Feeding in practice
How is the ration put into practice every day?
Concentrates, feeding management, routines at the livery yard and the specifics of competition sport.
Linseed for horses: variants and feeding context
Whole seed, crushed or processed linseed and linseed oil differ. Here is how to check the product, its preparation and its contribution to the ration.
5 min readRead
Mash for horses: composition, occasions and ration context
What you should check about composition, dry feed quantity and preparation before a mash meal – without inferring an effect from the product name.
5 min readRead
Oats for horses: how much, whole or rolled?
How to check whether your horse needs oats, assess processing and chewing ability, and account for the quantity actually fed in the ration.
5 min readRead
Concentrates – only when needed
Many leisure horses need little or no concentrate feed. Too much starch per meal can upset the balance in the large intestine.
5 min readRead
Stomach problems in horses: reviewing feeding and getting them checked
How to document forage, gaps between meals and feeds, what feeding management can achieve and why recurring problems need a veterinary examination.
9 min readRead
Organising individual feeding at a livery yard
Balancing individual needs with simple routines for yard staff – with pre-portioned servings where they genuinely simplify the process. A good system documents knowledge; it does not replace good staff.
7 min readRead
Competitive sport and supplements
Particular caution with herbs and plant extracts. “Natural” does not mean “harmless” – and there is no guarantee of being “doping-free”.
5 min readRead
Doping and withdrawal periods in competitive sport
Many native herbs can be relevant for competitions. How the ADMR and FEI regulate their classification and why product form and concentration are decisive.
5 min readRead
Laminitis in horses: recognise the emergency, adjust feeding
How to recognise a laminitis emergency, why insulin plays a role in most cases and how hay values, soaking, weight and grazing fit into a feeding plan supervised by your vet.
8 min readRead
Free faecal water in horses: causes, investigation and feeding
What is known about the causes of free faecal water, what your vet should investigate and how to check feeding and management step by step with a record.
7 min readRead
Sugar beet pulp for horses: soaking, sugar and the ration
What sugar beet pulp provides in energy, fibre, sugar and minerals, how to soak it safely and how to fit molassed and molasses-free versions into the total ration.
6 min readRead
Linseed oil for horses: energy, omega-3 and storage
What linseed oil provides in energy and fatty acids, which upper limits the specialist literature gives for oil, how to introduce and store it, and what the studies on coat and skin actually show.
7 min readRead
Simplifying horse feeding: fewer tubs, clear instructions
Lots of tubs, different measuring scoops, changing yard staff: how to reduce the daily effort with supplements without making the ration less accurate.
5 min readRead
Mixing your own horse feed: what works and where it gets risky
Combining hay, oats, linseed and a mineral feed yourself is common. Weighing out trace elements yourself is something else. This is how you plan your own mix without throwing the ration off balance.
6 min readRead
Creating a feeding plan for your horse: contents, example, template
A good feeding plan says what your horse gets, when and in what amount. What belongs in it, which guide values apply to forage, breaks between feeds and starch, and what an example plan looks like.
6 min readRead
Lucerne for horses: hay, cubes and chaff in the ration
Lucerne (alfalfa) supplies plenty of protein, lysine and calcium, but little sugar and starch. When lucerne hay, cubes or chaff fit into the ration, which amounts serve as a guide and what you should keep an eye on.
6 min readRead
Soya bean meal for horses: supplementing protein in a targeted way
Extracted soya bean meal is a classic protein source with plenty of lysine. When protein supplementation is necessary at all, why the amount comes from the calculation and what to look out for regarding quality and competitions.
5 min readRead
Wheat bran for horses: benefits, phosphorus and amount
Wheat bran is high in fibre and binds a lot of water, but it also brings a lot of phosphorus and little calcium. What that means for the ration and why bran is not a laxative.
4 min readRead
Muesli for horses: when it fits and how to check it
Horse muesli is a compound feed made of cereals, fibre, oilseeds and often minerals. When it makes sense, how to read starch, sugar and additives on the label and why it has to match the mineral feed.
5 min readRead
EMS in horses: understanding insulin dysregulation and feeding
What equine metabolic syndrome is, why sugar, fructan and starch drive insulin release and how hay, pasture, supplementation and exercise fit together according to the specialist guidelines.
7 min readRead
Grain-free horse feed: when it makes sense
What “grain-free” means for concentrates and mineral feed, why it does not automatically mean low in sugar and starch, and for which horses less starch really matters.
6 min readRead
Poisonous plants for horses: recognising ragwort and others
Which poisonous plants on pasture, verges and in hay are most dangerous for horses, why ragwort in hay is so treacherous and how to prevent problems.
7 min readRead
Sources
The content is based on the references listed below. It does not replace individual veterinary or feeding advice.
Show list of sources (3)
- GfE (2014) – Empfehlungen zur Energie- und Nährstoffversorgung von PferdenSpecialist reference in German-speaking countries (GfE, German Society of Nutrition Physiology), Committee for Requirement Standards
- Coenen M, Vervuert I (2020): Pferdefütterung. Begründet von H. Meyer. 6., aktualisierte Aufl., Georg Thieme Verlag, Stuttgart. ISBN 978-3-13-241778-6Standard reference work on equine nutrition in German-speaking countries; Table 4.17 mineral recommendations (recommended supply and minimum requirement), Table 4.18 derived sweat volumes per work level and weight class, Table 4.19 electrolyte performance requirement per sweat volume (in addition to maintenance requirement)
- FN – Anti-Doping- und Medikamentenregeln (ADMR)Rules in German equestrian sport