more “digestive enhancers”, like a yeast culture or prebiotic, which help support gut efficiency.”

A horse is designed to eat grass, and it might seem surprising that it would not be getting sufficient vitamins and minerals from that grass. So why does a horse at pasture need a balancer? Wild or feral horses travel great distances, grazing on a wide variety of vegetation and in a range of locations, but domestic horses more or less stay in one place, and they get fed hay and whatever concentrated feed their owners provide.

Kate Hore, RNutr (Animal), the registered nutritionist with NAF, elucidates: “Termed ‘micronutrients’ many of them may be deficient in the general diet, either due to soil and grazing deficiencies which are passed to pasture and forage, or micronutrient losses particularly in preserved forage and feed.”

Of course, many horses appear perfectly healthy on a diet of grass and hay, but Barfoot suggests that a balancer can still benefit them. “Initially horses may look fine when not being provided with a balanced diet, but the long-term effects may include poor hoof growth and condition, a compromised immune system and a lack of general wellbeing,” she says. “A balancer, with just 20% of the calories of the recommended daily amount of horse and pony cubes, can be used safely for horses and ponies on restricted diets including those prone to laminitis.”

Making a similar point, Grimwood says: “You are unlikely to see weight gain when adding a balancer, because they do not contain significant calorie levels, but an overall improvement in muscle tone may be seen if the previous diet was deficient. Furthermore, the yeast and prebiotics that balancers contain, and which help improve gut efficiency, should mean that your horse is able to extract more from the forage and other elements of his diet.”

Other benefits, according to Grimwood, include “an increased enthusiasm for work. Horses who are not getting enough vitamins and minerals often feel lacklustre and lazy but, once getting the nutrients they need, their metabolism improves, and they feel a whole lot better. Improving gut health, through the inclusion of digestive enhancers (yeast, MOS, ScFOS), can also make a horse feel more comfortable in himself and therefore less crabby or jumpy.”

Balancers work their best when the horse receives the right balancer for its workload, age, and metabolism. Hore advises: “Well-designed balancers truly ‘balance’ the diet, i.e. feeding more of those nutrients that are likely to be low, such as selenium and zinc, and less of those well provided naturally. Therefore, we don’t advise balancers and supplements that promise to provide ‘100% RDA’ for all micronutrients – after all, they are not truly balancing, as they are not considering what is provided by the rest of the diet.”

Most feed companies have helplines, so if you feel that a feed balancer might be suitable for your horse, you can contact one and speak to a nutritionist.

You may also be interested in…

Best feed balancers for all horses: what’s on the market?

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How to choose the right feed balancer for your horse

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits. 

After learning a little about what feed balancers are, you might be wondering how they differ from vitamin and mineral supplements. After all, vitamin and mineral supplements often come in a plastic tub, and you don’t need more than a tablespoon or two per day, so on the surface, they seem more efficient and cost effective. And don’t they both add vitamins and minerals to the horse’s diet? They do, but balancers do more than that.

Clare Barfoot, RNutr, the marketing, research, and development director at Spillers, tells us: “A balancer, in addition to appropriate amounts of forage, can be used as the complete bucket feed. Whereas a supplement usually comes in liquid or powdered form and is added to the existing bucket feed to supply a broad spectrum of vitamins and minerals that may be otherwise lacking. Balancers also provide a source of good quality protein with essential amino acids to help meet daily requirements. They often contain other functional ingredients such as digestive, hoof, joint and immune support, which aren’t usually included in more general vitamin and mineral supplements.”

Katie Grimwood, BSc (Hons), the nutrition advisor for Bailey’s, adds: “Powdered broad-spectrum supplements are generally fed at much lower levels, of between 30-100g per day, depending on the size of the horse and their level of work, and so at first glance they may seem more appealing when feeding horses prone to gaining too much weight. However, it is important to remember that pelleted balancers can be fed alone as the sole concentrate, whereas powdered supplements will generally need to be fed along with a ‘carrier’, such as chaff or sugar beet, which will in turn supply their own contribution of calories/energy into the diet.”

In other words, balancers look like other pelleted feeds and can be fed in place of other types of hard feeds. Kate Hore, RNutr (Animal), the registered nutritionist with NAF, observed that horse owners can feed vitamin supplements and probiotic yeast supplements for more or less the same purpose.

“In many ways they are very similar, as both provide a concentrated source of the essential micronutrients to balance the diet. Often the choice will come down to personal preference, for both horse and rider,” she explains.

Since balancers are a complete feed and not a powder, they do not need a ‘carrier,’ as Grimwood explained, such as chaff or sugar beet or any cube or mix.

“[They] in turn supply their own contribution of calories/energy into the diet.”

That means balancers could be a good choice for owners who are concerned about their horses getting fat or fizzy on any sort of hard feed, but who still want to add vitamins and minerals.

However, balancers provide horses with proteins and amino acids, which may not be found in powdered vitamin supplements.

Grimwood stresses: “These are the building blocks of all body tissues, including horn, hair, muscle and bone, so are pretty important and are often deficient in modern forages. This extra good quality protein generally comes from ingredients such as alfalfa and micronised soya beans, which are included in pelleted balancers.

Soya in particular has a great amino acid profile, being high in the essential amino acid, lysine. With the right dietary components, the horse’s body can manufacture most amino acids but there are a small number of “essential” ones, like methionine and lysine, which have to be included in the horse’s diet.”

Many cube and mix feeds also provide these important proteins and amino acids, and owners can ‘top up’ those feeds with a balancer or a vitamin/mineral supplement, but the balancers are a good option for owners who don’t want their horses on much of a hard feed.

You might also be interested in:

Best feed balancers for all horses: what’s on the market?

How to choose the right feed balancer for your horse

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

The moment you start researching feed balancers or any kind of nutritional supplement, it becomes apparent that the market is flooded with choices. The good news is that there is something for every type of horse, but it also means that choosing the right balancer for your horse is infinitely more complicated. H&H has asked equine nutritionists to shed some light on the different types of balancers and help owners make the most informed decisions.

First of all, the horse owner needs to understand what a balancer is and ascertain what they want it to do. Kate Hore, RNutr (Animal), registered nutritionist with NAF, explains: “Firstly, when it comes to purpose there are two key areas, and that is those designed for competition horses and those working hard; and those aimed more at the light work and, or, good doer market.”

She goes on to raise other considerations, like the amount of pellets being fed: “Your second choice is whether to feed the typical 500g per day, or feed the more concentrated form at around 100g daily for a 500kg horse. The advantage of the more concentrated is the ease of feeding, plus they tend to be price competitive. Largely, the costs you’re saving include those that don’t impact on the efficacy of the product itself – i.e. the cost of transporting 15kg compared to less than 4kg, and the associated saving in packaging with the concentrated form. Not only does the concentrated form save on transport costs, but also emissions associated with transport, making them the ‘eco’ choice too.”

Needless to say, it’s also cheaper for the owner. A 20kg bag of balancer will go a lot further than a 20kg bag of mix or cube feed, which needs to be fed in greater amounts. For example, Spillers daily balancer costs £18.99 for a 15kg bag. That comes out of £0.63 per day for a 500kg horse.

According to Clare Barfoot, RNutr, marketing, research, and development director for Spillers, there are multiple categories of balancers for different types of horses.

The first, she says, are “light balancers, ideal to support weight loss and should be high in amino acids, including extra lysine, methionine and threonine to help support lean muscle and topline. Other ingredients like cinnamon, FOS and magnesium may also helpful to support weight loss and a healthy metabolism.”

