Most horses thrive on our recommended feed regime. This entails providing the important base forage and fibre needs together with the mineral and omegas balancing across the entire diet and lastly removing potentially problematic ingredients.

How much your horse thrives on this base regime can depend on two factors. One relating to protein and energy levels being consumed in the forage and the base hard feed and secondly the more demanding nutritional needs for horses in heavy work, elderly or breeding. The nutritional needs of most pleasure domestic horses with average to no work load are met from forage and our feed regime. Any shortfalls in commonly lacking minerals and essential and/or limiting amino acids (protein) are provided by both our mineral formulas.

Depending on the individual analysis of specific forages vs. higher nutritional needs can create the need to supply a higher energy or protein source. The harder a horse works the more likely it is to need a concentrated calorie source and high glycogen supplies to build reserves in the muscles and liver. Even when holding weight and muscling well on hay and grass-only diets, endurance, stamina and speed may suffer without the inclusion of some type of more concentrated carbohydrate source.

Protein is required for almost every physiological function including muscle contraction, neural communication, metabolism of sugars and fats, immune responses and more. Low protein or amino acid levels in the diet can cause a broad range of symptoms in horses including:

• Loss of muscle mass including top line
• Poor growth
• Slow recovery from illness
• Poor performance
• Rough coat
• Weak hooves
• Early pregnancy loss
• Impaired immunity
• Poor wound healing

These signs are not linked solely to a protein deficiency and can also occur when energy needs are not met or with vitamin and mineral deficiencies (addressed with our formulas). A diet evaluation complete with a hay/pasture analysis is the best way to determine whether your horse is getting adequate amino acids from their feeding program.

Many horse owners often say, ‘My horse needs more energy?’ or ‘My horse doesn't have much energy as their workload increases’. Whilst low energy in the diet can be an underlying reason, other areas also need consideration first Horses that carry excess weight may tend to be less active, and those that lack adequate exercise are likely not in peak condition. Just like humans, horses sometimes require a break to recharge their batteries or their workload considered. Not unsimilar to protein, the energy needs of most horses in no to moderate work are met with grass and most hay.

Older horses can have issues with weight primarily because of inadequate chewing of their forage which is the number one cause of poor protein utilization. It is the exposing of the protein to digestive enzymes by thoroughly chewing, being the biggest factor in its digestibility. Hay is harder for oldies to eat and digest than grass. Ensuring there is a highly digestible protein source is important. This is where HHIO Restore helps our oldies alongside one of our mineral formulas, as it provides essential amino acids, ensuring the synthesising of utilisable protein. It is also where we would consider using a fermented product especially lucerne.

If you need to provide additional protein and/or energy we recommend to look for quality options that are lower in sugar and starch. Higher sugar and starch options can upset the delicate digestive balance and/or can create undesirable behaviour. The higher starch options are grains such as Barley, Maize, Wheat and Oats. It is starch that causes the “heating” effect, as it is broken down rapidly into glycogen and then glucose. These sugars are absorbed very quickly, giving the horse a rush of energy. Maize and Wheat are on our avoids list for several reasons. Oats being lower in starch than Barley - can be an option - for horses in heavy work and fed in small quantities.

'Safer' lower starch/sugar options to choose from in order to provide higher energy and/or protein needs for your individual horse include:

Flaxseed/Linseed

100g fresh crushed linseed which is a recommended inclusion in our base feed, provides 22g of Protein and 2.7Mj (27Mj/kg). Simply increasing this to 400g provides 90g extra Protein and 8.1Mj extra energy.

100g of Flax Flake/Meal provides 35.4g Protein and 2.1Mj (20.9Mj kg). By increasing this to 400g provides 105g more protein and 6.3Mj extra energy.

The linseed/flaxseed options are the most viable for metabolic, laminitic prone, grass affected prone or horses that get hot.

100ml Cold Pressed Flaxseed oil provides 80Mj of energy only. A good option if you need the dense calorie needs without the extra protein.

Metabolic and Older horses don't benefit from high levels of fat in the diet.

Lucerne

500g lucerne chaff provides 91.5g Protein and 9 Mj of energy. By adding a slab of lucerne hay at 1kg approx - you will provide 183g extra protein and 18Mj of energy.

Not suited to all horses, however commonly we discover that once minerals and diet are cleaned up lucerne can be reintroduced without problems where previously it was problematic.  There are always exception to the rule. 

Rice Bran

500g Rice Bran provides 71g Protein and 10.5Mj of energy.

Rice Bran has a high phosphorus profile that needs balancing to calcium - best match is fed with Lucerne.

Lupins

500g Lupins provides 189.5g Protein and 10.6Mj of energy. They are also higher in fibre at 13.9%.

They are very high protein and a higher starch profile and may not be suitable for all horses. Best to avoid if you have horses prone to grass issues  in their diet. Remember extruded form usually contains poly-unsaturated oils (vegetables, canola/rapeseed, rice bran, sunflower, soya) which we aim to avoid. Extruded also means more easily utilised = higher energy. Use plain lupins or micronized lupins.

Timothy Pellets

250g of timothy pellets provide 22.8g protein and 4.5 Mj of energy. They are also a high fibre option at 35.6%.

Great option for the easy keepers, metabolic, laminitic and grass affected horses.

Oats

250g Oats provide 27.5g protein and 4.9Mj energy.

Many horse owners hesitate to include oats in their horses' diets due to concerns about excessive energy levels. This reaction can indeed occur if oats are given in isolation and in large amounts. However, when they are balanced according to the level of exercise, oats can be a safe addition to our suggested feeding regimen.

While the majority of horses tolerate oats well, there are instances some individuals may display hot behaviour. This response is equally likely with maize and barley, both of which have a higher energy content compared to oats. Incorporating oats immediately post-exercise can serve as an effective source of quick-release glycogen. To enhance muscle performance and endurance, consider glycogen loading after moderate-heavy work. Glycogen, the stored form of glucose, is vital for energizing all cells within the body. It is accumulated in both muscle tissues and the liver, and levels can be replenished after physical activity. Insufficient protein, sodium, or glycogen may lead to symptoms such as lethargy, low stamina, and underdeveloped muscles.

It is not recommended to feed oats to overweight, metabolic or laminitic equines.

Sometimes it can be tricky sourcing horse feed especially in more remote locations. Here are a couple of options of larger brand names that we use successfully and recommend as the specific feeds adhere to or can be worked around with our feeding principles.

For a full list of clean feeds please refer to CLEAN FEED LIST.  This is the most up to date information as new feeds come onto the market or old feeds change.