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Ration analysis
Requirements & ration planning6 min read
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This article has not yet been professionally approved. The information is based on the sources listed below.

Feeding good doers and poor doers correctly

What good doer and poor doer mean, why classifying a horse needs energy intake, requirement and body condition together, and how to adjust the ration in either direction.

Drawn scales with a small and a large pile of hay, a measuring tape beside them.
Explanatory illustration · Equivora

The short answer

A good doer is a horse that maintains or gains weight on little energy; a poor doer needs a lot. Classifying a horse needs energy intake, estimated requirement and body condition score together 12. Good doers get lower-energy hay in the same minimum amount, poor doers get more energy. If a horse loses condition despite being fed, check its health first 3.

What the terms mean

At the yard, horses are called good doers if they gain weight on very little feed, and poor doers if they stay lean despite plenty of feed. A gut feeling is not enough for a reliable classification. The Equine Keeper Status Scale therefore combines energy intake, estimated energy requirement and body condition score 1.

Energy requirement depends mainly on body weight and work 4. Only when you put intake and requirement side by side can you see whether your horse is really unusual or simply eats more or less than you think.

Good doers

  • Choose lower-energy, high-fibre hay rather than less hay; keep to the minimum of 1.5 kg dry matter per 100 kg body weight 56.
  • Extend feeding time, for example with small-mesh haynets.
  • Limit grazing; a grazing muzzle reduces intake, but the effect varies widely between individuals 78.
  • Leave out concentrates if the energy is not needed, and supplement minerals in a targeted way.

Poor doers

If a horse loses weight despite an adequate ration, finding the cause comes before increasing the feed. Dental problems, parasites or illnesses can interfere with feed intake or utilisation 3.

If the horse is healthy, extra energy comes first from good forage in sufficient quantity, then from concentrates or oil. Split concentrates into several small meals; the guideline gives a practical upper limit of 1 to 2 kg per meal 5.

Keep a record

Every two to four weeks, note the body condition score, tape weight and the weighed feed amounts 2. This shows you whether a change is working and gives you records for your vet or feeding advisor.

Key takeaways

  • The classification comes from energy intake, requirement and body condition, not from a gut feeling 1.
  • Being a good doer is not the same as EMS; insulin dysregulation is assessed by your vet 9.
  • The forage minimum also applies to good doers 5.
  • Have poor doers examined first, then plan more energy 3.

Frequently asked questions

How can I tell if my horse is a good doer?

It maintains or improves its body condition on an energy intake below its estimated requirement. To tell, you need weighed feed amounts and a regularly recorded body condition score 12.

Does every good doer have EMS?

No. Being overweight and EMS are not the same; there are horses with fat deposits but no EMS 9. If there are fat pads on the crest or a history of laminitis, a veterinary check is worthwhile.

How does a poor doer get more energy?

First through better forage in sufficient quantity, then, if needed, through concentrates or oil. Teeth, parasites and possible illnesses should be checked beforehand 3. The amount follows from the ration calculation.

Sources & studies

The content is based on the references listed below. It does not replace individual veterinary or feeding advice.

Show list of sources (9)
  1. Johnson & Biddle (2021): A Standard Scale to Measure Equine Keeper Status and the Effect of Metabolic Tendency on Gut Microbiome StructureThe Equine Keeper Status Scale combines energy intake, estimated energy requirement and body condition score; it is not a single self-assessment.
  2. Henneke DR, Potter GD, Kreider JL, Yeates BF (1983): Relationship between condition score, physical measurements and body fat percentage in mares. Equine Veterinary Journal 15(4):371–372Original publication on the body condition score; bibliographically checked. Its application and limits are additionally supported by horse-specific specialist reviews.
  3. University of Minnesota Extension: Caring for the underweight horseInstitutional practice guide, checked on 29 September 2026: identifying causes with a vet and feeding advice, body condition, access to feed and dental problems; severely emaciated horses need a supervised refeeding plan. American ration examples are not adopted as a standard dose for Germany.
  4. GfE (2014) – Empfehlungen zur Energie- und Nährstoffversorgung von PferdenSpecialist reference in German-speaking countries (GfE, German Society of Nutrition Physiology), Committee for Requirement Standards
  5. Sykes BW, Hewetson M, Hepburn RJ, Luthersson N, Tamzali Y (2015): European College of Equine Internal Medicine Consensus Statement – Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome in Adult Horses. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 29(5):1288–1299European specialist guideline: minimum of 1.5 kg forage dry matter per 100 kg body weight per day, avoid breaks in feeding of more than 6 hours, starch below 2 g/kg BW/day and below 1 g/kg BW/meal; gastroscopy as the only reliable diagnosis in the living horse; oral antacids act for ≤ 2 hours
  6. Bayerische Landesanstalt für Landwirtschaft (LfL): Gruber Tabelle zur PferdefütterungPractical reference table with requirement and feed values based on the GfE recommendations; the basis of many ration calculations in German-speaking countries. Chapter 9.3, Table 39: most common poisonous plants for horses with habitat, toxicity and risk level (after Kamphues et al. 2014)
  7. Longland AC, Barfoot C, Harris PA (2011): The effect of wearing a grazing muzzle vs not wearing a grazing muzzle on pasture dry matter intake by ponies. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 31(5–6):282–283A grazing muzzle reduced ponies' pasture intake at a sward height of 8–15 cm by around 83%; measured over a few hours, without recording daily intake or weight development
  8. Glunk EC, Sheaffer CC, Hathaway MR, Martinson KL (2014): Interaction of Grazing Muzzle Use and Grass Species on Forage Intake of Horses. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 34(7):930–933A grazing muzzle reduced pasture intake at a sward height of 15–20 cm by around 30% on average – markedly less than in Longland et al. (2011). The range between the two studies is too wide for a robust calculation factor
  9. Durham AE et al. (2019): ECEIM consensus statement on equine metabolic syndrome. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 33:335–349Sections 2–3 and 7: overweight is not an EMS diagnosis; ration adjustment, monitoring and exercise in at-risk horses must be supervised by a vet. Clinical restriction protocols are not adopted as a general recommendation for owners.