These can be fed in small amounts and don’t contain cereals or extra fat, so they are an ideal way to get more minerals, vitamins, and amino acids into horses prone to weight gain.

Elucidating this point further, Katie Grimwood, BSc (Hons), nutrition advisor for Baileys, says: “Starch levels in most balancers are typically lower than 10%, and the amount of balancer you feed (typically 100g per 100kg bodyweight) is so low that, whatever the percentage starch content, the actual amount of starch your horse receives from his daily balancer is negligible.”

You can also get essential daily balancers and senior balancers. Barfoot explains: “Essential daily balancers are designed to balance the nutrients typically low in hay, haylage or pasture. Ideally it won’t have added iron, which is often over-supplied in forage-based diets.

“Senior balancers are usually designed to support digestion, comfort and movement in older horses. High levels of antioxidants will help immune health and probiotics and prebiotics will help support digestive health. Glucosamine is another important ingredient to support joint health. MSM and Omega 3 are also useful additions to look out for.”

You can also get products called stud balancers, aimed at pregnant mares or youngstock. Barfoot explains that these “are usually fed at slightly higher levels than other balancers due to the higher protein and lysine requirements of pregnant and lactating mares and growing youngstock. Despite this, stud balancers still provide significantly fewer calories than the recommended ration of compound feed so are ideal for good doing breeds and those foaling when spring grass is at its peak growth stage.”

Grimwood elaborates that stud balancers help young horses because: “Growing youngstock need the nutrients, supplied by a balancer, to build and grow tendon, muscle, bone and other tissues. Calorie intake can affect growth rates, and the beauty of feeding a balancer is that calorie levels can be regulated to maintain steady, even growth rates, whilst the balancer continues to provide essential nutrition.”

Regarding choosing a balancer for the performance horse, she says: “His requirements for quality protein and some other nutrients will be correspondingly higher than for a horse who is resting or in light work. You should therefore look for a balancer which is formulated to meet the needs of a performance horse and which is likely to contain higher levels of protein, for example, for muscle development and tissue repair, as well as key antioxidants like vitamin E and selenium.”

However, balancers aren’t the panacea for everything. Grimwood cautions that while some balancers might have added ingredients, or “nutraceuticals,” for joint health, owners of older horses or ones who need joint support might get more efficacy from a joint supplement: “These [nutraceutical ingredients in balancers] can be useful but, if your horse has a real problem or his lifestyle is demanding on his joints, then a more targeted alternative would be to feed a specific joint supplement, in addition to your balancer or hard feed, as this may allow you to feed higher levels of a wider range of nutraceutical ingredients to, hopefully, greater benefit.”

You might also be interested in:

Best feed balancers for all horses: what’s on the market?

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Can feeding a balancer help a horse on box rest?

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Can horses eat watermelon? The answer is yes, and the fruit can offer nutritional benefits.

However, although watermelon is perfectly safe for most horses to eat, that may not be the case for all equines. If you want to feed your horse watermelon, introduce the food slowly into their diet and closely monitor how they react. If you have any medical concerns after your horse has eaten watermelon, contact your vet.

How much watermelon can a horse eat?

Your horse can eat the ripe part of a watermelon, including the seeds and, in small quantities, watermelon rind is fine to feed them too.

A good option for feeding your horse watermelon is using it as a reward or a treat to help curb the amount you feed.

Is watermelon good for horses?

Watermelon, unsurprisingly, contains mostly water. One serving of watermelon contains approximately 90% water and 10% sugar. It also contains vitamins A and C, magnesium and phosphorus. The rind is a rich source of fibre and the amino acid citrulline, which converts to arginine in the horse’s body. Arginine produces nitric oxide used to relax blood vessels and increases blood flow to particular areas.

Can eating too much watermelon make your horse unwell?

Your horse would have to eat a very large quantity of watermelon for it to cause issues.

The rind does not contain any toxins that pose any dangers to your horse. The seeds in watermelon carry a minute quantity of toxins, but so do all seeded fruits, and the levels of toxins are very unlikely to cause problems. The seeds are also very small so the chances of causing choke are incredibly small.

As with any treats you give to your horse, you should feed watermelon in moderation.

How should you feed watermelon to horses?

It is best to cut watermelon into slices and feed it as you would a carrot.

It is recommended that you wash the watermelon prior to feeding it to your horse to help ensure any pesticides or herbicides that have previously been sprayed on the watermelon are rinsed clear. Wash the entire outside of the rind with cool water and a scrub brush before cutting into the fruit.

Is it OK to feed watermelon to a horse I don’t own?

Please do not feed anything to a horse that is not in your care without the owner’s permission. Your intended kindness in giving the horse a treat could make the animal very sick, or even result in their death if they have any underlying conditions. In addition, if there is a group of horses in a field and you start feeding them, this could result in a horse being injured as the herd squabble or fight over the food. Both sickness or injury from unauthorised feeding could result in an expensive and unavoidable vet bill.

• Is your horse partial to an unusual form of treat? Let us know your stories by emailing hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your letter published and you might win a bottle of Champagne Taittinger

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Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade to access our H&H Plus online service which brings you breaking news as it happens as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Can horses eat bananas? The answer is yes, and they are actually an excellent source of potassium.

However, although bananas are perfectly safe for most horses, that may not be the case for all of them. If you want to feed your horse a banana, introduce the food slowly into their diet and closely monitor how they react. If you have any medical concerns after your horse has eaten bananas, contact your vet.

How many bananas can a horse eat?

Although bananas are packed full of potassium, vitamin D, vitamin C, and magnesium, feeding too many of them can become dangerous.

A good option for feeding your horse bananas is using them as a reward or a treat to help curb the number you feed. As a rule, you should only give a maximum of a few bananas a week.

Can horses eat bananas peels?

Horses can eat banana peels, but not all of them will be interested in eating them, owing to their bitter taste.

The peels are just as healthy for your horse as the banana itself, also containing potassium and vitamin B.

Are bananas good for horses?

Feeding bananas to horses can offer benefits due to them containing:

• Potassium – As well as helping muscles and nerves to work, potassium will also help to keep your horse’s heart healthy
• Vitamin B6 – This helps your horse’s body turn carbohydrates and fats into energy
• Vitamin C – Not just an immune booster, vitamin C will also help your horse to stay healthy by assisting with repairing any cell and tissue damage

When fed in moderation, bananas can aid digestion and may help with some minor gastrointestinal problems, plus they can be a good source of energy.

Can eating too many bananas make your horse unwell?

It is recommended that you give your horse a maximum of three to four bananas per week as more than this might make your horse unwell.

If your horse finds and eats multiple bananas in one sitting, they will most likely experience digestive issues and possibly sugar spikes.

A sugar spike can cause your horse’s insulin to become dangerously high, especially in horses with pre-existing insulin issues. It can also cause hyperactivity because of the excess sugar, making your horse more excited and active than normal, which could lead to them causing harm to themselves or the people around them.

How should you feed bananas to horses?

While some people feed whole bananas to their horses without any adverse effects, it is recommended to either chop the banana into smaller chunks or mash it up before feeding it to your horse. The smaller pieces will reduce the chance of choke.

Is it OK to feed a banana to a horse I don’t own?

Please do not feed anything to a horse that is not in your care without the owner’s permission. Your intended kindness in giving the horse a treat could make the animal very sick, or even result in their death if they have any underlying conditions. In addition, if there is a group of horses in a field and you start feeding them, this could result in a horse being injured as the herd squabble or fight over the food. Both sickness or injury from unauthorised feeding could result in an expensive and unavoidable vet bill.

