Horses only have one stomach. Because of this they must eat small amounts often. Horses must also chew their feed well before swallowing and so will take longer over their feed than will cattle and other ruminants.

Horses vary greatly in their likes and dislikes. Factors such as the horses type, age and weight and the work a horse does will influence specific feed requirements.

What does a horse need?

Pasture, hay and/or chaff is essential for all horses as it helps maintain normal gut function, is a good energy source and gives the horse a feeling of fullness. Horses require an adequate amount of fibre (i.e. Chaff) to increase the bulk of ration and dilute highly concentrated energy and protein feeds. 

• Carbohydrates. These provide energy to stay alive and do extra work, such as being ridden.

• Protein. This builds up cells and bones and helps with healing, growth and repair after illness or injury

• Fibre. For efficient hindgut function

• Fats. These help keep a horse warm and provide extra energy

• Vitamins and Minerals. These keep the body healthy and strong

Different foods have different levels of the above nutrients, so it's important you are feeding your horse or pony the correct diet in the right proportions. The ideal person to speak with on this topic further is Stephanie Howe at HYGAIN who can offer professional advise on your questions.

What are the different types of fibre?

Grass, hay, chaff and haylage (haylage is hay that has been treated and sealed into bags when half-dry. Haylage tends to be more commonly used outside of Australia for example Europe due to the climatic conditions)

Chaff is simply dried forage that has been cut into small pieces. Lucerne and oaten chaff are commonly added to concentrates before feeding but their use outside Australia is less common. As the forage is cut into short lengths it can be eaten quickly in contrast to hay and pasture. Good quality chaff should smell fresh, not be dusty and have no obvious contaminants.

Main advantages of feeding chaff:

• Highly palatable when mixed with grains.

• Provides roughage

• Bulking agent

Other advantages: Going into winter roughages such as soft hay or chaff will be fermented in the hindgut producing some heat as a by product therefore feeding more roughage (i.e. Chaff) will assist in keeping your horse warm and will help maintain condition.

Disadvantages

• Often dusty

• Large intake causes "hay belly"

• Up to 12%-20% wastage as hay

Horses out at good quality pasture 24 hours a day will not usually require the same amounts of roughage that a fully stabled horse would. This is where the important rule of little and often and in the correct proportions becomes very important. Many cases of colic and stomach upsets (e.g. Stomach ulcers) can be avoided by simply remembering that the horse has quite a small stomach. By feeding your horse regular small quantities each day as oppose to one large heavy meal you can begin to feed your horse the way nature still intends.