Feeding Horses Properly
 

Making Species-Appropriate Feeding Easy

For the species-appropriate nutrition of your horse, in addition to always available, fresh, and clean drinking water, an adequate amount of high-quality roughage is the most important. We recommend a minimum supply of 1.2 – 1.5 kg of hay per 100 kg of live weight to ensure both the health maintenance and the well-being of your horse. 

The basic ration is then completed with a Mifuma pellet or muesli and, if necessary, with additional supplementary feeds. The choice of product and the amount to be used are determined by the individual needs of the horse. This results from the specific maintenance needs and the demands of performance (movement, growth, reproduction/breeding).

In addition to sufficient exercise, an appropriate housing system, fixed feeding and training times, and the avoidance of stress, needs-based and performance-appropriate feeding ensures a functioning digestive system and thus healthy animals. Horse-appropriate feeding is based on a balanced mixture of sufficient amounts of high-quality roughage and a needs-based supplement with crib feed.

Besides the urge to move, a horse has a natural need to chew and likes to have something between its teeth at all times. For this, a healthy horse needs fiber-rich food daily, we recommend, for example, at least 1.2 kg to 1.5 kg of hay per 100 kg of body weight. Adequate roughage supply is important not only for maintaining the health of the gastrointestinal tract but also for the psyche and other physiological processes such as tooth abrasion. If roughage cannot be available at all times, three or more feedings a day are beneficial. The roughage is supplemented with muesli, pellets, and possibly other components, depending on its quality and needs, so that the horses receive all essential nutrients, minerals, trace elements, and vitamins.

The concentrate feed should be distributed in small portions and always offered after the roughage to avoid hasty gulping and to achieve a mix with the fiber-rich roughage. The amount of concentrate feed per meal should not exceed half a kilo per 100 kg of body weight. The starch should be limited to 1 g per kg of body weight per meal and fat to 1 g per kg of body weight per day. Always adjust the concentrate feed ration according to the work of the animal: On rest days, reducing the concentrate feed to half the ration is recommended! After giving the concentrate feed, a rest period of at least one hour is optimal for your horse!