11/11/2025
Forage in the Diet
Forage is incredibly important to horses for so many reasons. Horses are hind gut fermenters and use fibrous forage as energy and to keep their microbiome healthy. They also produce stomach acid 24/7 365 and require near constant forage grazing to fill their stomachs, forming a protective layer against the acid that protects the upper part of their stomach from acid splash. Forage that is chewable & digestible is a nonnegotiable for horses, that includes young horses, performance horses, seniors and every horse inbetween.
I am a huge believer in using forage first in the equine diet. At the same time, domestication of horses means that we are in charge of making sure they have everything they need. To do this, when we feed our horses it's best to make sure what I call "The Base Diet" is covering all of our horse's daily nutrient requirements, and then any forage they eat during the day is often considered extra.
Now, let me explain more!
Because the "Base Diet" can absolutely consist of mostly hay. However, the truth is that unless you are having your hay tested regularly, most people don't know if their hay is covering their horse's daily needs. Of course hay testing is an option, but not for everyone. The same goes for pasture in a way, because it's ever changing and incredibly difficult to accurately test.
That's why I typically recommend to my clients feeding a diet of a Performance feed, Complete feed, Ration Balancer, OR vitamin/mineral/protein supplement as the "Base Diet", and then feeding hay based on GI needs and body condition needs.
So what are the forage options out there?
🌾Long Stem Forage - your basic baled hay usually of orchard grass, timothy grass, alfalfa hay, meadow grass hay.
🌾Hay Pellets - timothy or alfalfa typically, compressed into pellets to be soaked then fed, can replace up to 100% of long stem forage as needed for horses unable to eat long stem forage.
🌾Hay Cubes- timothy or alfalfa typically, compressed into cubes to be soaked then fed, can replace up to 100% of long stem forage as needed for horses unable to eat long stem forage.
🌾Chopped/Bagged Forage - pre chopped and bagged hay, cut to make it easier to chew and also store/transport. Many of these are hay mixes and often have oils (such as soy or flax) added as a dust binder.
🌾Beet Pulp - by product of the sugar beet industry, beet pulp is a palatable and digestible prebiotic food product that can replace up to 50% of forage in the diet as needed and is often the forage ingredient in Complete feeds.
🌾Straw - while not typically seen as edible forage, straw is edible and can be used to replace roughly 10% of forage in the diet, typically used for over conditioned horses on strict diets who need to extend their chewing time.
Horses need to be eating 1.5-2.5% or f their body weight in forage daily. For a 1000 lb. horse that's usually between 15-20 lbs. This includes all forages- grass, long stem hay, hay pellets, chopped hay, beet pulp etc. Products like pellets and cubes, even beet pulp, can all be especially helpful for horses with dental issues, trouble holding or picking up weight, and for extra hydration (as most of these products should be soaked before feeding).
There are so many different forage types to choose from, each one a little different. Sometimes it can take some trial and error to see which forage and how much works best for your individual horse, luckily for most horses the more forage the better, especially with winter coming up.
If you need help choosing a forage option that works best for you, reach out to schedule with me!
