What is the right amount of feed for your horse?
Short version: see the overview
If you don't know your forage, feed at Ekstra level. If you know the figures and they are at the right level, you can use Normal. Maximum is for horses under heavy strain.
Three dosages within each workload
In the dosage charts for the vitamin and mineral balancers Every Day Happy and Peak Performance, there are three subcategories within each workload. The purpose is to tailor the feeding plan as precisely as possible. These subcategories have previously been reserved for nutritionists, agronomists and vets.
The aim is to optimise your horse's health through feeding while being economical with what you feed, so your horse gets enough vitamins and minerals, but not too much either.
Normal
Normal dosage is for horses that are fit and healthy and fed quality forage, i.e. grass, hay or haylage.
Ekstra
Ekstra dosage is for horses that, for example, have physical or mental health challenges and are therefore under strain from factors other than their own weight and workload. Other factors include, for example, forage that doesn't meet the nutritional recommendations, or stress, both physical and mental. Ekstra can also be used as a booster over a period of 8-16 weeks.
Maximum
Maximum dosage is used for horses under heavy strain on one or more physical or mental parameters. Particularly severe stress symptoms such as recovery after illness, weakened digestion and immune system, and long-distance transport. Maximum is the maximum dosage allocation for a healthy horse and can also be used as a booster over a period of 4-12 weeks.
How to read the notes in the KER tables
Normal: covers the KER standards with a comfortable margin for normal maintenance of healthy horses with normal digestion and no particular stress factors.
Ekstra: covers close to the maximum for otherwise healthy horses that, for example, have temporarily weakened digestion or other stress factors, including recovery after illness and long-distance transport.
Maximum: covers the maximum for otherwise healthy horses that, for example, have temporarily weakened digestion or other stress factors, including recovery after illness and long-distance transport.
The three notes are worded identically for all three workloads and are therefore collected here rather than repeated three times.
Minerals of key importance
KER, Kentucky Equine Research, has drawn up recommendations for horses' basic daily mineral intake in relation to weight, age and workload. The recommended amount should always be seen as the total of the minerals found in your horse's entire daily feed intake, i.e. both what it gets from forage and what it gets in the feed bucket.
In Every Day Happy and Peak Performance there is a particular focus on the minerals for which recommendations exist: magnesium, manganese, selenium, copper and zinc. Molybdenum and silicon are also included. As no recommended daily intake has yet been established for molybdenum and silicon, they are listed with the amount in mg and grams your horse receives, whether you feed Every Day Happy or Peak Performance.
Molybdenum is a very important part of the body's blood sugar regulation and detoxification. This is basic physiology for all mammals. Silicon is of great importance for detoxification in the gut and tissues, binds toxins and is involved in the formation and building of connective tissue. Silicon is therefore a particularly important component in building and maintaining tendons, cartilage, skin and hooves.
The figure next to each mineral shows what your horse receives when it eats a sufficient amount of quality forage combined with either Every Day Happy or Peak Performance, relative to KER's recommendations. Your horse needs to receive at least 100 % of the recommended daily amount of nutrients.
Your horse uses these nutrients in its daily life to live: eating, moving, interacting with its herd, playing, resting, reproducing, being under stress, getting injured and encountering viruses and bacteria. These are all natural elements of a horse's life, whether it lives freely or with people. The tables below show to what extent Every Day Happy and Peak Performance support the body daily with the known nutrients, giving your horse the opportunity to achieve the most optimal biological function possible.
Horses in light work and at grass
Definition of light work and at grass
| Workload | Walk | Trot and tölt | Medium canter | Fast gallop | Total time per session | Weekly training |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light work and at grass | 20 min | 10 min | 10 min | 0:40 | 1-6 times |
Total daily mineral allocation relative to KER recommendations
| Dosage | Normal | Ekstra (booster) | Maximum (booster) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily amount per 100 kg horse | 40-50 grams | 60-70 grams | 80-85 grams |
| Magnesium | 180-196 % | 211-226 % | 245-250 % |
| Manganese | 224-239 % | 255-271 % | 286-300 % |
| Copper | 130-150 % | 180-230 % | 230-240 % |
| Selenium | 100-120 % | 150-170 % | 190-203 % |
| Zinc | 150-170 % | 200-230 % | 250-260 % |
| Molybdenum | 0.13 mg | 0.16 mg | 0.21 mg |
| Silicon | 0.88 g | 1.15 g | 1.50 g |
The dosage chart's exact figures per 100 kg horse: Normal 45 g, Ekstra 65 g, Maximum 85 g. The gram range in the table is the interval the percentages are calculated on. The full weight chart from 200 to 800 kg is in the dosage chart for Every Day Happy and Peak Performance.
Horses in moderate work and pregnant mares without a foal at foot
Horses in moderate work are defined as doing work as shown in the chart below. Pregnant mares are fed according to their workload until the 8th month. From the 9th to the 11th month they are fed as for moderate work.
