The Horse's Hoof Diet Guidelines

by Yvonne Welz ©2008
Revised 08/08

How do you keep your horse's diet as natural as possible in the modern world? What if you don't have 100 acres of varied terrain to supply your horse with the different plants and minerals that it requires to fulfill its nutritional needs? There are so many diets programs available, often with contradictory opinions about what and what not to feed. It can get so confusing! In our opinion, what matters most, when trying out a supplement program, is that you are able to see positive results in your horses--an improvement in their overall health and bloom. We've found what works best for us, and for many of our friends. These recommendations are based on our own trial and error experiences, and on our own latest nutritional research findings.

1. Forage: Feed free choice grass hay or pasture as much as possible. Ideally, try to always provide something for the horse to munch on 24 hours per day. Provide lower quality grass hays to the easy-keepers. If available and affordable, it is ideal to purchase pesticide-free or organic hays. Realistically, this is not an option for most horsesowners, but perhaps that will change if demand increases. Forage should be the basis of the equine diet. For more information about choosing appropriate hays and grasses for horses, visit safergrass.org. Some horses with hoof problems are very sensitive to sugar content of hay, and some grass hays can be high in sugar! In general, cool season grasses (orchard, timothy, brome) are higher in sugars than the warm season grasses (bermuda, prairie grass).

Try to limit alfalfa or legume hays to no more than 20% of the total daily hay quantity -- but it may be a good idea to feed a small amount of alfalfa daily to any horse that is NOT on grass pasture, for the extra nutrients it provides. Alfalfa is lower in sugar/starch than most grass hays, and is not really the "evil" that some claim. We have personally observed no ill effects on hooves from the feeding of alfalfa; however there can be ill-effects if the horse is overweight! The problem with alfalfa is in feeding it in excess - because it is too rich in calories, and has a poor mineral balance and too much protein for horses. So feed it sparingly to most horses, but use as needed for the hard-keepers (paying attention to mineral balance, of course)! I would rather see a hard-keeper on half-alfalfa, versus a high-grain diet.

2. Energy Sources:

Grain: We recommend feeding as little grain as possible. Grain should be considered more of a "supplement" than a food, due to the many problems caused by excess starch in a horse's diet. A small amount of grain (less than a pound per day, preferably just a handful) fed for variety will not be a problem for most horses. There are quality organic grain pellets available to give you more options (be sure to purchase from a top quality company). Whole grains should be clean and from a trustworthy source -- ideally, buy organic or pesticide free and non-GMO. As long as the amounts fed are kept to a minimum, all grains can be fed to some horses in very small quantities for variety. (Horses with Insulin Resistance or EPSM or other grain-sensitive disorders should usually avoid all grains).

Grain Substitutes: Most horses should require little to no grain at all, but they will still need nutrients to balance out their hay, which should be supplied in vitamin/mineral supplements. If "grain" is necessary to mix these supplements, try using a grass hay pellet, or a grass/alfalfa mix pellet. Many people have had success using beet pulp and/or rice bran. There are now many low starch "grain" mixes available; we have heard positive reports from people using Triple Crown Low Starch, Triple Crown Senior, Triple Crown Lite, Nutrena Safe Choice, and Purina Ultium. All should be used in very small quantities, if using just to mix supplements.

In general, you want to select a low NSC (non-structural carbohydrate, or sugar plus starch level) value for most horses; check with the manufacturer for the NSC if not listed on the bag. All of the above-mentioned feeds are fairly low in NSC: Safe Choice is about 26% NSC, while Oats are 50% NSC, and Corn is 74% NSC. Triple Crown's are under 15% NSC. Ultium is around 20%. Triple Crown also has a product called Safe Starch Forage, which is fortified chopped grass hay, with less than 10% NSC and can even be fed as the complete ration, or just used for mixing supplements.

Fats: Average horses do not usually require high amounts of fat in their diet, and usually green grass will supply all the fatty acids that they need. Non-grazing horses should probably receive a supplement to provide the necessary Omega-3 fatty acids. Suitable products include chia seeds, whole extruded soybeans (such as Dynamite H.E.S.), or whole fresh-ground flaxseed or a stabilized flaxseed meal (such as Nutri-Flax from Horsetech). If the exercise demand, or the horse's condition, requires extra calories, we recommend supplementing with fat sources instead of grains. For most horses, natural fat sources such as black oil sunflower seeds (BOSS), chia seeds, flaxseed, stabilized rice bran, or whole extruded soybeans can provide excellent energy nutrition. For horses under super heavy workloads, or horses with EPSM, additional fat will be necessary, and can be supplied with pure vegetable oils. The best oils to use are cold-pressed, and an excellent one is Uckele's CocoSoya, which is a blend of coconut and soybean oils. Is feeding oil natural? Not really, but it seems to be highly effective as a treatment for EPSM horses, and for hard-working horses requiring a lot of calories (and is much safer than grain). The main equine energy source has always been the fatty acids fermented from fiber in their hindgut. Some sources recommend that when feeding oil, vitamins should be fed in a separate feeding (not with the oil) for best absorption.

3. Vitamins/Minerals: If your horse lives on an organic pasture with grass & herbs grown in virgin soil that produces plant life with correct nutrient values, it may not be necessary to provide supplements. However, over-farming, over-grazing, pesticides, chemicals, harsh fertilizers, acid rain, etc. have all contributed to a decline in nutrient values of our soils. Ideally, you really need to have your pasture and hay analyzed to determine your area's deficiencies. If you don't have a reliable source of hay, and therefore can't test, try to find out the general values of hay grown in your area. There will be a pattern: different areas of the country have different excesses and deficiencies. Here is more information about feed analysis: ANALYZING HAY AND FEEDS Here is information about an Arizona-specific supplement from Horsetech that works really well: Arizona Regional Mix

Once you know your hay's (or your area's) deficiencies, you can look for a supplement that will complement that. Some companies, such as Horsetech or Uckele will custom-blend supplements for you (you may need the help of a nutritionist for that). For those people who won't be testing hay, a general multivitamin/mineral balanced nutrient supplement (such as one from Dynamite, Horsetech, Vita-Flex or Uckele) can be used as a base for the horse's diet. If you are worried about over-supplementation, try feeding less than the recommended daily dose. Another precaution against over-supplementation is to always choose chelated mineral supplements, which are better absorbed and handled in the body, plus chelation prevents a mineral from interacting with other minerals and causing problems. Finally, try not to mix lots of different products and brands together (which could cause negative mineral interactions!) -- instead, stay with one good company, and keep it simple!

4. Free-choice minerals: These are optional, except for free-choice Salt - always provide free choice plain salt at all times. We recommend providing loose salt, in addition to a white salt block, if you must use a block (do not use the red mineral blocks made for cattle).

Other free-choice minerals can be provided to the horse, either routinely or with free access at all times. Although their use is hotly debated, there is anecdotal evidence that horses can regulate their minerals. If you are providing an exact daily-fed mineral mix based on your own specific hay and feed analysis, it may be best to avoid free-choice minerals altogether, which might throw your intricate balance out of whack. However, if you are like most owners, and simply trying to help balance out your rations in general, free-choice minerals make sense -- but choose wisely! Some free-choice minerals have very questionable ingredients. We prefer the minerals available from Dynamite.

5. Probiotics: Use a daily probiotic, such as Dynamite Dyna-Pro. It is cheap insurance for keeping your horse's digestion in top condition. It is indispensable for horses that are stressed, underweight, going through changes such as de-shoeing and de-toxing, any horse prone to colic or digestive upsets, and even for the easy-keeper whose system may not really be working correctly. It really works!