Forage should make up the majority of the horse’s diet and most of the time there is plenty available in the form of grass, hay or haylage. However there are some occasions when forage replacers are required, especially during warmer months when rainfall is less frequent and grass becomes limited. If the hay harvest hasn’t been great and grass growth has been poor, forage replacers can be used to provide the essential fibre provided by forage. This horse feed is key for the digestive health of the horse as they have evolved to thrive on a high fibre diet.
The Grazing Behaviour Of Horses
Over the course of a day a horse in the wild can cover up to 20 miles in the search for food. This has led to the digestive tract being adapted for eating little and often. The movement of the horse travelling around foraging for food actually assists with the movement of food through the digestive system too.
When grazing naturally, horses eat in their natural eating position with their heads down. By feeding them hay in a haynet, their heads are raised and this is suggested to potentially impact on the action of their jaw as well as altering the development of the muscles in the neck. It is recommended where possible to place the forage or forage replacer on the floor for them to eat more naturally. Horses eat for around 17 hours a day so it’s important to ensure they also have enough forage to meet their daily needs, whether this is hay or a forage replacer.
If they were in the wild, horses would have continuous access to grass, which is ideal as their digestive systems have adapted to trickle feeding. Modern domesticated environments mean that grass isn’t always available.
Bare Paddocks
Depending on the amount of grazing you have available and where you are based in the country, you may find that every summer you experience bare paddocks. If you have limited acres and grazing, then you may not be able to easily implement a rotational system where grass is left to rest whilst the horses eat another area. In addition bare paddocks can result in other problems too such as sand colic. If the fields become dusty and especially if the underlying soil is very sandy, horses may pick up a lot of sand as they graze. This can accumulate in the gut and potentially cause colic. When grass is in short supply horses may also start to browse on other plants that they may not normally eat. It is therefore particularly important to ensure the paddock is free from poisonous plants such as ragwort. Providing forage replacers also helps to reduce the risk of them eating other things because they are hungry. So what options are there for forage replacement?
Examples Of Forage Replacers
Fortunately, there are a number of forage replacers that are affordable and readily available that are suitable alternatives.
Straw – Quality straw is very useful for overweight horses and good doers to help decrease the energy provided by forage. It’s important to note that straw should ideally be fed alongside other forages such as hay. You would want to feed up to 30% straw of the total forage ration.
Grass Nuts – These are harvested and dried in a similar way to chopped dried grass, but are pelleted as opposed to being fed in a chop format. With a higher protein content and lower fibre content than hay, grass nuts provide more energy to the horse per kilo. They are ideal for poor doers and veterans when fed soaked and can be mixed with other forages so they are part of the ration for good doers
Chopped Dried Grass – Dried grass is harvested earlier than hay and is dried artificially, instead of in the field. It tends to be greener in colour and is higher in energy and protein than hay. This is also idea for veterans and poor doers, but should be avoided for good doers and laminitics due to its relatively high sugar levels.
Sugar Beet – If you are looking for a palatable way to add fibre into your horse’s diet, then soaked sugar beet is ideal. However, it cannot be used to replace hay completely and so should be fed as part of the forage ration. It is 80% water once it has been soaked and doesn’t require much chewing so is ideal for veterans or those with poor dentition.
High Fibre Cubes – These are also a palatable and versatile way of providing your horse with additional fibre to their daily ration, as healthy fibrous treats or as a partial forage replacer.
Hopefully this short guide has given you some ideas for forage replacers for your horse, as well as giving you an insight into their grazing behaviour. If you would like to find out more information, contact an equine nutritionist, who will be able to discuss your horse and their individual requirements with you.