Definition of moderate work
| Workload | Walk | Trot and tölt | Medium canter | Fast gallop | Total time per session | Weekly training |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moderate | 30 min | 20 min | 35 min | 1:15 | 4-6 times |
Total daily mineral allocation relative to KER recommendations
| Dosage | Normal | Ekstra (booster) | Maximum (booster) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily amount per 100 kg horse | 55-65 grams | 75-85 grams | 95-105 grams |
| Magnesium | 210-222 % | 234-246 % | 260-270 % |
| Manganese | 200-212 % | 222-233 % | 244-262 % |
| Copper | 122-137 % | 152-165 % | 181-196 % |
| Selenium | 100-115 % | 130-145 % | 160-175 % |
| Zinc | 157-172 % | 188-203 % | 218-236 % |
| Molybdenum | 0.15 mg | 0.20 mg | 0.25 mg |
| Silicon | 1.06 g | 1.41 g | 1.76 g |
The dosage chart's exact figures per 100 kg horse: Normal 60 g, Ekstra 80 g, Maximum 100 g.
Horses in hard work and lactating mares
Horses in hard work are defined as doing work as shown in the chart below. Lactating mares are fed as for hard work for the first 3 months after foaling. Until the foal is weaned, the mare is fed as for moderate work. If the mare is both pregnant and lactating, she is fed as for hard work throughout all the lactating months. Once the foal is weaned, follow the recommendations for the pregnant mare.
Definition of hard work
| Workload | Walk | Trot and tölt | Medium canter | Fast gallop | Total time per session | Weekly training |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hard work | 40 min | 35 min | 50 min | 15 min | 2:30 | 2-3 times |
Total daily mineral allocation relative to KER recommendations
| Dosage | Normal | Ekstra (booster) | Maximum (booster) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily amount per 100 kg horse | 70-80 grams | 100-110 grams | 115-125 grams |
| Magnesium | 236-247 % | 270-282 % | 287-297 % |
| Manganese | 223-243 % | 264-275 % | 280-290 % |
| Copper | 139-152 % | 175-188 % | 195-210 % |
| Selenium | 115-128 % | 154-167 % | 174-188 % |
| Zinc | 197-212 % | 237-252 % | 262-280 % |
| Molybdenum | 0.19 mg | 0.26 mg | 0.30 mg |
| Silicon | 1.32 g | 1.85 g | 2.11 g |
The dosage chart's exact figures per 100 kg horse: Normal 76 g, Ekstra 106 g, Maximum 121 g.
Foals and youngstock
Foals from approx. 2 to 5 months: 1 gram per day per kg of current body weight.
Foals from 6 months and youngstock: fed according to their expected mature weight, using the dosage for light work and at grass.
Stallions need 10 % extra
As a rule, stallions always need 10 % more Every Day Happy, Peak Performance and Supreme Minerals than the dosage chart states. We recommend feeding stallions at Ekstra level relative to their workload.
Senior horses 15+
Senior horses have a greater need for vitamins and minerals than younger horses. There are two reasons for this:
1. Reduced absorption and utilisation
With age, the gut becomes less efficient at absorbing nutrients. This means your horse gets less benefit from vitamins and minerals, even with the same feed intake.
2. Dental wear and chewing problems
Senior horses often have reduced chewing ability due to worn teeth, tooth loss or sharp points. This makes it harder to make the most of forage, which is otherwise an important source of minerals. The result is a lower intake of micronutrients from the feed.
Senior horses should therefore be fed according to their own chart: dosage chart for senior horses.
Horses with special challenges
Special treatment guidelines have been drawn up for horses that have been malnourished over a longer period and are in either a marked nutritional deficit or surplus. They are based on the horse not yet being in training. If your horse has special challenges and you'd like a feeding plan that takes this into account, contact us for a consultation.
Remember salt
Your horse has no salt reserves to draw on. That's why it's necessary to provide salt in the feed every day. Salts are important components of your horse's body fluids. Among other things, they help maintain normal muscle and nerve function and a normal fluid balance.
- Give 10 g salt per 100 kg horse per day for maintenance together with the daily dose of Every Day Happy or Peak Performance. For a 500 kg horse, that's 50 g
- For moderate work, give 15-17 g of salt and for demanding work 22-27 g per 100 kg on top of Every Day Happy or Peak Performance (with Supreme Minerals, 18-20 g and 25-30 g in total). Heat, pregnancy and lactation also increase the requirement.
- A salt lick alone isn't enough. Give loose salt in the feed bucket, starting with half a teaspoon and increasing gradually over 14 days
Weight, body condition and rider weight
Always feed according to your horse's current weight, not its ideal weight. Weigh at least once a month, and weekly if your horse is changing. Weight formula: heart girth in metres cubed, multiplied by 80. Example: 1.7 x 1.7 x 1.7 x 80 is approx. 392 kg.
If rider and tack weigh more than 20 % of your horse's weight, your horse's requirements increase. The optimal ratio is 1:5.
Glossary and questions about feeding
The feed glossary and the recurring questions about soaking, mash, and dry and wet weight are collected in one place: FAQ about feeding.
