This article has not yet been professionally approved. The information is based on the sources listed below.
Mineral feed test: how to check a mineral feed yourself
Instead of a test winner, a checking guide: which details must be on the label, how to convert contents to your daily amount and how to tell whether a mineral feed suits your hay.
The short answer
A mineral feed is not good in general; it either suits a particular ration or it does not. Check the labelling, additives and recommended daily amount 1, convert the contents to grams per day and compare them with requirements and the hay 2. Maximum levels apply to the whole ration 3. Selenium and iodine only belong in the calculation with a lab value.
Why there is no test winner
A mineral feed is meant to supplement what hay and other feeds do not supply. What that is depends on your hay. A product with a lot of copper and zinc may suit one hay and be too much for another. The requirement values from GfE (German Society of Nutrition Physiology) and NRC refer to the whole ration 24.
That is why the actual check is a comparison: your horse's requirements minus what the forage supplies gives the gap. A good mineral feed fills this gap.
Step 1: Read the labelling
Legally, a mineral feed is a complementary feed with at least 40% crude ash 1. Additives such as trace elements and vitamins must be authorised in the EU 3.
- Composition: which feed materials are included, in descending order 1.
- Analytical constituents: for example crude ash, calcium, phosphorus, sodium 1.
- Additives: trace elements and vitamins with compound and amount per kg 13.
- Feeding instructions: recommended daily amount per horse or per 100 kg of body weight 1.
Step 2: Convert to the daily amount
The values on the label refer to 1 kg of product. But your horse may only get 50 g. Multiply the content per kg by the daily amount in kg: 2,000 mg of zinc per kg times 0.05 kg gives 100 mg of zinc per day.
You then compare these daily values with your horse's requirements and with what the hay already supplies. Only then do two products with different daily amounts become comparable.
Step 3: Check limits and totals
There are legal maximum levels for zinc, copper and selenium. They apply to the whole ration across all sources, not to the individual product 567. If you feed several supplements, you add up their contributions.
Selenium and iodine have a narrow window between requirement and excess. They only belong in supplementation with a lab value. Without a hay analysis, a mix is possible, but without targeted addition of selenium and iodine.
Step 4: Check the supplier's claims
A reputable supplier provides the full declaration and a clear daily amount. The labelling must not claim that a feed prevents, treats or cures diseases 1. Statements such as “covers everything” without reference to your hay are a warning sign.
Key takeaways
- Without hay values, it is impossible to say whether a mineral feed fits.
- Convert contents per kg of product to the daily amount, and only then compare.
- Maximum levels for zinc, copper and selenium apply to the whole ration across all sources 567.
- More ingredients are not a mark of quality; excesses add up 4.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best mineral feed for horses?
There is no single best mineral feed for all horses. Hay varies greatly depending on location and cut, and so does what is lacking. The right product closes the gaps in your ration without creating excesses 24.
What must be on the label of a mineral feed?
Among other things, the composition, the analytical constituents, the additives with their amounts and feeding instructions 1. If the recommended daily amount is missing, you cannot convert the contents for your horse.
Are expensive mineral feeds better?
The price says nothing about whether a product suits your ration. It is better to compare the cost per day at the amount your horse actually needs, and whether the contents match your hay values.
Sources & studies
The content is based on the references listed below. It does not replace individual veterinary or feeding advice.
Show list of sources (7)
- Verordnung (EG) Nr. 767/2009Placing on the market and use of feed, labelling and claims; definitions of complete feed (Art. 3(2)(i)) and complementary feed (point (j)), content of feed additives (Art. 8), feeding instructions (Annex II No. 4). Link to the current EUR-Lex consolidated version (as of 26 December 2018).
- GfE (2014) – Empfehlungen zur Energie- und Nährstoffversorgung von PferdenSpecialist reference in German-speaking countries (GfE, German Society of Nutrition Physiology), Committee for Requirement Standards
- Verordnung (EG) Nr. 1831/2003Feed additives – authorisation and use; “daily ration” based on 12% moisture (Art. 2(2)(f)), renewal of authorisation and automatic continuation (Art. 14(4)), general conditions of use (Annex IV: natural plus added amount; complementary feed, diluted as specified, at most at the level for complete feed). Link to the current EUR-Lex consolidated version (as of 27 March 2021).
- NRC – Nutrient Requirements of Horses, 6th ed.International reference for the nutrient requirements of horses (National Research Council)
- Durchführungsverordnung (EU) 2016/1095Authorisation of zinc acetate, zinc chloride, zinc oxide, zinc sulphate and zinc chelates (3b601 ff.); total maximum content of zinc 120 mg/kg complete feed (12% moisture) for “other species and categories”, in which horses are not listed separately. Consolidated version of 25 September 2022 (including Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1458); authorisation expires according to the Annex on 27 July 2026; renewal procedures are under way at EFSA. According to the EU Register of Feed Additives (as of 15 October 2026), an application for renewal under Art. 14 of Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003 has been submitted (checked for zinc acetate dihydrate, 3b601); the authorisation remains valid. Additionally Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/265 (zinc(II) betaine complex, 120 for other species).
- Durchführungsverordnung (EU) 2018/1039Authorisation of copper compounds (3b401 ff.); total maximum content of copper 25 mg/kg complete feed (12% moisture) in the category “other animals”, in which horses are not listed separately. Consolidated version of 21 September 2022 (including Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1445); authorisation expires according to the Annex on 13 August 2028. Additionally Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2513 (copper(II) betaine complex, also 25 for other species).
- Durchführungsverordnung (EU) 2020/2117Renewal of the authorisation of selenium yeast from Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-3399 (identification number 3b812) for all animal species; total maximum content of selenium 0.50 mg/kg complete feed (12% moisture) and at most 0.2 mg/kg of added organic selenium. Authorisation expires according to the Annex on 6 January 2031. Other selenium sources with the same total value: Implementing Regulations (EU) 2019/49, 2019/804 and 2024/3168.