Changing My Horse’s Diet

There may be a number of reasons for wanting to change your horse’s feed.

Maybe he’s getting older and require a more senior diet.
Perhaps you’ve learned more about organic living and want to try something new for your best friend too.
Maybe you’re not happy with the results you’re seeing from your current feed.
In some cases, a certain line of feed gets discontinued or have been pulled from the shelves.

Any of the above could lead you to have to change what’s on Champ’s menu going forward, and this may be a bit daunting. Especially if you have a picky eater already.

Much like bribing your toddler with one pea… then two, gradually changing your horse’s diet seems to be the tried and trusted method to ensure lasting results.

Feed Changing Guide

If your horse was on a higher NSC (non-structural carbohydrate) diet with lots of starches and sugars and you’re transitioning to one that is lower in NSC, this printable guide will be valuable in its simplicity.

Feel free to print and put up in your feeding room for future reference:

On the other hand, when moving your horse to a diet higher in NSC or if your horse have a very sensitive digestive system, this could take at least 7 days, if not more.

Tips when changing your horse’s feed

• Interestingly enough, horses on pre- and probiotics seem to adapt to changes in their diet much better than other horses
• Apply the same feed changing guide when changing your source of hay. Even hay harvested from the same field may vary in nutritional content and can be tested by most laboratories.
• If you want your horse to gain weight and keep it on, adding fat and protein to his diet content is advised, but do consult a nutritional specialist for individual evaluation.
• For horses suffering with Cushing’s disease or laminitis, a diet lower in starches and sugar would be more nutritionally appropriate.
• Only change one feed aspect at a time. If for whatever reason you need to change both grain and hay, it may be a bit overwhelming for his digestive system. Try changing the hay first, and then the grains.
• Changing of the seasons may cause pastures to produce more or less sugars according to the temperature around them and may lead you to consider a holistic change in diet to compensate.
• As a particularly important seasonal transition, fall is a key time to assess the quality of forage available for your horse. This is also a good time to check if the ration of grain in his diet will be able to meet your horse’s nutritional requirements for the winter season ahead.
• An upset digestive system may be indicated by loose manure, loss of appetite and colic. If any of these signs present itself, rather park the transitioning process until his digestion has settled.

Elite Equine 100% Organic Rosehip Supplement is a natural and powerful anti-inflammatory, but also boosts the horse’s immune system for the colder days and nights ahead. Although a loading month is suggested, introducing rosehip to your horse’s current diet can be individualised and building up the dosage in this manner will do no harm.

To read more, or to place an order, please visit our website at www.eliteequinesa.com/product