What is most important when feeding a horse for travel? Selecting the right horse feed for travel is less about finding a single “best” product and more about supporting gut health , stable energy, and a calm demeanor throughout the journey. Travel can disrupt a horse’s normal travel routine , which may affect appetite, water intake , and overall digestive health . The best feeding approach is usually a forage-first plan built around steady management rathe
Equine Feed for Digestive Wellness: A Practical Guide
What Gut Health Means in Horses Healthy gut health is the basis of a horse’s ease, hunger, ability, and long-term wellbeing. A horse’s digestive system is designed to digest almost constant intake of forage , with the foregut managing the early stages of digestion and the hindgut doing much of the fibre breakdown that keeps the system functioning well. The hindgut is crucial because it is where hindgut fermentation occurs. Here, microbes digest fibre
Who is a poor doer horse? A poor doer is an animal that finds it hard to hold healthy weight and condition even when it appears to be eating enough. The main problem is often a mismatch between calorie intake and the horse’s needs, which can be affected by workload, age, temperament, health, and its naturally higher metabolic rate . Some poor doers burn fuel quickly, while others may have a lower appetite, weaker digestion, or trouble using feed efficiently. T
What does molasses free horse feed refer to? Molasses free horse feed is horse feed made without molasses as an added ingredient. That matters because molasses is often used to make feeds more appealing, hold together certain products, and increase energy density, but it also raises the overall sugar content of the feed. For horses that need a low sugar or low starch diet, choosing feed without molasses can make it easier to manage the daily ration with confidence. In
Low Starch Feeding: Selecting the Right Horse Feed
What Low-Starch Horse Feed Means Low-starch horse feed is a type of horse feed formulated to keep starch levels and general nonstructural carbohydrates , or NSC , lower than in many standard grain rations. For many owners, the goal is more than “less grain,” but a better source of calories that promotes digestion, energy use, and long-term health. Starch comes primarily from grain-derived ingredients such as corn, oats, and barley. When a feed has a heavy
Bifid UK +44 800 422 0888 [email protected] https://bifid.com/uk/ What exactly does soaking horse feed mean? Dampening horse feed means mixing in water to dry horse feed before it is offered to the horse, so the feed softens and is made easier to chew and swallow. The result is often a soft mash or a dampened mash feed , depending on the starting product and the amount of water used. This is part of sensible feed preparation and is commonly used to impro
Horse Feed for Cob Condition: Choosing the Best Diet
How cob condition means and why feed matters Cob condition is the overall state of a cob’s body fat, muscle, and topline, and it is most accurately judged through body condition score rather than guesswork. A cob that carries too much weight may look rounded and healthy, yet still be at risk of problems linked to excess calorie intake. A cob that is too lean may lack strength, recover poorly from work, and struggle to maintain a stable condition score . This is w
Choosing the right horse feed for dressage horses is more about choosing a single “best” bag and more focused on building a balanced ration that fits workload , body condition , temperament, and forage quality. Dressage horses need enough digestible energy for training and performance, but not so much starch or sugar that they become overexcited, tense, or difficult to ride. The best feeding plan usually starts with forage first , then adds the right