What is a poor doer horse? A poor doer is a horse which struggles to maintain healthy weight and condition even when it seems to be eating enough. The core issue 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. The e
What horse feed is best for older ponies with poor teeth?
Choosing the right horse feed for older ponies with poor teeth is mostly about making eating easier, maintaining complete nutrition, and supporting weight maintenance without causing gut disturbance. As ponies age, dental issues can reduce chewing ability, which means the feed has to do most of the work. The best options are usually soft, appetising, high fibre feeds that are easy to eat, low in starch, and suitable for senior nutrition. The goal is not just to find some
What makes up mare and foal nutrition different? Mare and foal nutrition go hand in hand, yet they differ. The mare’s needs vary through gestation and then rise sharply during lactation , when she must maintain her own body condition as well as milk production . A foal, by contrast, is focused on rapid development, which means the diet must support growth support , bone development, muscle formation, and healthy gut health . This is why horse feed for ma
Complete Horse Feed Guide for Well-rounded Equine Nutrition
What Is Complete Horse Feed? Complete horse feed is a type of horse feed designed to deliver a broad spread of nutrients in one product, aiding equine nutrition and a balanced diet . It is intended to contribute energy, protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals , so owners can create a more consistent feeding programme without relying on multiple separate ingredients. That does not mean it replaces every element of the equine diet. Most horses still need acce
What Is the Difference Between Horse Feed and Cubes?
If you are comparing horse feed with cubes, the simplest answer is this: horse feed is the general category, while cubes are a specific type of it. Horse feed can include rations, nuts , pellets , chaff-based rations, and complete horse feed , whereas cubes are dense, compressed units created to offer nutrition in a easy-to-use format. The key difference is not just shape. It is about ingredients, nutritional value , fibre content, starch, protein, digestib
Kinds of Horse Feed Brands and How to Pick the Right One
Choosing the right horse feed is not just about choosing the most well-known brand and mainly about matching feed value to the horse’s stage of life, exercise level, body condition, and digestive needs. The market includes many horse feed companies , but the real decision starts with understanding the types of horse feed available and how each one supports digestion, energy, protein supply, and overall body condition . Some horses do well on forage alone, while
Equine Feed for Gut Health: What to Choose and Why
Choosing the most suitable horse feed is one of the best ways to support digestive health . A horse’s digestive system is built for regular intake of forage , with the foregut and hindgut working best when fibre is supplied consistently. The incorrect feed can disrupt the gut microbiome , reduce digestibility , and increase the risk of discomfort, poor condition, and digestive upset. This guide explains how feed choices affect gut health , which t
What Horse Feed Is Ideal for Horses Needing Extra Calories?
If a horse needs to have extra calories for healthy weight gain , the best horse feed is usually one that is highly digestible, tasty, and centred on fibre and/or oil rather than being overloaded with starch . For many horses, the safest route is a calorie-dense feed that promotes gut health , provides slow-release energy , and fits a practical balanced ration based on forage first . In real-world terms, that often means a well-formulated compl