Feed plenty of fibre

• The horse is a herbivore and so has evolved to thrive on a high fibre diet. In the wild the horse would spend between 16-18 hours per day eating and so feeding lots of fibre helps to keep the digestive system healthy.
• Fibre is found in lots of different feeds in varying levels. Those highest in fibre tend to be forages such as hay, straw, grass and alfalfa. Some fibre sources provide very digestible fibre such as sugar beet and alfalfa. These highly digestible fibre sources provide lots of energy and can meet the energy requirements of most horses and ponies working up to a moderate level without cereals being required.
• Unlike humans horses only produce saliva by physically chewing. Saliva is important for lubricating food so that it is easier to swallow as well as buffering (neutralising) acid produced in the stomach. This keeps the overall acidity level in the stomach at an ideal level which helps to avoid stomach ulcers.
• As the horse is a ‘hypsodont’ (his teeth constantly grow throughout his life), the high silicon content of forages is important for helping to wear his teeth down thereby reducing the formation of ‘hooks’ which can cause bitting problems and discomfort.