Horse Nutrition

How to Create a Balanced Diet for Your Horse

Feeding your horse isn’t just about tossing hay into the stall and calling it a day. Like humans, horses require a well-balanced diet to thrive—physically, mentally, and emotionally. Whether your horse is a performance athlete, a weekend trail buddy, or a retired pasture pal, understanding what goes into a balanced equine diet is essential for their overall health and longevity.

In this blog, we’ll guide you step-by-step on how to create a balanced diet tailored to your horse’s needs.

1. Understand the Basics of Equine Nutrition

Before creating a diet, it’s important to grasp the core nutrients your horse needs:

Forage (hay or pasture): The foundation of any horse’s diet. Horses are natural grazers and require a minimum of 1.5–2% of their body weight in forage daily.
Water: A horse should always have access to clean, fresh water. A 500kg horse can drink 25–55 liters of water per day.
Carbohydrates: Provide energy. Mainly found in forage and grains.
Proteins: Essential for muscle development and tissue repair.
Fats: A great source of concentrated energy, particularly for performance horses.
Vitamins & Minerals: Crucial for immunity, bone health, and metabolic functions.

2. Evaluate Your Horse’s Individual Needs

Every horse is different, so diet should be customized based on:

Age: Foals, adults, and seniors all have different nutritional requirements.
Breed: Some breeds are “easy keepers” (gain weight easily), while others burn through calories faster.
Workload: Performance horses need more energy and protein compared to pleasure or retired horses.
Weight & Body Condition: Use a body condition score (BCS) scale to assess whether your horse is underweight, overweight, or just right.
Health Conditions: Horses with issues like insulin resistance, laminitis, or ulcers require special diets.

3. Prioritize Forage: Hay or Pasture

Forage should make up the majority of your horse’s diet. Here’s how to ensure it meets their needs:

Quality Matters: Choose clean, mold-free hay. Look for hay that is leafy with minimal stems.
Type of Hay:
- Grass hays (like Timothy, Orchard, Bermuda): Lower in calories and protein.
- Legume hays (like Alfalfa, Clover): Higher in protein and calcium, great for growing or performance horses.
Pasture Grazing: Natural grazing is ideal but should be monitored to prevent overeating or exposure to toxic plants.

4. Use Concentrates Wisely

Grains and commercial feeds (aka concentrates) should be added only when forage isn’t enough to meet the horse’s energy or nutritional needs.

Choose low-starch, high-fiber feeds for horses prone to metabolic issues.
Working horses or underweight horses may benefit from grain or pelleted feeds with added fat.
Always follow the feeding instructions and never exceed recommended amounts without consulting a vet or equine nutritionist.

5. Don’t Forget Vitamins and Minerals

Even with good hay, horses can still miss essential nutrients like:

Salt: Provide free-choice salt or a salt block.
Calcium & Phosphorus: Important for bone health. The ratio should be around 2:1.
Trace Minerals: Zinc, copper, selenium, and manganese support immunity and hoof health.

Tip: Consider using a ration balancer—a concentrated supplement that provides protein, vitamins, and minerals without excess calories.

6. Monitor Weight and Adjust Accordingly

Regularly check your horse’s body condition and weight:

Use a weight tape to estimate body weight.
Evaluate body condition score monthly.
If your horse gains or loses weight unexpectedly, re-evaluate their diet and activity level.