Is your horse partial to an unusual form of treat? Let us know your stories by emailing hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your letter published and you might win a bottle of Champagne Taittinger

Article continues below…

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Which treats are safe for horses? Horse & Hound explains…

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Even forage and pasture can contribute to an excess of sugar and starch, triggering a cascade of health problems. David Rendle FRCVS offers dietary advice

HORSES evolved on pastures that were high in fibre and low in sugar and starch. As a result, they have adapted to meet most of their energy requirements by fermenting grasses and other plants to release the energy contained within the plants’ fibrous structure.

By harnessing the ability of bacteria to ferment fibre, horses are able to satisfy their nutritional needs through the ingestion of forage alone. With domestication, however, it has become commonplace to increase their energy intake through supplementation with feeds high in sugars and starches.

Feeding energy-dense cereals was more convenient and practical than large volumes of forage, particularly when horses worked long hours, under heavy loads, in urban environments. These days, only horses performing extreme levels of exercise require supplementary feeds high in sugar and starch.

Escalating levels of equine obesity demonstrate we are failing to balance energy requirements with feed. It is estimated that around 50% of horses in the UK are very overweight or obese.

When a horse’s energy intake exceeds what he requires to remain healthy and to exercise, the surplus is converted to fat. In addition to providing a means of storing energy, fat produces “signalling molecules” that alter the metabolism – with the most notable change being a reduction in the responsiveness to insulin.

More insulin must then be produced to compensate, increasing the risk of laminitis. This combination of obesity, reduction in sensitivity to insulin and an increased laminitis risk has become known as equine metabolic syndrome (EMS).

Obesity is associated with many other health problems, including orthopaedic disease, accelerated ageing, developmental problems in youngstock, colic and poor performance. Feeding excess sugar and starch can disrupt normal bacterial fermentation in the large intestine, resulting in combinations of colitis, laminitis and the systemic disorder endotoxaemia. Starches also increase the production of acid in the stomach, increasing the risk of gastric ulcers.

PASTURE PERILS

THE simplest means of reducing a horse’s energy intake is to feed him solely forage, with an additional vitamin and mineral balancer. In favourable conditions, however, 30% of the weight of some grasses may be sugars and starches – meaning that their energy content is similar to that of some cereal-based feeds. While eliminating cereal-based feed is a good start to reducing sugar intake, for most horses this is not enough to prevent weight gain.

The sugar and starch content of grass varies dramatically, so consideration must be given to the quantity and type of grazing or forage that is being fed. Levels of sugar and starch in grass are at their highest:

• In pastures of cultivated (rather than native) grass species, such as ryegrasses, which were developed to maximise production in the livestock industry. While grass should be kept healthy, fertilisers will increase volume.
• During conditions of plant growth, when sunny weather combines with sufficient moisture. Grass seed heads are high in starch and the total sugar and starch content will reduce once the grass has shed seed and becomes woody.
• In sunny but cold or frosty weather.
• Later in the day, meaning that turnout in the morning is preferable to turnout in the evening. The sunnier the weather, the more rapidly sugar levels will increase; in bright conditions, levels may peak by midday. Grass in full sun is likely to have a higher sugar content than grass in shade.
• On heavily grazed pasture or freshly cut hay stubble. Although there will be less grass available, what remains can have a very high sugar content. Restricting the intake of healthy, steadily growing native grass is preferable to using overgrazed or stressed pasture.

While these factors are worthy of consideration, ultimately the only means of reducing energy intake to an appropriate level in a horse that is obese is to limit his access to pasture.

When pasture access is restricted, there is likely to be a requirement to feed forage in the form of hay or haylage. The aim is to feed forage with less than 10% sugar and starch after water is removed – that is, less than 10% of dry matter.

Haylage is often perceived to be more energy dense, yet it typically has a lower sugar and starch content as the sugar is fermented after the forage is wrapped. Hay is typically around 90% dry matter (10% water) and haylage around 60% dry matter (40% water). When comparing by weight, more haylage has to be fed to provide the same nutrient content.

The type of grass used and the manner in which it is preserved will have a significant influence on both the water and energy content of the resulting forage, hence the value of forage analysis. This is relatively inexpensive and well worth doing, allowing you to make informed decisions around how much forage to feed rather than just guessing. For maximum benefit, feed the same forage consistently rather than changing sources or batches.

Sugar levels in hay can vary by up to 100% and will be determined by the factors that affect the sugar content of grass when it is cut. Hay that cures slowly in mild conditions, rather than drying out rapidly in very hot weather, will have lower levels as some of the sugar will be broken down. Soaking hay prior to feeding is another effective way of reducing sugar content.

THE BOTTOM LINE

RESTRICTING a horse’s energy intake can appear complicated, but the fundamentals are very simple. Most horses only need fresh or preserved grass to provide their energy requirements; cereal-based feeds are rarely necessary.

Remember that fruit, vegetables, molasses and grains are all high in sugar and starch and are best avoided other than as an occasional treat. If you need to give feed to administer medication, use grass, alfalfa cubes or chaff rather than cereal-based mixes or cubes.

In sunny conditions, most horses given unlimited access to grass will eat more than is good for them; some form of pasture restriction is necessary. While little can be done to control the levels of sugar and starch in pasture, understanding the variables will allow better management of your horse’s energy intake.

Sugar levels in hay and haylage will also vary markedly, so forage analysis can be very helpful in assessing requirements. It is well worth seeking professional advice that is relevant to your particular situation.

Simple science: sugar and starch

CARBOHYDRATES are one of the three main classes of foods, along with proteins and fats, and provide a horse’s primary source of energy.

Carbohydrates may form part of the structure of grass (termed structural carbohydrates), or are stored by the grass as sugar or starch. These non-structural carbohydrates can be digested easily and absorbed rapidly. Glucose, fructose and galactose are the simplest sugars and the building blocks for other carbohydrates. Starches are chains of simple sugars that are broken up easily and also readily digested.

Most sugars and starches are absorbed in the small intestine. Food and water move through the small intestine in around 45 minutes; any excess sugars and starches, along with structural carbohydrates and proteins, pass through it to reach the large intestine.

Structural carbohydrates, commonly termed “fibre”, are fermented in the large intestine by bacteria. The resultant volatile fatty acids produced can be absorbed by the horse and also provide him with energy. Sugars absorbed from the small intestine should provide a relatively small proportion of the horse’s energy requirements; far more should come from the fermentation of fibre in the large intestine.

This feature is also available to read in this Thursday’s H&H magazine (22 April, 2021)

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Laminitis is a common, painful condition which manifests itself in one or more of the horse’s hooves. It is a multifactorial condition, which means it can be difficult to identify the cause, but it frequently arises as the result of a metabolic upset.

Laminitis is regularly seen in native ponies, particularly those that are overweight, while horses suffering from underlying issues like Cushing’s disease or Equine Metabolic Syndrome may also be at greater risk of the disease.

“The modern equine lifestyle of cosy stables, rugs and nice full haynets is often where the problem of laminitis stems from. We should be feeding as naturally as possible, which means feeding a high fibre, high forage diet with no starchy cereals, such as may be found in concentrates,” says Kate Hore, head nutritionist at NAF.

