A healthy, relaxed and happy horse starts with one fundamental element: nutrition that suits your horse. Not only what you feed, but also how much, why and exactly when. Horses are masters of subtle signals: a shiny coat, calm eyes, good manure and supple movement are all signs that their body is in balance. That balance is created when daily nutrition is aligned with both their natural needs and their individual situation.
In this blog, we explain how the feeding pyramid for horses, the feed as you need principle, the difference between foundational and functional nutrition, and especially the importance of fibre come together to form your horse’s daily scoop of happiness.
The feeding pyramid: clarity at a glance
To feed a horse correctly, it is important to understand how its basic needs are structured. The feeding pyramid helps bring clarity to these choices — from absolute necessity to individual fine-tuning.
1. Water – the absolute basis
Water forms the foundation of the feeding pyramid.
A horse drinks on average around 30 litres per day, depending on temperature, roughage intake and exercise. Water is essential for digestion, temperature regulation, joint health and the removal of waste products. Without sufficient water, no ration can function properly.
2. Roughage – the basis of the ration
After water comes roughage: hay, grass, haylage, alfalfa and other fibre-rich ingredients. Roughage forms the foundation of the diet and provides:
- fibre for a healthy digestive system
- energy through fermentation in the gut
- support of the microbiome
- saliva production and gastric protection
Horses are herbivores and fibre digesters. The majority of their daily intake should come from roughage. Without sufficient roughage, the digestive system becomes unbalanced.
3. Concentrates – complementing roughage
Roughage alone often does not suffice to meet all nutritional needs, especially for horses in training, growth, pregnancy or recovery. This is why concentrates come next in the feeding pyramid.
Concentrates provide:
- additional energy from grains, fats or well-digestible fibre sources
- protein for muscle development and recovery
- vitamins and minerals, which are essential for all bodily processes
For horses with a low energy requirement, a vitamin and mineral balancer may be sufficient.
For horses with higher needs, a complete concentrate provides both energy and micronutrients. It is important to note that vitamins and minerals are not optional extras, but an essential link in ensuring proper use of energy, protein and other nutrients.
4. Supplements – targeted fine-tuning
Only when water, roughage and concentrates are correctly balanced does the final layer of the pyramid come into play: supplements.
Supplements are used to support specific needs, such as:
- joints
- digestion
- stress
- recovery
- immunity
They fine-tune the ration but never replace the foundation. Without a well-balanced base ration, supplements have little effect.
Feed as you need: feeding tailored to the horse
No two horses are the same. That is why there is no standard ration. Feed as you need means not simply feeding more or less, but deliberately choosing which nutrients and energy sources best suit your horse.
When composing a ration, you look at:
- activity level and discipline
- metabolism and sensitivities
- age
- stress sensitivity
- condition, muscle development and recovery
- digestion and gut health
- quality of the roughage
Energy: not less, but different
Energy is essential for every horse. When horses are sensitive to sugar or starch peaks, it is not about reducing energy, but about choosing different energy sources.
Think of well-fermentable fibres, fats and support through B vitamins, so that energy is released evenly without strong fluctuations.
More work requires the right energy
Horses in training or competition require more energy. This can be perfectly provided through concentrates, such as grains or fat-rich ingredients. It is important to choose high-quality concentrates with well-digestible ingredients, while roughage always remains the foundation — also for sport horses.
Targeted nutrition
Feed as you need goes beyond calories alone. Within sport horses, needs vary significantly:
- a racehorse requires fast-release energy
- a dressage horse benefits from stable, long-lasting energy
- a jumping horse needs a combination of explosiveness and endurance
Foundational vs functional nutrition: first the base, then refinement
Foundational nutrition
This is the basis that EVERY horse needs. These are essential nutrients required to survive:
- energy (from fats and carbohydrates), adapted to needs
- protein
- vitamins and minerals
- water
- fibre (roughage)
Without this foundation, the body cannot function optimally. Functional ingredients are only effective when the basics are in place.
Functional nutrition
These are nutrients and ingredients for which there is no basic requirement (i.e. not necessary for survival), but which can provide targeted support to the body, for example:
- pre- and probiotics
- antioxidants
- herbal extracts
- essential oils
They support comfort, performance or recovery, but never replace the foundation. Adding a supplement to a ration based on poor-quality feed and roughage is like putting a beautiful roof on a house without foundations.
Fibre: the silent engine behind a healthy horse
A healthy horse starts with a well-functioning digestive system, and for that, fibre is indispensable. Horses are herbivores and fibre digesters; their entire digestive system is built around continuous roughage intake.
What exactly do fibres do?
Dietary fibres are complex carbohydrates from plants that are fermented by microorganisms in the hindgut. This produces:
- energy in the form of volatile fatty acids
- heat
- support of the immune system
In addition, fibres ensure:
- proper gut function
- stable digestion and blood sugar levels
- sufficient saliva production for a healthy stomach
In other words, fibres are the multitool of the digestive system.
The microbiome: a world that runs on fibre
The gut contains a large population of bacteria and yeasts: the microbiome. These microorganisms live in symbiosis with the horse. Fibres cannot be digested by the horse itself, but they can be fermented by the bacteria in the gut. Fibres feed the microbiome, and in return, these microorganisms produce metabolites that the horse can use. A perfect collaboration.
Beyond fibre digestion, the microflora also communicates continuously with the horse’s entire body. Through the metabolites they release, they influence both mental and physical health. They play an important role in the immune system and also affect performance and behaviour. Maintaining a healthy microflora is therefore crucial for overall wellbeing. High-quality roughage helps keep this microbiome in balance; stress, illness or antibiotics can disrupt it.
Fibres are the most natural prebiotics — food for beneficial bacteria. In addition to grass and hay, useful fibre sources include alfalfa, beet pulp, wheat bran and cereal husks.
Does your horse get enough fibre?
A horse needs at least 1.5% of its body weight in roughage per day — around 9 kg of hay for a 600 kg horse. More is possible, but the focus should be on divided portions, good quality and consistency. Fibre always forms the basis of health and daily wellbeing.
Your daily scoop of happiness
When your horse drinks enough water, receives sufficient high-quality roughage, gets exactly the right amount of energy and has balanced vitamins and minerals, you create daily wellbeing. That is your daily scoop of happiness: nutrition that not only fills, but truly nourishes — body and mind. Functional nutrition can then be used very specifically to strengthen this foundation.
A new step in healthy basic nutrition: Cavalor FiberBase Mix
Many horses benefit from a feed that strengthens the base: fibre-rich, balanced, palatable and ideal for leisure horses, light work and allround use.
Cavalor FiberBase Mix is exactly that:
- with fibres for good digestion
- with flaked grains that are easy to digest
- without oats
- with a moderate sugar and starch level (20%)
- covers vitamin and mineral requirements
- suitable for a broad group of horses
This fibre-based feed fits perfectly within the feed as you need principle: a solid base that can easily be supplemented with functional nutrition tailored to your horse.
