Horses are designed to graze, more or less continuously, ingesting a large amount of fibrous material throughout the day. To maintain proper function of their intestinal tract, all horses need an amount equal to 1 to 1.5% of the horse’s body weight is suggested as a minimum, every day.
Hay is the fibre alternative used most often if pasture is not available. Plants develop more indigestible lignin (woody material) as they mature, so hay cut earlier in the growth cycle is generally more appetizing and nutritious than plants that have been allowed to grow to full maturity.
While some classes of horses get along well on forage alone most horses in work need additional dietary energy. Plants store energy in their seed in the form of starch. Straight grains must have some level of processing to assist digestion, with the exception of oats, which can be fed whole.
Fat is about 2.25 times as energy-dense as an equivalent amount of starch . Easily digested in the small intestine, fat is adsorbed as free fatty acids. While fat can be used by all classes of horses, concentrates with added fat (those that contain more than about 5% fat) are particularly suited to horses performing intense exercise.
Not all proteins are the same, in terms of quality and digestibility. Protein in equine diets should be selected to provide essential amino acids. Soyabean meal is one of the leading protein sources due to its high lysine content. This amino acid is essential, especially for young growing horses, as the horse cannot synthesise this “building block” for making and repairing tissue.
Minerals are important for all classes of horses, and may be the only thing needed to balance the pasture fed horse’s nutrient requirement. Mineral needs vary for different ages and classes of horses. Vitamins are needed to keep various body systems functioning properly. Some vitamins need to be consumed as the horse eats and others are synthesised in the horse’s body.
Our partnership with Kentucky Equine Research ensures we offer customers a superior range of feeds.
Our feeds are Australian made and owned, using only the finest quality grains sourced from farmers around the country.
With over 30 years experience in formulating high quality, tailored nutritional solutions, our products are guaranteed to meet the individual needs of your horse.