If a horse has been diagnosed with laminitis, it’s important to consider their case on an individual basis. Generally speaking however, they should be fed little and often. Their diet should contain fibre with essential vitamins and minerals, while sugar and starch levels should be kept low. Depending on the individual horse or pony and their weight and health status, grass turnout may need to be limited or avoided altogether. Some feeds are formulated specifically for horses prone to laminitis.

“Ensure you maintain a good vitamin, mineral and quality protein intake to support muscle, hoof health, coat condition and internal nutrient reserves and healthy fibre levels to support gut function,” says Katie Grimwood, equine nutritionist at Baileys Horse Feeds.

Soaking hay will help to reduce the sugar content and calorie intake, while clean mature hay is preferable to fresh green hay. Feeding good quality oat or barley straw as part of a horse’s forage consumption is also an option as it’s low in calories yet high in fibre.

“For an overweight pony in light work, ideally we want to source low water soluble carbohydrate hay, or use soaked hay to reduce sugars, and limit access to fresh grazing. For an insulin resistant eventer, we might be looking at alfalfa chaffs and ad lib forage, with additional oil, to provide all the energy they need,” explains Kate.

The basic feeding principle with a laminitis prone animal is really the same as with any horse, and that is ‘feed to work done’. Many laminitics are notoriously good-doers, and love their food. Research shows that ponies on restricted turnout can adapt both bite rate and the amount taken in each bite, so that they can essentially eat as much in three hours as they would naturally do in 12 hours.

“Think of ways that you can maximise the time turned out, but still control access to grazing. It’s best to avoid a small cornered off area as that encourages them to stand and eat, whereas natural movement is what we want. Track systems can be really useful, if practical, alternatively look at using a grazing muzzle or strip grazing to limit intake whilst encouraging natural movement,” continues Kate.

Pelleted forage balancers are an ideal source of food for laminitis-prone horses as they provide key vitamins, minerals and quality protein appropriate for the horse’s level of work while keeping calorie, starch and sugar intakes low. Remember horses should never be starved as this risks further metabolic complications.

“For horses that need additional calories for weight gain, high calorie fibre sources can be added along with the balancer, such as unmolassed alfalfa chaffs with added oil, or soaked beet products. High oil supplements are also available,” says Katie.

If your horse is prone to laminitis it’s important to regularly body condition score them so you can monitor their weight. Ask for advice from your vet or nutritionist if you’re unsure how to do it and keep a record so you can track the results. Taking photos can also be useful.

“One of the key messages is working towards stopping laminitis happening rather than dealing with it. Be on high alert with your horse, particularly if he’s prone to laminitis, and don’t allow him to become overweight. Be constantly aware of what and how much you’re feeding him and his exercise level. Ask whether he needs to be rugged. Be aware 365 days a year,” concludes Lizzie Drury, senior nutritionist at Saracen Horse Feeds.

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Most horse owners look forward to the summer months — longer days, good weather, and not sloshing through knee-deep bogs to catch horses. But for owners of good doers, the summer also brings stress as they struggle to keep the weight from piling onto their horses. We asked equine nutritionists if balancers can be employed to keep those horses healthy without adding weight.

Lizzie Drury, the senior nutritionist with Saracen, says: “Yes, a feed balancer can help to provide a balanced ration and meet the micronutrient requirements, without the excess calories that would be provided by feeding a traditional mix or cube when fed at the minimum level to ensure sufficient intake of vitamins and minerals.”

Katie Grimwood, BSc (Hons), Bailey’s Horse Feeds’ nutrition advisor, adds: “A common mistake when feeding the overweight or ‘good-doer’ horse or pony is to feed just a handful of a cube or mix or, worse still, nothing at all. This course of action will lead to a severe lack of nutrients which will likely result in a detrimental effect to health and performance long term. The solution here is to feed a low-calorie feed, such as a concentrated pelleted forage balancer. Balancers provide all necessary nutrients with absolute minimal calories and are fed in very small quantities (usually by the mug-full).

They also have the added bonus of higher levels of quality protein compared to a powdered broad-spectrum vitamin and mineral supplement, and this is particularly beneficial when pasture access may be reduced. Feeding a balancer will give you the peace of mind that your horse is getting what he needs, especially if he or she is healing, working/competing, pregnant or growing.”

Of course, the owner might question whether or not they should be giving their good doer a hard feed of any sort. It seems logical to cut as much feed as you can, but Clare Barfoot, RNutr, the marketing, research, and development director at Spillers, counters: “This may seem a logical approach but unfortunately grass can’t be relied upon to provide a balanced diet. In this situation extra calories are not needed nor desirable, so a balancer provides the ideal solution, balancing the diet with negligible calories. Providing a balanced diet through the summer months is a good insurance policy for your horse or pony to enter the winter healthy and with good coat and hoof condition. Restrict calories not nutrients!”

Article continues below…

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Not all balancers will suit the good doer, as some are designed to improve digestive efficiency. Kate Hore, RNutr (Animal), the registered nutritionist with NAF, emphasises: “For those that live on fresh air, look for a balancer appropriate to their needs, designed to keep them slim throughout the summer rather than designed to maintain condition. These equines may not require the pre and probiotics included in many balancers — after all, the gut support is there to help your horse metabolise his feed efficiently, but good doers usually don’t need any help in that department! Instead look for a product that actively supports metabolism, to help them keep their girth healthy and trim.”

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When humans think of “treats”, a chocolate bar tends to take priority over one of our five-a-day. Thankfully our horses have a much healthier attitude when it comes to treats and are more than happy to munch on an apple or carrot. But did you know there are a whole host of other options available that make safe treats for horses, when fed in moderation? We spoke to nutritionists to find out what makes the best treat for horses and what should be avoided.

Interestingly, the humble banana is a popular choice among a number of elite dressage horses, including Lara Butler’s Rubin Al Asad and the Eilberg’s Marakov and Royal Concert. Bananas can be fed to horses with the skin on and are known to be very high in potassium.

“Studies have shown that horses prefer banana over traditional mint, carrot and apple flavours,” explains equine nutritionist, Olivia Colston MSc.

Independent equine nutritionist Fiona Watkins BSc (Hons) Pro Dip highly recommends celery as a healthy treat for your horse.

“Celery is really low in sugar and a great alternative to carrots, which are 20% sugar,” she explains. “It is good because the texture in celery is high in cellulose, which makes it very good for chewing. The more the horse chews, the more saliva it generates. Saliva is alkaline and can guard against things like gastric ulcers”.

Other safe treats for horses include:

• Strawberries
• Watermelon
• Raisins
• Melon
• Grapes
• Cantaloupe
• Fenugreek
• Chamomile
• Mint
• Beetroot
• Turnips
• Parsnip

However, not all fruit and vegetables make suitable treats for horses.

“Foods that tend to produce intestinal gas or that belong to the nightshade family should be avoided,” advises Spillers’ nutritionist Clare Barfoot.

Foods that should be avoided include:

• Onions
• Potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Cabbage
• Brussel Sprouts

Like humans, of course, the occasional horse might have a guilty pleasure!

“A few years ago I gave my horse Zodiac Z some Marmite and he loved it!” says international showjumper Yazmin Pinchen.

H&H amateur of the year award winner Alice Goring’s travel companion Teddy the Shetland pony particularly enjoys an ice lolly on a hot day.

“He loves Fab ice lollies and watermelon!” says Alice.

Whatever treats you choose should always be fed with sugar content in mind.

If you compete in affiliated competitions or under FEI rules, then you need to take extra care to ensure your treats will not cause your horse to return a positive test for a prohibited substance.

