Manners, Please! Slow Your Horse’s Feed Consumption

Despite being blissfully unaware of table manners, horses should consume feed at a reasonable rate, if for no other reason than to avoid choke. According to an Australian study that evaluated consumption rate of concentrates, slowing a greedy eater may be no easy feat.^*

While the long fiber length characteristic of hay and pasture controls how quickly horses consume forage, the same does not hold true for many concentrate feeds.

“Horses may not chew concentrates as thoroughly as hay, which decreases saliva production. Because the feed is not moistened thoroughly, horses may be at risk for choke,” explained Kathleen Crandell, Ph.D., a nutritionist for Kentucky Equine Research.

While choke is a veterinary emergency, a more subtle risk may await horses that bolt their feed. If the starch and sugar found in concentrates are not properly digested by enzymes in the small intestine, they are fermented in the cecum and colon, collectively referred to as the hindgut. Fermentation causes a decrease in the pH of the hindgut and alters the population of resident microorganisms, a condition referred to as hindgut acidosis.

Offering EquiShure can help horses avoid hindgut acidosis. This time-released buffer controls the pH in the hindgut, allowing the microbes responsible for feed fermentation to thrive and function efficiently.

“Well-formulated concentrates provide horses with the nutrients necessary for sound growth, optimal performance, and topnotch health,” Crandell said. “Because concentrates are necessary for many horses, it is important to feed them carefully.”

Reading the manufacturer’s feeding directions is a place to start. “Reputable manufacturers will take the time to provide instructions on how to properly feed the product, including how much to offer the horse each day,” explained Crandell. “If a question persists on how to use a product, the horse owner can then call the manufacturer.”

Limiting concentrate meals to 5 lb (2.3 kg) is a sound feeding recommendation. If a horse requires more concentrate to fuel performance and maintain body condition, total concentrate fed per day should be split into multiple feedings. When considering a bolter, adding chaff to meals can slow consumption. Chaff is chopped roughage with individual pieces that measure 0.5-1.5 in (1-4 cm) in length. When mixed with grain at 15-50%, chaff can effectively slow concentrate intake.

The researchers also noted factors that didn’t affect rate of intake in this study, including meal size and palatability.

Management strategies to slow bolters include placing large, smooth stones in feeders so that horses must move the stones to collect pieces of feed or spreading feed over a large area, such as a trough feeder.

 ^*Campbell, T.E., H. Doughty, P.A. Harris, M.A. de Laat, and M.N. Sillence. 2020. Factors affecting the rate and measurement of feed intake for a cereal-based meal in horses. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 84:102869.