Forage as the foundation

What is forage?

Forage is what horses are built to live on. It keeps their digestion working and settles the body, which is why horses need forage almost around the clock.

The four types of forage are hay, haylage, grass and straw. Often you feed one or two of them, e.g. haylage and straw, or hay and grass. The best is a combination, so the horse gets both nutrition and plenty to chew on.

What is dry matter?

Forage consists of two things: water and dry matter (DM). Dry matter is the part that remains once the water is removed, and it is the dry matter the horse gets energy, protein, fibre and minerals from.

Fresh grass contains a lot of water and therefore weighs a lot, without always providing much nutrition per kilo. Hay and straw are almost dry, so there is more nutrition in every kilo. In short: a kilo of forage is not always the same, it depends on the water content. That is also why all recommendations are calculated in dry matter and not in kilos of feed.

How much forage does a horse need?

A horse needs a minimum of 1.5 kg dry matter per 100 kg bodyweight per day. That is the absolute minimum the body needs. Ideally up to 2 kg per 100 kg, to maintain healthy gut function, and many horses can tolerate and benefit from more.

A 500 kg horse is five times the figures per 100 kg. Haylage: 2.1-3.0 kg times 5 = 11-15 kg per day. Straw provides almost no nutrition, but plenty of fibre and chewing time, so it is only used as a supplement, typically for good doers that mustn't have too many calories.

If the amount is too low

• Increase the amount gradually, so the horse reaches a minimum of 1.5 kg dry matter per 100 kg bodyweight.
• If sugar or energy in the forage is an issue, you can supplement with straw, increasing chewing time and bulk without extra sugar.
• Provide free access as far as possible. Horses are built to eat almost around the clock.

If the amount is too high

• Assess whether the energy and sugar content of the forage suits the horse's needs.
• If needed, switch to a lower-energy forage and replace some of it with straw to maintain chewing time and bulk.
• Increase the workload if the horse is healthy and can cope with it.

Too little forage can affect the stomach, gut and wellbeing and cause swings in energy and mood. Too much forage is rarely a problem in itself, but can provide too much energy if the sugar or energy content is high.

Quality: what should you look for?

• It should smell fresh and green
• No dust, mould or mildew
• Good structure, neither too coarse nor too soft
• A mix of several grass species gives a better balance

The forage analysis, and why it matters

What is a forage analysis?

A forage analysis is a test of your hay or haylage. The sample is sent to a laboratory, which measures how much it contains of sugar, protein, energy and minerals, among other things. The result gives you precise figures for what the forage contains, instead of you only being able to guess.

You can get an analysis in two ways. The easiest is to buy hay or haylage from a supplier that has already analysed the batch. Alternatively, you send a sample to a laboratory yourself, e.g. Optilab, Eurofins, Land & Fritid or SEGES. The figures only apply to the batch you have, so a new analysis is needed for every new load.

Why get a forage analysis?

Forage is the horse's most important feed, so it is important to know its quality. With an analysis you can see whether there is enough protein to cover the horse's needs, check that the sugar content isn't too high, and know whether you need to supplement with extra feed or supplements. An analysis makes it much easier to put together a feeding plan that fits your horse precisely, and to avoid feeding too much or too little.

Sugar and good doers

For horses that tend to get too fat, the sugar content is especially important. Sugar should be below 5-7% of the dry matter. If it is higher, the horse gets too much energy, and the risk of obesity and metabolic problems rises. That is why the sugar percentage is often the first thing people look at in an analysis.

Measured on the horse itself, we recommend 0.5-1 g sugar per kg bodyweight per day as a practical precautionary level. Over 2 g per kg bodyweight per day leads to disease.

If the sugar is too high

• Switch to a forage with a lower sugar content, or
• reduce the amount and replace some of it with straw or grass seed straw
• add an extra protein source in the feed bucket, so the horse still gets enough protein
• increase the workload if the horse is healthy and can cope with work

Adding blood sugar-regulating or herbal products doesn't help if the sugar content is too high. They don't stop sugar absorption and can at most support the body a little. The key is to reduce the sugar intake itself, so the body doesn't have to compensate. It is the forage that needs adjusting.

Protein: the body's building blocks

A horse needs approx. 150 g crude protein per 100 kg bodyweight per day. If this is to be covered by forage alone at the minimum amount of 1.5 kg dry matter per 100 kg, the forage must contain approx. 10% crude protein in the dry matter.

Too little protein can show as lack of muscle, a dull coat and lower resilience. That is why the protein percentage is just as important as the sugar percentage: it determines whether the forage can stand alone or whether you need to supplement.

Example: forage with 6% protein

If your horse only gets forage with 6% protein, it needs approx. 125-130 g soya bean meal per 100 kg bodyweight per day to cover its needs.