“Some people like to share a little piece of chocolate or biscuit with their horse, but riders competing in affiliated competitions should be aware that this could lead to a positive test for a prohibited substance,” advises Olivia Colston.

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

While ideally all horses would sustain a healthy bodyweight year-round, this is often not the case, so we have asked the experts; how quickly will a horse gain weight if they are “poor doers”?

Poor doers will typically lose weight over winter as they struggle to maintain condition but a lean horse in February or March isn’t always a negative thing, particularly if it’s a native breed, who will quickly regain weight when the spring grass comes through.

“For those ‘good doers’, who are prone to gaining too much weight over the spring and summer months when the grass is plentiful, the winter is a great time to encourage weight loss. While you should feed sufficient supplementary forage, the poorer grass quality over the colder months helps to avoid them coming into the following spring already overweight,” says Katie Grimwood, equine nutritionist at Baileys Horse Feeds.

The rate at which a horse gains weight is hugely individual and will depend on how underweight he was and why. Weekly weight gain is very variable so in very underweight or emaciated horses it can take up to 3-10 months when helping a horse to gain weight return to their ideal.

“If a horse has been chronically starved you can’t just pile food into them to help them back to a healthy weight as you risk overwhelming their digestive and metabolic systems which can prove fatal,” explains Clare Barfoot, marketing and research and development director at Spillers.

Any dietary changes need to be made slowly and this includes re-introducing a severely malnourished horse to food. Once this has happened, a horse should have ad lib access to grass turnout wherever possible and/or good-quality forage and receive a balanced diet which is high in digestive fibre, oil and good quality protein with restricted starch. Pre and probiotics can also be a beneficial addition.

“Prebiotics encourage the proliferation of existing useful bacteria and can help support the microbial population during changes in feed and management,” says Lizzie Drury, senior nutritionist at Saracen Horse Feeds.

“While probiotics are generally suggested for shorter term use, prebiotics can be fed for longer periods of time and are commonly recommended during stressful events or periods that may impact the gut.”

If your horse is receiving a balanced diet with the appropriate amount of hard feed for their condition and workload and the recommended level of vitamins, minerals and quality protein but not maintaining weight, you need to look at their general health status. Find out whether they are suffering from any issues like gastric ulcers, kidney disease or absorption problems.

“It’s also important to ensure they are on a suitable worm control program and had their teeth checked. Are they appropriately rugged and warm enough? You want what you are feeding them to be going on as weight and not being used as an energy source to stay warm,” adds Clare.

Do you know how much forage your horse is consuming? Even if you are feeding forage ad lib monitor their intake and check any hay or haylage that is being offered is actually being eaten and not just trodden into their bed. It is also worth checking your horse’s stress levels. Is he being bullied in the field by other horses and not eating enough hay or is he intimidated by his neighbour in the next-door stable and reluctant to eat?

“Look at the quality of the forage you are feeding and ideally choose a forage which has been cut early and is softer and leafier. Very coarse forages may provide fewer calories, meaning that more needs to be consumed, or be less palatable. A horse needs a minimum of 1.5% in dry matter of its bodyweight in forage per day, but this can be elevated up to 2.5% if weight gain is required,” says Katie.

Finally, don’t forget the old adage of feeding little and often. Offering frequent meals throughout the day is preferable to big feeds once or twice a day. The horse has a relatively small stomach and larger meals tend to be effectively pushed through the digestive system faster so may be less efficiently digested.

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British Equestrian has announced an immediate 14-day relaxation of the anti-doping rules for competing horses who may be affected by the zilpaterol feed contamination.

Following the news yesterday (23 October) that feed companies Allen & Page, Baileys Horse Feeds, Hilight Horse Feeds, Honeychop Horse Feeds, Saracen Horse Feeds, and Spillers, Winergy and Pegasus, had confirmed that some of their products had been affected by contamination with the banned substance, British Equestrian (BEF) today (23 October) stated it had worked on a “proactive solution”, which should help all parties caught up in this “unfortunate situation”.

“With immediate effect the BEF board has introduced a 14-day moratorium, during which time any horse that returns a positive result for zilpaterol through testing at an event will not be subject to any regulatory action under the BEF’s anti-doping rules (known as BEFAR), provided the positive sample is consistent with the feed being contaminated with zilpaterol,” it read.

“This moratorium period will be kept under constant review and may be extended depending upon updated information relating to the contamination.”

The statement added that the moratorium covers horses competing under national rules of any BEF member bodies, who are signed up to BEFAR. Horses who are competing in international shows are still subject to the rules and testing requirements of the FEI, and will not be covered under the moratorium for any such shows.

Article continued below…

Feed contamination update: more major companies affected

Major feed companies that distribute in the UK have confirmed a number of their products have been affected by contamination

Suspected feed contamination: ‘significant progress’ made in investigation by supplier

Gain Equine Nutrition has today (9 October) issued a statement on its investigation

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BEF interim chief executive Iain Graham said this is a situation where “reason and logic” are required.

“We’re grateful to the BEF board and BEFAR technical committee for facilitating this moratorium. The British Equestrian Trade Association and some UK feed brands have worked extensively to provide the facts which were a vital part in the process,” he said.

“We hope this will put riders’ minds at rest and give time for the feed companies to work with their clients towards eliminating any contaminated feed from the supply chain. My thanks to all concerned.”

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade to access our H&H Plus online service which brings you breaking news as it happens as well as other benefits.

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Major feed companies that distribute in the UK have confirmed a number of their products have been affected by contamination with the banned substance zilpaterol.

Yesterday (21 October) British Equestrian (BEF) said it had been made aware that “several” feed companies may have products contaminated with banned substance zilpaterol, which was in a shipment of molasses used in the manufacturing process.

The news comes after Gain horse feeds’ announcement at the beginning of the month on suspected zilpaterol contamination of some of its products. Zilpaterol is used as a feed additive in the USA and other countries to promote weight gain, mainly in cattle. It is not approved for use in Europe.

Today (22 October) the British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA) said it wanted to clarify the situation on behalf of its horse feed manufacturing members.

BETA said the companies affected by the contamination that have been confirmed to date are Allen & Page, Baileys Horse Feeds, Hilight Horse Feeds, Honeychop Horse Feeds, Saracen Horse Feeds, and Spillers, Winergy and Pegasus.

A spokesman for BETA said unless horses are participating in affiliated competitions and could be subject to dope tests, these feeds are safe to use.

“It has very recently been confirmed that the cane molasses containing zilpaterol hydrochloride supplied by ED&F Man Ltd into Ireland did then enter the UK some months ago and was supplied to a few equine feed companies. In that period there have only been positives detected under the rules of racing in France from feed originating from one Irish company,” read the BETA statement.

“In the absence of any confirmatory analysis from ED&F Man Ltd as to whether and/or what levels of zilpaterol were in any molasses supplied into companies, once aware that the contamination may have affected the UK supply, all companies took precautionary measures and stopped using the shipment of molasses in question and replaced it with an alternative source or another raw material.”

The spokesman said BETA has been working with its members in their efforts to identify the nature and scale of the contamination, that has been “beyond their control”.

“All have tried to act in the best interests of their customers to deal with an impossible situation. A number of these companies are in direct contact with their known clients to advise on the situation and provide any advice and instructions they can,” he said. 

“ED&F contacted companies to confirm the material was contaminated but at lower levels than was the case in Ireland.”

