Diluting Horse Feeds with Oats

Choosing the best feed for your horse is much easier than it once was. Feed manufacturers often work with consultants such as Kentucky Equine Research (KER) to offer products appropriate for horses in all stages of life. With clear-cut feeding instructions, it’s fairly simple to supply horses with adequate nutrition when the proper amount of feed is coupled with sufficient quantities of suitable forage.

Yet, times are tough, and horse owners are looking for ways to lower horse-feeding costs without compromising the nutritional well-being of their horses. One common strategy involves diluting a commercial feed with oats. Because oats are generally less expensive than premium textured or pelleted feeds, their appeal is understandable. While economically tempting, there are times when adding oats to a feed significantly alters the nutritional balance of the diet.

Oats are an excellent energy source, but when fed alone, they do not contain sufficient quantities of certain essential minerals and vitamins for some classes of horses. Even when fed with good-quality hay, some nutrients will be underrepresented in the diet. When commercial feeds are fed below recommended amounts and then mixed with oats, vital nutrients will be diluted, and requirements will likely not be met. The same is true if commercial feeds are fed below their recommended intakes.

If, for example, a feed manufacturer recommends that a horse be given 6 to 10 lb (2.7 to 4.5 kg) of feed per day, at least 6 lb (2.7 kg) are required to meet the horse’s nutrient requirements. If only 6 lb (2.7 kg) are required to meet mineral and vitamin requirements, why would the manufacturer recommend feeding more? Optimal delivery of nutrients rarely involves an exact number but rather a range. This range allows for differences in the requirements of individual horses, particularly for energy.

Suppose 3 lb (1.4 kg) of this feed is combined with 3 lb (1.4 kg) of oats. When fed this mixture, a horse will consume only a portion of its nutrient requirements. This can be detrimental to certain groups of horses, especially young, growing horses, pregnant or lactating mares, or animals in moderate to intense exercise.

If a horse is receiving a commercial feed at the recommended amount, then adding some oats will not affect delivery of essential nutrients. One cautionary note: when large amounts of oats are fed, it can change the calcium-phosphorus balance, even if fed with a commercial concentrate.

Rethinking your horse’s diet? Choose an experienced equine nutritionist or consultation company to help you decide what’s best for your horse.