Protein needs of other types of horse

• Young, growing horses need 2.5-3.5 g protein per kg bodyweight per day.
• Breeding stock, i.e. pregnant or lactating mares, have a markedly higher need, especially in late pregnancy and during lactation.
• Horses in hard work also have an increased need, because the body either has to build tissue or produce milk.

NDF: structure, chewing time and satiety

NDF is a measure of the structure of the forage, i.e. the fibres that provide chewing time and satiety. Low NDF means softer forage, which is often eaten quickly. High NDF means coarser forage with longer chewing time. The higher the NDF, the more chewing and bulk for the horse's digestion.

NDF of 40-60% of the dry matter is within the normal range.

A high NDF content typically suits mature good doers with well-functioning chewing. It provides long chewing time, satiety and a settled digestion.

High NDF is less suitable, however, for foals and growing youngstock, and for horses with high requirements, e.g. stallions, competition horses and broodmares. Here the forage takes up so much room in the gut that they can't eat enough to cover their energy and protein needs, so the horses may seem tired or struggle to hold condition.

Trace minerals: small but important pieces

Forage rarely covers the horse's need for vitamins and minerals. That is why you should always supplement with a vitamin and mineral supplement. Regulator Complete has three supplements, Every Day Happy, Peak Performance and Supreme Minerals, each with its own dosage chart.

For you to use Normal dosage in the dosage chart and at the same time be sure the horse's trace mineral needs are covered, the forage should contain roughly these minimum values on a dry matter basis.

Note: only 10-15% of the iron in forage is absorbed by the horse.

When should you adjust upwards?

If the iron content of the forage is lower than average, which is often the case in Denmark, it can be a good idea to increase the dosage of the vitamin and mineral supplement slightly. In practice, this means switching from Normal to Ekstra dosage in the dosage chart, so the horse's needs are covered correctly.

What if I don't have a forage analysis?

Most forage analyses show that trace mineral levels are too low. That is why you should always use Ekstra dosage in the dosage chart when you don't have an analysis of the batch your horse is eating.

• Feed the vitamin and mineral supplement at Ekstra level, it is the safe choice
• If your horse is a good doer or on the round side, assume the sugar is too high: mix in straw, and limit grass in spring and autumn
• Watch for protein deficiency: flat muscles and a dull coat despite training point to too little protein, so supplement with e.g. soya bean meal

What do I do if the figures don't add up?

If sugar and protein in the forage aren't in balance, the order is the same every time. Choose low sugar, it is the key to avoiding obesity. Then supplement with protein, e.g. soya bean meal or lucerne, if the forage contains too little.

Too much sugar is hard to correct, because it has to be solved in the forage itself. Protein can always be added in the feed bucket afterwards. So adjust the amount of forage first, then look at sugar, protein and NDF to find the right balance.

Straw as a supplement

Straw contributes almost no protein, sugar, vitamins or minerals. On the other hand, it provides long chewing time, which the horse needs. That makes straw a good supplement, especially for good doers that need bulk without too many calories.

• The straw should smell fresh
• It should be free of dust, mould and mildew

Checklist: forage per 100 kg adult horse

Related articles on forage and feeding

Forage analysis

• Guide to reading a forage analysis
• NDF and ADF: how coarse and how digestible is your forage really?
• Minerals in forage: how to use the analysis together with Regulator Complete
• Calcium, phosphorus and magnesium: the foundation for a healthy, strong and willing horse

Protein and balance

• Protein sources for horses: what's the difference?
• Soya in horse feed: myths, facts and practical examples
• Supreme Minerals and amino acids: how to make sure your horse gets it all

Straw as forage

• Straw for horses: Nanna Luthersson says 30% straw, research says up to 50%
• Straw for horses: can it replace hay or haylage?
• Can straw and lucerne damage the horse's stomach or gut lining?
• Brown straw for horses: what does the colour actually mean?

Gastric ulcers and digestion

• Gastric ulcers in horses: the overlooked cause nobody talks about
• Why do gastric ulcer problems keep coming back?
• When your horse's behaviour changes: why ulcers aren't always the explanation
• My horse isn't thriving, but how do I know if it's the feed?
• When omeprazole is used preventively: the risk few people know about

Feeding principles

• Why is my good doer so hungry and grumpy, even though it gets its forage?
• Grain-free feeding: can sport horses manage without grain?
• Where does the energy come from when the horse is fed low starch and sugar?
• Mould, skin and feeding: when environment, nutrition and the skin barrier interact
• Why choose Regulator Complete?

Weight gain or loss

• Straw for horses: a solution when the forage contains too much sugar
• Weight loss with care: when your horse needs to lose weight without losing wellbeing
• Help your horse gain weight without compromising on health
• Healthy weight gain in horses: how to support weight gain without increasing the inflammatory risk
• Feed labels can be misleading, especially when it comes to the metabolic minerals