 The spokesman added that BETA had received confirmation from the UK’s Food Standards Agency that it was taking no further action due to the very low concentrations in the feed, which are not considered significant in terms of feed safety and are not a risk to equine health.

“The level of zilpaterol which has been found in feed was less than one part per billion, well below the level which would trigger food or feed safety considerations,” he said.”

The statement said the racing and sporting regulatory bodies have “different priorities” from BETA’s feed regulators and so while posing no health risks to horses, it is prohibited for horses competing under rules.

“The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has offered a seven-day moratorium in racing during which any horse that returns a positive result for zilpaterol through raceday, out-of-racing or elective testing will not be subject to BHA regulatory action, provided the positive sample is consistent with the feed contamination.

“Elective testing undertaken through the BHA has indicated that zilpaterol is not present in horses that had contaminated feed withdrawn for four clear days. Investigations are ongoing, so this is not yet considered a confirmed withdrawal period for the substance.”

In a statement on 11 October Gain Equine Nutrition said that ED&F had issued an “urgent action and recall notice” recalling products suspected of containing “minute traces” of zilpaterol. The notice added that although initial levels detected are extremely low, the substance in question is banned in the EU.

The BEF said as a banned substance, zilpaterol may be detected in samples taken from horses competing under FEI discipline member body rules, where the FEI and/or BEF anti-doping rules will apply, and subsequent penalties could be imposed in the case of any positive samples.

“Riders of horses who are liable to be tested, and have not been contacted by their feed manufacturer already, should contact them immediately for any update the manufacturer may be able to offer on the status of their products,” said the BEF spokesman.

The spokesman added BEF is in “constant contact” with the FEI for further guidance.

In a statement today, the FEI said it understands the companies in question are contacting customers directly to advise on batches that may have been affected and to replace the contaminated feed.

“Anyone contacted by their supplier should follow their advice and, if required, stop feeding any potentially affected product immediately. They should also ensure that all feed equipment (bowls, scoops, bins etc.) that may have contained any contaminated product is cleaned thoroughly with detergent and plenty of water.”

Article continued below…

Suspected feed contamination: ‘significant progress’ made in investigation by supplier

Gain Equine Nutrition has today (9 October) issued a statement on its investigation

Horse sport in shock after major feed supplier announces suspected contamination *H&H Plus*

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The spokesman added that in line with the FEI’s previous advice, it is strongly advised horses that may have inadvertently ingested zilpaterol are withdrawn from competition.

H&H has contacted ED&F for comment.

The products affected are:

Allen & Page products made up to 10 October:

• Stud & young stock mix
• Quiet mix
• Herbal quiet mix
• Old Faithfuls special
• Quiet cubes & Sustain

The Allen & Page manufacturing date can be found on the white sewn in label and is shown after batch number in the bottom right-hand corner.

Baileys Horse Feeds range of cubes, primarily:

• No.2 Working Cubes
• No.4 Top Line Conditioning Cubes
• No.11 Racehorse Cubes
• No.23 Racing Light Cubes
• No.24 Ease & Excel Cubes

Of these, only those with batches dated prior to 8 October 2020, which will appear as 08102020 printed on the bottom of the bag, are affected.

Hilight Horse Feeds:

Range of cubes with batches manufactured prior to 8 October 2020

Honeychop Horse Feeds:

A limited number of their fibre range up to manufacturing week (41) which can be found on the label on the front of bags.

Saracen Horse Feeds

Range of mixes (not the cube range)

Mixes with a best-before date prior to 8 April 2021 may be affected.

The dedicated Saracen line 01622 713 887 should be contacted with any questions.

Spillers, Winergy and Pegasus:

Mixes and fibres manufactured before 10 October 2020. All cubes and balancers are unaffected.

Mixes with best before date 9 February 2021 or before

Spillers Happy Hoof with best before date 9 April 2021 or before

All other chopped fibres with best before date 9 February or before

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Spillers’ equine nutritionist Clare Barfoot provides one H&H forum user with some helpful advice on how to feed her weak horse for better muscle development

Q: “Feeding a weak horse to support muscle development: I’m not going to say what I’m currently feeding him, because I’m interested in completely unskewed views. The horse was in very poor condition when he arrived, not thin, but so weak that he couldn’t carry a rider properly. Any underlying problems were ruled out by an experienced equine vet — he was just really really weak and has poor conformation over his back. Six months on, after a lot of remedial work, in-hand and ridden, he is looking a lot better, and working very nicely within the constraints of his conformation/musculature. He has filled out and gained muscle, but is still a bit weak, and lacking topline. He is a sharp little horse with a sense of humour, and any starch/sugar heavy feeds find their way straight to his heels! I have been feeding him a good diet in my opinion; high in protein and easy on the starch/sugar, which combined with his work, is helping him move steadily in the right direction. He is a good weight, neither fat, nor thin, and is jolly but not completely bonkers. He had a new bodyworker out the other day and she said I needed to feed him more/better, and that he needed more protein to support muscle development. I am a bit miffed, as I thought I was doing pretty well with him, and to be told I could do better was somewhat galling. So, my question is: what would you feed for muscle development, without sending the horse off its rocker on starch/sugar? ”

A: Firstly it’s important to understand the function of muscle is to provide the body with movement. How that muscle is distributed across the body is largely genetic. For example a Quarter Horse has a higher proportion of fast twitch muscles which are bulkier than an Arab which have more slow twitch muscles and this is why their appearance is quite different with well-developed gluteal (hind-quarter) muscles.

Continued below…

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Other factors that can affect muscle tone and development are injury, nutrition, age and exercise. A horse that is malnourished will break down muscle in order to provide fuel for essential body processes, which is why starved horses lack muscle mass as well as fat coverage. Injury can also cause muscle wastage especially if the injury has caused a long term change in a horse’s way of going.

In addition to this, as horses age, muscle tone declines, but this is often due to a reduction in exercise intensity. Exercise itself has a major impact on muscle tone and topline as it’s the use of that muscle that helps develop its strength and function.

Unfortunately you can’t change a horse’s conformation even with a high protein diet and an intense exercise programme, genetics and conformation will always remain the limiting factor. It is also worth remembering that the nice rounded appearance we all get drawn to particularly the horse’s topline is comprised of muscle and subcutaneous fat so it’s important to assess your horse’s overall body condition score as he may just require more calories in his diet.

With regards to the influence of nutrition it’s all about providing a balanced diet with good quality protein. This means protein that meets the body’s requirement for essential amino acids supplied in the correct ratio.

A good quality compound feed fed at the recommended amount alongside quality forage should be sufficient to meet these requirements. Although, if like many horses and ponies, your horse doesn’t need the calories a compound feed provides, a balancer such as SPILLERS Original MULTI Balancer is ideal, especially if you have a horse prone to excitability. There is currently little evidence to support the feeding of high protein supplements or single amino acids on top of an already balanced diet to enhance muscle or topline development.

For more information on Body Condition Scoring and managing weight call the SPILLERS Care-Line on 01908 226626.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Spillers’ equine nutritionist Clare Barfoot provides one H&H forum user with some insightful information on whether a certain feeding regime can help reduce a horse with shivers

Q: Feeding advice for a horse with shivers: “I’m finding equine nutrition a minefield and wonder if you can help please. I purchased my horse last summer and he kept his weight really well until the last sudden batch of snow in March and he really dropped off. He is extremely food sensitive. For example I gave him really good quality hay and it sent him absolutely crazy and unrideable, even when soaked. He is now out 24/7 and gets two meals a day of Hifi molasses-free, Spillers hi fibre nuggets, Farriers Formula, gut balancer and a vit E/selenium supplement as he has a mild shiver. We have plenty of grass and he’ll pick at a haynet when I bring him in to groom and ride but isn’t that fussed. He obviously needs a low sugar/starch diet due to the shiver. I can’t work out what was in the good quality hay that sent him so crazy — possibly the protein? He is very happy in himself and doesn’t need any more energy for ridden work. Does you have any recommendations as to what to try feed-wise? I’ve done tonnes of research but just feel like I’m going round in circles. Many thanks from one confused horse owner!”

A: The ultimate cause of shivers in horses is unknown, but it is more likely to be related to abnormal brain function than a muscle disease.

There was some belief that shivers was in some way associated with Equine Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy (EPSM) but further research doesn’t support this theory — it’s just that breeds with a higher prevalence of shivers also tend to have a high prevalence of EPSM.

If a horse has both conditions providing a low non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) diet that’s supplemented with high levels of vitamin E and selenium has been shown to help in early cases, which is why you were initially advised this. However if your horse just has shivers this type of diet is unlikely to directly help.

Having said that, it is healthier for every horse or pony to have a diet based on fibre while keeping the NSC as low as possible.

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So in the summer months if he holds his condition on grass alone I suggest you feed a good quality balancer alongside a high oil alfalfa based chop such as Spillers original multi balancer and Spillers alfalfa-pro fibre; this way you can be assured he will have a fully balanced diet including an adequate supply of vitamin E and selenium.

During the winter months, if you are concerned about weight loss, he will need more calories in his diet but again because he can be excitable you want to keep the NSC (sugar and starch) at a minimum so Spillers high fibre cubes are a good choice, and if you feed the full recommended amount you can reduce or eliminate the balancer.

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With regards to what may have affected his behaviour when you fed the good quality hay it’s more likely to be that the hay was high in sugar or that it just simply provided more energy than he required than anything relating to protein as protein is not a primary energy source in the horse.

For more information on feeding your horse or pony, call the Spillers care-line on 01908 226626.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Spillers’ equine nutritionist Clare Barfoot provides one H&H forum user with some helpful advice on how to feed an underweight, veteran pony after a dry summer, moving towards winter

Q: Feeding an underweight senior pony: “I’ve read loads about feeding advice for old horses, but it all seems like they feed way too much of lots of different things — it’s all confused me and I don’t know what route to take. I’ll explain a bit about my situation and hopefully you can help me out. So, the pony is a 22-year-old cob, 13.2hh, weighing about 300kg. He is looking thin but not terrible (which worries me as it is summer and he should be a lot fatter than what he is). His teeth are checked regularly but he needs soaked food as he has cupped teeth due to age so he can no longer grind down hard feed. I currently feed him Allen & Page calm and condition 1.5kg (dry weight) as it says on the bag and Dodson & Horrell sixteen plus mix one scoop (I know that he cannot grind down hard food but it goes soft in with the calm and condition), plus garlic oil with added linseed. He is fed this twice a day. I have ordered a bag of charwoods micronized linseed to see if it helps him put on weight as I’ve read very good things about it. I need to know if there’s anything else I should be giving him, or should I be feeding him more of what he’s already having. Also I need help on what to do for hay replacing in the winter. The grass out in the fields has gone all yellow and dry due to all of the hot weather we’ve had so I know this hasn’t helped him. I’ve tried giving him a large trug-full of Dengie meadow grass but he doesn’t like it and I have tried giving him soaked grass nuts and he doesn’t like that either. I know he loves calm & condition and loves sugarbeet but I don’t know how much is too much to give. So any advice would be helpful and I’m not too worried about the cost on things as he’s worth every penny, but I’m not a wealthy person so cheaper alternatives would be a bonus. Thanks in advance.”

A: Loss of condition due to dental issues is one of the common challenges of owning an older horse or pony. It was often thought that the loss of condition in senior horses was due to differences in digestive efficiencies between adult and senior horses, but research has shown that age per se doesn’t decrease the ability of the gut to absorb nutrients. Worm damage was probably the contributing factor in previous studies that have shown this.

So if it isn’t a decline in digestive efficiency what is it that causes the majority of older horses to lose weight?

Continued below…

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Good digestion starts with good chewing and horses’ teeth is one bodily part that simply just wears out over time; teeth become worn, loose and less effective. This means that the chewing of long fibre becomes difficult which in turn means not enough calories are eaten in order to maintain an ideal bodyweight.

One of the signs of this is ‘quidding’ where you will see clumps of wet half chewed grass or forage being dropped from the mouth. The dietary solution to this is to replace the lack of fibre with an alternative that your horse can cope with. You are right to choose a soakable conditioning feed, but it’s the fibre portion of the diet particularly during the winter months you need to replace.

This can be done by using a soft chopped fibre designed as a hay replacer such as Spillers Happy Hoof if he can manage it alongside a soaked fibre product that can be used as a complete feed such as Spillers Speedy-Mash Fibre. Other good fibre sources are unmolassed sugar beet or soaked high fibre cubes.

With regards to the amount you need to feed, be generous as you may need to replace up to 2% of your pony’s bodyweight so 6kg (dry weight) per day split across a minimum of four feeds. Micronised linseed is a good source of concentrated calories and omega 3 oils but while potentially of benefit, it will not be able to replace the fibre portion of your pony’s diet.

For more information on feeding a horse or pony, call the Spillers Care-Line on 01908 226626.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Spillers’ equine nutritionist Clare Barfoot provides one H&H forum user with some helpful advice on how to feed her horse for a shiny coat without adding calories and condition

Q: “I’m looking to start showing my mare in the summer and I want to add something to her feed that will enhance her coat and give it a good shine, but most of the supplements I’ve been looking at are quite fatty and high in energy and she’s already a bit of a barrel and definitely doesn’t need any extra energy. She’s currently on happy hoof pony nuts and stroppy mare and I was wondering if any one has suggestions on what I can try please?”

A: A nice shiny, silky coat is what we all want on our horses and ponies, but it’s not just about hours of grooming!

The biggest influence on coat condition is your horse’s overall health. Therefore it pays to start with the basics — think about her worming programme, the health of her teeth and her general health status. Then it’s time to turn to nutrition.

Protein, vitamin and mineral deficiencies can all affect coat condition, therefore providing your horse with a well-balanced diet is the key to producing a healthy horse on the inside as well as a lovely shiny coat on the outside.

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If you are not feeding SPILLERS Happy Hoof at the recommended level, particularly during the summer months, it is still very important that your mare has a daily supply of vitamins and minerals in her diet. This can be achieved by feeding SPILLERS Daily Balancer. This will provide a balanced diet every day without providing extra calories that your mare doesn’t need.

As you have identified other nutrients that might also help support coat and skin health, are essential fatty acids (omega 3 and 6 oils) provided by ingredients such as micronised linseed, although you are right to be concerned amount feeding too much as ultimately oil is calorie dense.

Other nutrients that might help to support skin and coat condition are vitamin C, which has an important role in the maintenance of connective tissue, and biotin which has well known benefits for hooves and hair. Traditionally, some herbs have also been used to promote a healthy coat, these include chamomile, nettle and clivers.

However, the right nutrition is only half the story, you will still need to get the body brush out and apply some elbow grease! Brushing your horse regularly will keep her coat mud- and scruff-free and will stimulate blood flow that will bring all the good coat-enhancing nutrients to the hair follicles to help promote quality hair growth and that beautiful shine! Good luck with the show season ahead.

For more information on Body Condition Scoring and managing weight call the SPILLERS® Care-Line on 01908 226626.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Spillers’ equine nutritionist Clare Barfoot provides one H&H forum user with some helpful advice on how to feed to help manage sweet itch

Q: Sweet itch: “Our pony does not have sweet itch at the moment but I believe he’s had it in the past and it is well managed with keeping him in at night, and putting a fly mesh on him during the summer. I’m just wondering whether foods could affect him in any way? Could sugars irritate his skin, for example, sugar beet, and what about protein in haylage?”

A: Contrary to the name, ‘sweet itch’ has nothing to do with sugar or for that matter, dietary protein. It is an allergic reaction to the antigens present in the saliva of the biting female midge, particularly the Cullicoides.

Sweet itch can be a very distressing condition, however with careful management a less itchy summer can be achieved!

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Daily management should aim to limit the number of midges that can have access to the skin. Environment can play a big part in this; midges like damp ground, open water, lush vegetation and still air so opting for an open, breezy field on well-drained soil away from ponds and streams will make a big difference. Using sweet itch rugs, fly repellents, stabling at dusk and dawn and even installing ceiling fans in stables have all been shown to reduce the effects of sweet itch.

Alongside careful management, there are some specific ingredients that might help.

Firstly, having a balanced diet is key to general health, but also skin health which is ultimately the body’s first barrier of defence. If you horse or pony, like many in the summer months, doesn’t require the recommended amount of compound feed, a balancer is ideal for providing vitamins and minerals without unwanted calories; SPILLERS Daily Balancer is ideal in this situation.

The next nutritional strategy you can deploy is feeding aromatic ingredients to help provide a deterrent to the midges by omitting their strong aroma through the sweat glands. One of the most traditional ingredients used for this purpose is garlic.

Feeding ingredients that support general skin health and the immune system might help ‘dampen’ down the allergic response that causes the intense itchiness. Look out for supplements that contain some or all of the following ingredients: omega 3 fatty acids, particularly from linseed oil; MSM, which may have anti-inflammatory properties and will help support general skin health; niacin, a B vitamin that may help protect the barrier function of the skin; biotin, another important vitamin in hoof and skin health; antioxidants both from key nutrients such as vitamin E and C, zinc and selenium and from plant-derived natural antioxidants. Lastly, there are some traditional herbs that have been used for centuries to promote skin health which include clivers, nettles and chamomile.

Hopefully if you deploy all these management strategies your horse will be well on the way to an itch-free summer!

For more information on body condition scoring and managing weight call the SPILLERS Care-Line on 01908 226626.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Spillers’ equine nutritionist Clare Barfoot provides one H&H forum user with some helpful advice on how to manage feeding an overweight horse or pony

Q: Overweight pony: “I am literally at my wits end. I have a six-year-old, 14.3hh Connemara mare that I have had since she was two. When I bought her, she was on the round side, and I thought this was due to her having been out with unlimited grazing. However, having now had her for four years, I now realise that she has a serious problem! She goes out for approximately eight hours a day with a grazing muzzle on at all times. She is exercised every day (either ridden or lunged, perhaps with one day off a week). She has 6kg of soaked hay a day and one small handful of Happy Hoof a day, just to make her feel as though she has had something when the others are fed. I only use Baileys high fibre nuggets for treats, and she is not unfit. She is still massive. I am almost embarrassed to take her anywhere in public as I am sure people are judging me for over-feeding her. I even had someone I know stop me in the road when I was riding commenting how fat she is. What advice do you have please?”

A: I feel for you as slimming an overweight pony down can be challenging and it sounds like you have really been trying. But unfortunately if your mare is still not losing weight, she is still consuming too many calories.

It’s actually amazing how much dedicated ponies can consume even with a grazing muzzle on, meaning you may have to take more drastic action.

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This may require controlling all the calories your pony consumes, turning out in a bare paddock and replacing the grass with soaked hay.

Look for the lowest calorie hay you can or consider mixing in some clean straw to further reduce its energy. With regards to the amount don’t reduce her fibre intake below 15/grams (dry matter) per kilo bodyweight per day. As a guide this is approximately 8kg of hay for a 450kg pony.

Gut fill can reduce significantly during the first week so it’s best to take a starting weight at the beginning of week two. If you don’t have access to a weighbridge use a weigh-tape or better still try measuring belly girth (around the widest part of the belly) as this is quite sensitive to weight loss and often shifts before any appreciable change in body condition.

Remember to adjust forage intake to reflect hopefully a downward trend in bodyweight. Don’t neglect nutrient intake even when you are cutting calories — opt for a balancer designed to complement a calorie restricted diet.

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Of course weight loss is also helped by exercise so keep that up and find some hills to do some faster work up as this will burn significantly more calories than walking or trotting on the flat.

Slimming a ‘weight loss’ resistant horse or pony down requires real dedication and while it can be frustrating, you and your pony will reap the rewards of a slimmer, fitter, healthier pony. For more information on weight management visit the SPILLERS website.

For more information on feeding call the SPILLERS Care-Line on 01908 226626.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Spillers’ equine nutritionist Clare Barfoot provides one H&H forum user with some helpful advice on how to feed a barefoot horse for optimum health

Q: “Feeding a barefoot cob — I’m very new to horse ownership and want to research the best diet I should be feeding my part-bred cob, who I believe has been barefoot her whole life (she is nine-years-old). She’s on full livery, so gets fed as part of that, but I want to make sure she’s having what she should be to keep her and her hooves in the best condition. Could anyone give me some advice please?”

A: The importance of healthy hooves has been known for generations of horsemen with the saying “no hoof, no horse” often quoted. Hoof problems are a very common headache for horse owners and while good hoof trimming is essential, the importance of sound nutrition is often overlooked. Nutrition can play a vital role in the cause and prevention of many hoof problems therefore the growth of healthy hooves is dependent on a well-balanced diet.

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A balanced diet is key

Hoof formation is a highly complex process requiring good quality protein, vitamins, minerals, fats and not least energy. All of these need to be present in sufficient quantities and in correct proportions to produce a strong hoof so the entire diet needs to be balanced. Adding lots of one particular nutrient to a poor diet is unlikely to be of any benefit and some nutrients can even cause more harm than good if given in excess; for example, vitamin A and selenium can actually cause hoof problems if they are added to the diet at very high levels.

Good doers, like your cob and horses in very light work often get all of the calories they need from grass, hay or haylage, but forage-only diets often lack some essential nutrients. As far as diet is concerned, the first step towards maintaining optimum hoof health in horses on forage-only diets should be to provide a good quality feed balancer. Some balancers include hoof-supporting nutrients such as SPILLERS Lite and Lean Balancer or a broad spectrum supplement could be fed instead. This also applies to horses receiving less than the recommended daily ration of compound feed.

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What about additional supplements?

If you are confident that your horse’s current diet is fully balanced and meets all of his normal requirements, additional supplementation may help with poor hoof quality. Biotin is probably the most well-known nutrient as far as hoof supplements are concerned; this member of the B vitamin family is a key component for hoof horn quality and there is scientific evidence to support this. Biotin should be fed at around 15 to 20mg per day for a typical 500kg horse i.e. 3 to 4mg per 100kg bodyweight. Calcium, phosphorus, zinc, MSM, lysine and methionine may also be useful additions to a hoof supplement.

For more information on feeding to support weight gain call the SPILLERS Care-Line on 01908 226626.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now